The saying “Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold” resonates widely, echoing through time and across cultures. It sounds like a phrase steeped in history, perhaps uttered by Shakespearean characters or found within ancient texts detailing acts of vengeance. Indeed, the concept of revenge was a powerful motif in Tudor dramas, and thinkers like Francis Bacon explored it through proverbs such as “Revenge is a kind of wild justice.” Yet, despite this historical association with vengeance, the specific phrase we know today isn’t of Tudor origin.
Popular belief often attributes the proverb to French literature, specifically claiming it’s a translation of “La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froide” from Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s renowned 1782 novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. However, this attribution is a fascinating example of folk etymology at work. The line simply doesn’t exist in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, nor in any other known work by de Laclos. It appears to be a fabricated origin story, even fabricated in French, with the minor grammatical error of “froide” instead of the grammatically correct masculine form “froid” for “plat.”
The earliest verifiable appearance of the proverb in print, as we know it in English, emerges in Eugène Sue’s novel Memoirs of Matilda. This French novel was translated into English by D. G. Osbourne and published in 1846. Within its pages, we find: “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say.” The use of italics in the text strongly suggests that by 1846, the phrase was already recognized and circulating in common parlance. This raises an interesting point about authorship. Is the proverb’s English form attributable to Eugène Sue, or to D. G. Osbourne, the translator who first penned it in English? Or does it belong to the “vulgar” from whom Sue suggests it originated?
Regardless of its precise genesis, the proverb “revenge is a dish best served cold” clearly struck a chord within the English-speaking world. Its evocative imagery and insightful commentary on the nature of delayed vengeance cemented its place in popular culture. This proverb has further been popularized and solidified through its use in iconic cinematic masterpieces.
Consider these classic film moments:
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In the witty British comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), a character remarks, “Revenge is a dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold.” This refined phrasing adds a layer of sophistication to the proverb, aligning with the film’s elegant and dark humor.
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The Godfather (1972), a cornerstone of American cinema, features Don Corleone delivering a slightly modified yet equally impactful version: “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold.” This version emphasizes the enhanced satisfaction derived from delayed retribution, fitting the calculated and patient nature of the Corleone family’s actions.
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Even the science fiction realm embraced the proverb. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Khan Noonien Singh, in his pursuit of vengeance against Kirk, quotes a Klingon proverb: “Revenge is a dish best served cold?” This inclusion broadened the proverb’s reach, suggesting its universality and timeless wisdom, even extending it to the fictional Klingon Empire.
From Parisian origins in possibly “vulgar” French sayings, to Ealing comedies, New York mafia dramas, and finally, to the vast expanse of the Klingon Empire, the proverb “revenge is a dish best served cold” has indeed travelled far. Its enduring appeal lies in its concise yet powerful articulation of a complex human emotion and the strategic patience often associated with successful acts of revenge.
