Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

revenge is a dish best served cold

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.85 in modern English

Syllables: re-venge is a dish best served -cold
IPA

45

Scrabble Score

28

Letters

3

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

Revenge should not be rushed, because it must be calculated coolly or because it is most satisfying when delayed.

Example Sentences

"He was no coward, but it had suddenly struck him that the present was a very ill-chosen time for a row with his younger relative, however successful might be the issue. Such violence should not go unpunished, but vengeance is a dish that can be eaten cold."
"Time had brought me revenge on Lionel, and as the Italian proverb says, revenge is a dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold."
"Don Corleone nodded. “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold,” he said."
"Of course! We are one big, happy fleet! Ah, Kirk, my old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?"

Etymology

The earliest known metaphorical reference to revenge as food in English is “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say”, from an 1846 translation of Eugène Sue's Mathilde: Mémoires d'une Jeune Femme. The passage suggests that it was an existing expression. Similar proverbs are known as early as the 17th century with “Reuenge is not good in cold bloud” in a translation of Don Quixote. The phrase exists in various Romance languages: Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo, Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío, French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid. In French, it is commonly used since at least the 19th century. In English, many variations are attested but the exact phrase revenge is a dish best served cold may originate from the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Phrases

cold blood justice delayed is justice denied pay off old scores revenge is sweet bortaS bIr jablu'DI', reH QaQqu' nay'

Frequently Paired Words

cold blood justice delayed is justice denied pay off old scores revenge is sweet bortaS bIr jablu'DI', reH QaQqu' nay'

Questions

What does revenge is a dish best served cold mean?: Revenge should not be rushed, because it must be calculated coolly or because it is most satisfying when delayed.
Where does revenge is a dish best served cold come from?: The earliest known metaphorical reference to revenge as food in English is “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say”, from an 1846 translation of Eugène Sue's Mathilde: Mémoires d'une Jeune Femme. The passage suggests that it was an existing expression. Similar proverbs are known as early as the 17th century with “Reuenge is not good in cold bloud” in a translation of Don Quixote. The phrase exists in various Romance languages: Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo, Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío, French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid. In French, it is commonly used since at least the 19th century. In English, many variations are attested but the exact phrase revenge is a dish best served cold may originate from the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

How to pronounce revenge is a dish best served cold

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