put a building to sleep
v. phr.— «Most of the savings come from smarter use of the district’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems controlled by a new $2 million proprietary system called Automated Logic, said Larry Wilson, the district’s director of operations. The system lets district officials program automatic temperature settings for schools, room by room, during occupied and unoccupied hours. “A lot of folks refer to it as “putting the building to sleep.” We’re not turning the air conditioning off—we raise the temperature setting,” Wilson said.» —“Control system to save schools $1 million on energy bill” by Jeremy Hsieh Beaufort Gazette (South Carolina) May 21, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A young listener wonders: Why do the words icing and frosting both refer to the idea of being cold? The names for this sweet cover on a cake refer to its appearance, not its temperature. Something similar occurs with the glaze in glazed doughnut...
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...