Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) very unfriendly.

1831		Salisbury & Winchester Jrnl 14 Nov. 3/3: ‘The Frosty Reception,’ [...] is a humorous delineation of intrusive civility and undisguised disapprobation.
1836		Sligo Champion 9 July 4/3: They may assure themselves of a frosty reception at such a time.
1885		Western Dly Press 21 Sept. 3/3: The burlesque drama [...] met with a frosty reception.
1896		Ade Artie (1963) 19: It was frosty, too. I could n’t see any folks I knew.
1908		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘When The Cranks Have Had Their Way’ Sporting Times 16 May 1/4: ‘Na, na!’ replied the man / With the frosty face, ‘They’ve put down kissing, too!’.
1916		J. Lait ‘Second from the End’ in Beef, Iron and Wine (1917) 195: Then I met him one day by appointment in his lawyer’s office. It was the frostiest place I was ever in.
1918		‘Max Brand’ ‘Above the Law’ in Coll. Stories (1994) 24: She handed me the frosty eye.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 189: I received him with a bit of hauteur when he blew in. Slightly cold. A trifle frosty.
1936		R.F. Adams Cowboy Lingo 176: ‘Frosty’ Ferguson was a high-strung individual who was apt to make biting replies when addressed.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 41: She gave me the frosty eye.
1967		Kings Cross Whisper (Sydney) xxxvii 6/3: You come home and the missus is very frosty. Do you [...] thump her and tell her to keep her trap shut?
2022		J. Hannaham Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit 54: Trixie, Kaffy’s frosty-as-an-Astro-Pop mother.

2. unsuitable, inappropriate, ‘bad’.

1902

Ade Forty Modern Fables 9: I think you are tied up with a couple of Frosty Ones.

3. (US drugs) under the influence of cocaine.

1959

J.E. Schmidt Narcotics Lingo and Lore.

4. cool, unemotional.

1970		J. Wambaugh New Centurions 80: ‘Stay frosty. Relax’ .
1986		J. Ellroy Silent Terror 67: And always, always, ‘be frosty’ and ‘hang tough.’.
2008		Simon & Burns ‘Get Some’ Generation Kill ep. 1 [TV script] Stay frosty, gents.
2009		T. Black Gutted 253: ‘Look, I’m Mr Frosty here, okay?’ ‘You better be. I don’t want you being put away again’.
2012		(con. 1980s) I. Welsh Skagboys 69: That wee Maria is a frosty chicky [...] it’ll take something special tae get intae those snooty wee keks.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 329: ‘You ready? We need you frosty’.

5. stylish, fashionable.

1986

Eble Campus Sl. Nov. 4: frosty – cool, hip, in vogue: That’s a frosty little outfit.