# Starve a Cold Feed a Fever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 28, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336 "2012-11-28T02:54:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jan\_Isenhour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58956e/32.png) [@Jan\_Isenhour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jan_Isenhour)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/1 "2012-11-28T02:54:40Z")
in answer to many questions about this old proverb It goes as follows: “Starve a Cold and Feed a Fever” It has absolutely nothing to do with food… It means: You starve a cold by staying warm and you feed a fever by staying warm. I really do wish people would get this right. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/2 "2012-11-28T03:18:30Z")
Column in question: [Is it "feed a cold, starve a fever" or vice versa? And should you? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1126/is-it-feed-a-cold-starve-a-fever-or-vice-versa) It is considered good form to include the link. It reduces the number of readers who think you are ranting insanely. Which you are, because the saying is “Feed a cold and starve a fever,” and it’s about food. I know that’s true because it’s what my mom says and you wouldn’t be calling my mom a liar, would you? 😉 Actually, welcome to the SDMB. You will like it here. Not everybody is as charming and delightful as I, though. As for your assertions, could you provide some supporting evidence? ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/3 "2012-11-28T17:09:26Z")
Well, sonofagun, I always wondered about that. It makes sense, but can you back that up? A lot of things that make sense don’t turn out to be true, especially with etymology and idioms. I can never remember which to starve and which to feed, so I go by “feed a cold, feed a fever”. Then I always get to eat, and I’m right (or thought I was) half the time. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/4 "2012-11-28T18:11:36Z")
> [@Jan\_Isenhour](#): > > in answer to many questions about this old proverb It goes as follows: > “Starve a Cold and Feed a Fever” > It has absolutely nothing to do with food… > It means: You starve a cold by staying warm and you feed a fever by staying warm. > I really do wish people would get this right. I confess that I have not reviewed the source material for this particular column, as it was published before my current tenure. However, what I really do wish is that you might provide some sources which validate or back up your differing opinion, so we can review them. ---
**Author:** ![Cerealbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Cerealbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerealbox)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/5 "2012-11-29T13:22:44Z")
> [@Jan\_Isenhour](#): > > in answer to many questions about this old proverb It goes as follows: > “Starve a Cold and Feed a Fever” > It has absolutely nothing to do with food… > It means: You starve a cold by staying warm and you feed a fever by staying warm. > I really do wish people would get this right. Do you have a source for that? Because every source I come across says it stems from a misconception about what caused fevers and chills. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/6 "2012-11-30T01:40:18Z")
And **Jan** , just a word to the wise: If you should return here you may want to ask \*\*TubaDiva \*\*if you can change your username. This board can be searched by Google and if you were to post about your love for, oh, trashy romance novels under your real name employers may be taken aback. True story: My wife once Googled my email address to see what heinous sites it was associated with. She was shocked that I had commented on a video about the Führerbunker, specifically how Joseph Goebbels and his wife had murdered their children before killing themselves. “As I recall, I was against it.” “Doesn’t matter. Potential employers will see that you were talking about Nazis and child killers.” Sure, she’s insane\*, but I deleted the post and changed my email address. - - Especially insane because I have an acknowledgement in a bestselling novel for which I explained how one could hide ones kiddie porn from the authorities. And another for finding a real path into a real quarry in order to ditch a body. I have such cheerful pastimes! ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starve-a-cold-feed-a-fever/642336/7 "2012-11-30T17:16:27Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > - > - Especially insane because I have an acknowledgement in a bestselling novel for which I explained how one could hide ones kiddie porn from the authorities. And another for finding a real path into a real quarry in order to ditch a body. I have such cheerful pastimes! Good point. By now, when the police say “the usual suspects”, they really mean just you. 😛 Ah well, if it keeps your life interesting…