A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1852 E. FITZGERALD Polonius p. ix. ‘Stuff a cold and starve a fever,’ has been grievously misconstrued, so as to bring on the fever it was meant to prevent. 1867 ‘M. TWAIN’ Celebrated Jumping Frog 69 It was policy to ‘feed a cold and starve a fever’. 1939 C. MORLEY Kitty Foyle xxxi. I said I better go downstairs and eat a square meal, ‘feed a cold and starve a fever.’.. ‘You misunderstand that,’ he says. ‘It means if you feed a cold you’ll have to starve a fever later.’ 1997 Washington Times 19 Nov. A8 ‘Forget about feeding a cold and starving a fever,’ Dr. Edelman said, adding there is no medical reason for diet changes. 2002 New Scientist 9 Feb. 51 The saying should be: ‘If you feed a cold you will have to starve a fever.’ The theory goes that if you carry on eating when you have a cold, your body will have to use up vital energy digesting the food rather than.. fighting the cold. You are therefore more likely to allow the cold to develop and become a fever. Your body will then have no option but to shut down your desire to eat in order to

direct all its energy into fighting the fever. "health
feed see the CARIBOU feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong; feed a DOG for three days and he will remember your kindness for three years...
feel see a MAN is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks; PRIDE feels no pain.
feet see BETTER to die on your feet than live on your knees; the CAT would eat fish, but would not wet her feet; also FOOT.
fell see LITTLE strokes fell great oaks.
fellow see STONE-dead hath no fellow.
The FEMALE of the species is more deadly than the male.
The phrase the female of the species is often used with allusion to the proverb.

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  1911 R. KIPLING in Morning Post 20 Oct. 7 The she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail, For the female of the species is more deadly than the male. 1922 WODEHOUSE Clicking of Cuthbert ix. The Bingley-Perkins combination, owing to some inspired work by the female of the species, managed to keep their lead. 1979 Guardian 28 Apr. 12 We know phrases about the female of the species being more deadly than the male, but the suffragettes.. seemed to have gone into.. abeyance. «women