Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold

Meaning

What does Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold mean?

Revenge is a dish best served cold is an expression that is meant to support the idea that vengeance can be best delivered if it is planned, unexpected, or cold-blooded.

The expression also suggests that taking revenge the proper way is also more satisfying than acting immediately over an injustice.

Origin

What's the origin of Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold?

The original version of the expression was born from the pen of a 19th century French author Eugène Sue. He used an early version of the term in his novel titled Memoirs of Matilda. The English-translated version features it as the following: “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say.”

The expression then saw many changes before reaching its current and most well-recognized version in the 1980s, which is the title giver for this article as well.

 

Spread & Usage

How did Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold spread?

The term was featured initially in its current form in the 1982 sci-fi movie Star Trek II, The Wrath of Kahn.

Later throughout the years, the expression could be seen and heard in various other movies and series.

External resources

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