I thought the danger zone was 40ºF-140ºF. So if you're dealing with a pot of soup, stew, sauce, chili, etc. it's been cooking at around 200ºF. It will take time to cool down to 140ºF. It's at that point you have 2 hours.
Cooling will happen faster if you can spread out the food so it has more surface area. You can also put the pot into a sink full of ice water and stir it frequently. Then move it to the fridge and leave it uncovered to
cool.
Another good method is to keep a quart bottle of water in your freezer and just slip it into that big pot of hot food.
Whatever you do, don't forget about it and expect it to be safe to eat the next day!