the heat is off; things calm down; excitement dies down
Idiomatic expression meaning that a heated situation, public uproar, or intense interest has subsided. Often used when media attention or public anger fades.
It's better to wait until the heat dies down over that incident.
After the excitement over the scandal died down, he appeared in public again.
Standard kana-mixed spelling; the kanji 冷める is common for 'cool down'.
Rare kanji form using 熱り for ほとぼり; it is rarely used.
ほとぼり (熱り) originally refers to lingering heat or warmth. Combined with 冷める (to cool down), the phrase figuratively means that residual heat—such as public anger or excitement—has subsided.