1
general::
Phrase(s): in cold storage
dead; in a state of death. (Alludes to the actual storage of certain things, such as fur coats, in cold storerooms.) • Tom gets paid for putting his subjects in cold storage. • Poor old Jed is in cold storage.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
In a state of abeyance or postponement. For example, We can't consider these design changes now; let's put them in cold storage for a year or so. This expression alludes to the literal storage of food, furs, or other objects in a refrigerated place. [Colloquial; late 1800s]
American Heritage Idioms