# feed a cold, starve a fever

> English word · Proverb

## Definitions
1. Expressing the common belief that eating more will cure the common cold, and eating less will cure a fever.

## Etymology
An old wives' tale that dates back to 1574 from the original "Fasting is a great remedie of fever."

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/feed-a-cold-starve-a-fever