shelve
verb

- to not take action on something until a later time

- to decide not to continue with a plan, either for a short time or permanently

- to place (something) on a shelf or shelves

Cambridge Dictionary / Collins Dictionary / Oxford Learner’s Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The verb “shelve” is from the 1590s, meaning “to overhang" also "to provide with shelves" — probably a back-formation from shelves, the plural of shelf. The meaning "put or lay on a shelf" is recorded by 1650s; the figurative or metaphoric sense of "lay aside as not needed, dismiss by neglect" is from 1812.

“Shelf life” meaning "the time goods may be kept or stored unsold before they begin to spoil" is from 1927. “Off the shelf” meaning “ready-made from a supply of ready-made goods" is from 1936.

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MANY REASONS TO SHELVE

On the first day of his screenwriting classes, Hal Ackerman would give index cards to all of his students and ask them to write down what they do to procrastinate. In his book “Write Screenplays That Sell”, Ackerman listed some answers from a recent group: "Research. Clean house. Practice trombone. Surf the Net. Watch TV. Hang out with friends. E-mail. Play video games. See movies. Shop. Make phone calls. Build things. Think about writing. Talk about writing. Network. Give up. Raise children. Read screenplays. Drink. Drive. Draw. Make love. Chain smoke. Run. Play tennis, handball, racquetball. Work out. Nap. Daydream. Organize closets. Defrost refrigerator. Make lists. Do yoga. Play music. Groom the dog. Fall in love. Fall out of love..."

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SHELVE THE SHELVE

Clinical hypnotherapist Jeff Herring once wrote, "The next time you find yourself tempted to shelve something important here's what you do. Just put it off. That's right, just say to yourself, I'll procrastinate later. Right now I'll get it done!"

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SYNONYMS

- to postpone, to delay, to end

abandon, adjourn, axe, backpedal, bail out on, bank, break off, bring to a halt (a standstill), cease, check, chicken out, chill, conclude, cool, cut short, defer, desist, discontinue, dismiss, dissolve, drop, freeze, give up, halt, hang fire (up), hold, hold off (over, up), ice, intermit, jettison, keep in abeyance, knock off, lay aside, lay away (by, off, over), mothball, pack in, park, pigeonhole, play safe, prorogue, protract, pull the plug, put aside (away, back, by, in abeyance, in cold storage, on hold, on ice, on pause, on the back burner, on the shelf), quit, recess, refrain, renounce, reschedule, reserve, resign, rest, retard, retract, retreat, scratch, set aside (back), SHELVE, sideline, sidestep, sit on, slack off, stall, stand over, stay, stop, stow (away), suspend, table, take a breather (a break, a rain check on), terminate, think twice, wait, wind down, write off

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“It’s high time not to SHELVE our 2023 New Years’ resolutions any longer :-)”

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