cold cow is popular expression used when the announcer wants to rreturn to the starting topic of a conversation; a subject that is no longer new, but still needs to be discussed or deepened.
The expression "back to the cold cow" or "back to the cold cow" it is quite old and popular in Brazil and Portugal. The phrase can be used to define the need to return to a topic or subject that was interrupted but still needed an ending.
The origin of the expression "to go back to the cold cow" has several meanings, many of them related to urban legends or popular stories.
One of the most acceptable hypotheses for the emergence of this expression in the Portuguese language is in French "revenons à nos moutons", which literally means "going back to the lambs". The phrase was originally used in a narrative that tells the story of Pierre Pathelin, a fourteenth-century lawyer who rambled on unimportant matters in an attempt to defend his clients.
The story tells that, in a specific case about the theft of lambs from his client, the lawyer started talking about the most absurd and diverse subjects, such as Greek and Roman mythology. The judge, tired of Pierre's daydreams, always said:
"This is all very beautiful, but let's get back to the lambs".The word "cow" replaces the term "sheep" ("moutons", from the original French expression) in the Portuguese language. This exchange can perhaps be explained by the custom that existed in Portugal of serving, before meals, a cold dish made with beef.
See also the meaning of Penny-pincher and the meaning of Scalded cat fears cold water.
