[Ads-l] Proverb Origin: Revenge Is a Dish Best Eaten Cold

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here are four versions of the saying in the subject line:

(1) Revenge is a dish best eaten cold
(2) Revenge is a dish best served cold
(3) Vengeance is best eaten cold
(4) Vengeance should be eaten cold

I first encountered this saying while watching the1982 movie "Star
Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in which Ricardo Montalban who played the
character Khan Noonien Singh delivered the following line:

[Begin excerpt]
Ahh Kirk, my old friend. Do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us
revenge is a dish that is best served cold. It is very cold in space.
[End excerpt]

I received requests to explore this topic, and the earliest match I
know about occurred in the 1841 French novel "Mathilde: Memoires D'une
Jeune Femme" ("Matilda: Memoirs of a Young Woman") by Eugene Sue:

[Begin excerpt]
Si j'avais eu le courage de me battre avec Lancry, il me semble que je
l’aurais tué, tant je le haïssais; mais je vous l'ai dit . . . je suis
nerveux, j'ai attendu . . . Et puis la vengeance se mange très-bien
froide, comme on dit vulgairement . . .
[End excerpt]

Here is one possible translation into English:

[Begin translation]
If I had had the courage to fight Lancry, it seems to me that I would
have killed him, so much did I hate him; but I told you . . . I am
nervous, I waited . . . And revenge is best eaten cold, as they say
vulgarly . . .
[End translation]

Here is the link to the QI article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2025/03/05/revenge-cold/

Previous researchers such as Gary Martin of "The Phrase Finder" and
Fred Shapiro already identified the instance in Eugene Sue's novel.

Earlier citations and feedback welcome
Garson O'Toole

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