"revenge is a dish best served cold" meaning in English

See revenge is a dish best served cold in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Etymology: Earliest known metaphorical reference to revenge as food in English is “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say”, from a 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's 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. Etymology templates: {{cog|it|la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo}} Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo, {{cog|es|la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío}} Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío, {{cog|fr|la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid}} French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid, {{m|en||revenge is a dish best served cold}} revenge is a dish best served cold Head templates: {{head|en|proverb|head=}} revenge is a dish best served cold, {{en-proverb}} revenge is a dish best served cold
  1. Revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed. Wikipedia link: Eugène Sue, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Related terms: cold blood, justice delayed is justice denied, pay off old scores, revenge is sweet Related terms (Klingon translation): bortaS bIr jablu'DI', reH QaQqu' nay' Translations (revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed): la venjança és un plat que se serveix fred (Catalan), 君子報仇,十年不晚 (Chinese Mandarin), 君子报仇 (Chinese Mandarin), 十年不晚 (jūnzǐ bàochóu, shí nián bù wǎn) (Chinese Mandarin), venĝo estas plado manĝita malvarme (Esperanto), kosto on parhaimmillaan kylmänä (Finnish), la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid (French), Rache serviert man am besten kalt (German), Rache genießt man am besten kalt (German), η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο (i ekdíkisi eínai éna piáto pou trógetai krýo) (Greek), a bosszú hidegen tálalva a legjobb (Hungarian), ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balas (Indonesian), la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo (Italian), zemsta najlepiej smakuje na zimno (Polish), vingança é um prato que se come frio [Brazil] (Portuguese), a vingança é um prato que se serve frio [Portugal] (Portuguese), răzbunarea este un fel de mâncare care este servit la rece (Romanian), la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío (Spanish), quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-revenge_is_a_dish_best_served_cold-en-proverb-I1cJBvWF Categories (other): English proverbs, Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations

Download JSON data for revenge is a dish best served cold meaning in English (6.2kB)

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  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "it",
        "2": "la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo"
      },
      "expansion": "Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "es",
        "2": "la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid"
      },
      "expansion": "French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
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        "2": "",
        "3": "revenge is a dish best served cold"
      },
      "expansion": "revenge is a dish best served cold",
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    }
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  "etymology_text": "Earliest known metaphorical reference to revenge as food in English is “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say”, from a 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.\nThe 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's commonly used since at least the 19th century.\nIn 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.",
  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "revenge is a dish best served cold",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English proverbs",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1949, Robert Hamer, John Dighton, Kind Hearts and Coronets, spoken by Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price)",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "1969, Mario Puzo, The Godfather, New York, page 404",
          "text": "Don Corleone nodded. “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold,” he said.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1982, Jack B. Sowards, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, spoken by Khan (Ricardo Montalbán)",
          "text": "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?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed."
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      "id": "en-revenge_is_a_dish_best_served_cold-en-proverb-I1cJBvWF",
      "links": [
        [
          "satisfy",
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        ]
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      "related": [
        {
          "word": "cold blood"
        },
        {
          "word": "justice delayed is justice denied"
        },
        {
          "word": "pay off old scores"
        },
        {
          "word": "revenge is sweet"
        },
        {
          "sense": "Klingon translation",
          "word": "bortaS bIr jablu'DI', reH QaQqu' nay'"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "la venjança és un plat que se serveix fred"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "君子報仇,十年不晚"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "君子报仇"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "jūnzǐ bàochóu, shí nián bù wǎn",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "十年不晚"
        },
        {
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "venĝo estas plado manĝita malvarme"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "kosto on parhaimmillaan kylmänä"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "Rache serviert man am besten kalt"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "Rache genießt man am besten kalt"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "i ekdíkisi eínai éna piáto pou trógetai krýo",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "a bosszú hidegen tálalva a legjobb"
        },
        {
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balas"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "zemsta najlepiej smakuje na zimno"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "tags": [
            "Brazil"
          ],
          "word": "vingança é um prato que se come frio"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "tags": [
            "Portugal"
          ],
          "word": "a vingança é um prato que se serve frio"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "răzbunarea este un fel de mâncare care este servit la rece"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
          "word": "quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Eugène Sue",
        "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "revenge is a dish best served cold"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "it",
        "2": "la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo"
      },
      "expansion": "Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "es",
        "2": "la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío"
      },
      "expansion": "Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid"
      },
      "expansion": "French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "revenge is a dish best served cold"
      },
      "expansion": "revenge is a dish best served cold",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Earliest known metaphorical reference to revenge as food in English is “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say”, from a 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.\nThe 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's commonly used since at least the 19th century.\nIn 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.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "revenge is a dish best served cold",
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    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "revenge is a dish best served cold",
      "name": "en-proverb"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "cold blood"
    },
    {
      "word": "justice delayed is justice denied"
    },
    {
      "word": "pay off old scores"
    },
    {
      "word": "revenge is sweet"
    },
    {
      "sense": "Klingon translation",
      "word": "bortaS bIr jablu'DI', reH QaQqu' nay'"
    }
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  "senses": [
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        "English proverbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
        "Requests for review of Arabic translations",
        "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
        "Requests for review of Japanese translations",
        "Requests for review of Korean translations",
        "Requests for review of Swedish translations",
        "Requests for review of Turkish translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1949, Robert Hamer, John Dighton, Kind Hearts and Coronets, spoken by Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price)",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1969, Mario Puzo, The Godfather, New York, page 404",
          "text": "Don Corleone nodded. “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold,” he said.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1982, Jack B. Sowards, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, spoken by Khan (Ricardo Montalbán)",
          "text": "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?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "satisfy",
          "satisfy"
        ],
        [
          "delayed",
          "delayed"
        ]
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Eugène Sue",
        "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "la venjança és un plat que se serveix fred"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "君子報仇,十年不晚"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "君子报仇"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "jūnzǐ bàochóu, shí nián bù wǎn",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "十年不晚"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "venĝo estas plado manĝita malvarme"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "kosto on parhaimmillaan kylmänä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "Rache serviert man am besten kalt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "Rache genießt man am besten kalt"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "i ekdíkisi eínai éna piáto pou trógetai krýo",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "a bosszú hidegen tálalva a legjobb"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balas"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "zemsta najlepiej smakuje na zimno"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "tags": [
        "Brazil"
      ],
      "word": "vingança é um prato que se come frio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "tags": [
        "Portugal"
      ],
      "word": "a vingança é um prato que se serve frio"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "răzbunarea este un fel de mâncare care este servit la rece"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "revenge is best or most satisfying when delayed",
      "word": "quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn"
    }
  ],
  "word": "revenge is a dish best served cold"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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