# Starve a cold, feed a fever.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/119685>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [July 18, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/119685 "2002-07-18T21:05:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![abdul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@abdul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abdul)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/119685/1 "2002-07-18T21:05:47Z")

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I always thought the phrase meant that when you had a cold, you “starved” it by keeping as warm as possible, and conversely “fed” a fever by doing the same.