Gone to Coventry??

[ladydelaluna]

A British friend of mine will be rambling on about some problem or person she's been dealing with, that's got her very upset. She'll suddenly say 'Ah, I've gone to coventry on this.' Does that mean that she's saying she's giving up? Where did that idea originate from?

[Quizmonster]

You don't "go" to Coventry...you're "sent" there. Click http://www.word-detective.com/112700.html#coventry for an explanation.

[honkytonkman]

Gone to Coventry?? A British friend of mine will be rambling on about some problem or person she's been dealing with, that's got her very Ladydelaluna, you are sent to Coventry. It means being shunned, ignored etc by colleagues etc.

[honkytonkman]

Sorry for that bizarre post!! You are sent to Coventry. It means being shunned, ignored, etc by colleagues etc, for something you've said or done.

[david niven]

It means that no one will talk to you [the silent treatment] and dates from the 1640's when during the civil war Royalist prisoners were encarcerated in Coventry as it was a staunchly Parlimenterian city. Escaped prisoners would be shunnned by the locals and not aided in their attempts to avoid capture by the round heads.

[david niven]

On second thoughts Coventry could have been the Royalist strong hold used for holding Parliment prisoners but it's the same meaning. When I say civil war I of course mean our civil war, Charles I, Cromwell etc.