altar of sacrifice, chopping board
俎 centers on a flat surface used for preparing offerings: a chopping board or a raised platform for ritual sacrifice. The two meanings are connected by the idea of a dedicated surface for cutting and presenting items.
俎 combines 仌 (a variant of 人, person) with 且 (a raised platform or altar). The character likely depicts a person beside a chopping board or sacrificial stand, reflecting its meanings.
The left side looks like a person (仌) standing next to a raised platform (且). Imagine a person at a chopping board, preparing food for a ritual sacrifice.
For ソ, picture a person sawing meat on the chopping board: the sound of the saw is 'so', and the board is the 俎.
on the chopping board
altar of sacrifice
to put (a topic) up for debate; to lay on the table for consideration; to take up (a subject) for discussion
being in a helpless situation; (like a) fish on a chopping board
someone doomed to their fate; fish on the chopping board
ancient altar of sacrifice
(eating or drinking) party
diplomatic negotiations at the dinner table; diplomatic bargaining