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feed a cold, starve a fever. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
feed a cold, starve a fever, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
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English
Etymology
An old wives' tale that dates back to 1574 from the original "Fasting is a great remedie of fever."
Proverb
feed a cold, starve a fever
- Expressing the common belief that eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.
1887, J. H. Whelan, “The Treatment of Colds,”, in The Practitioner, volume 38, page 180:"Feed a cold, starve a fever." There is a deal of wisdom in the first part of this advice. A person with a catarrh should take an abundance of light nutritious food, and some light wine, but avoid spirits, and above all tobacco.
1968, Katinka Loeser, The Archers at Home, New York: Atheneum, page 60:I have a cold. 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.' You certainly know that.
2009, Shelly Reuben, Tabula Rasa, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 60:They say feed a cold, starve a fever, but they don't tell you what to do when you got both, so I figured scrambled eggs, tea, and toast.
Translations
proverb expressing the belief that eating more cures a cold while eating less cures a fever
References
- ^ The Harvard Crimson. "Help Me, Harvey!" . Available: . Accessed: September 2, 2009.
- ^ What you eat when you’re sick may determine if you’ll get better