--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have always disbelieved that Sicilian…" description: "\"“I have always disbelieved that Sicilian saying about revenge being a dish best served cold. I feel that – don’t you? – when I see blinking, quivering ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/stephen-fry-573_revenge_i-have-always-disbelieved-that-sicilian_906483.png" --- # I have always disbelieved that Sicilian saying about… ![“I have always disbelieved that Sicilian saying about revenge being a dish best served cold. I feel that – don’t you? – when I see blinking, quivering octogenarian Nazi war criminals being led away in chains. Why not then? It’s too late now. I want to see them taken back in time and punished then.” quote by Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/stephen-fry-573_revenge_i-have-always-disbelieved-that-sicilian_906483.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/stephen-fry-573_revenge_i-have-always-disbelieved-that-sicilian_906483.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/stephen-fry-573_revenge_i-have-always-disbelieved-that-sicilian_906483.png) > ““I have always disbelieved that Sicilian saying about revenge being a dish best served cold. I feel that – don’t you? – when I see blinking, quivering octogenarian Nazi war criminals being led away in chains. Why not then? It’s too late now. I want to see them taken back in time and punished then.”” [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He rejects the notion that revenge is best served cold, urging immediate justice for war criminals. **In simple terms:** Disagrees with delayed revenge; wants swift punishment. Key Takeaway Advocate for timely accountability. Themes justice revenge ethics history accountability Mood critical provocative Type philosophical political When to use this quote - war crimes trials - human rights advocacy - educational programs Key Concepts moral philosophy historical trauma legal ethics Questions to Reflect On - What are the ethical limits of revenge? - How can societies balance justice and forgiveness? A Different Perspective Immediate retribution may conflict with legal due process. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Revenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Another old saying is that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it feels best served piping hot, straight out of the oven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/another-old-saying-is-that-revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-cold-but-it/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [There is no truer saying than "Revenge is a dish best eaten cold." It is so much sweeter for the waiting, and my only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minette-walters/there-is-no-truer-saying-than-revenge-is-a-dish-best-eaten-cold-it-is/) [Minette Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minette-walters/) > [“She remembered a saying that revenge was a dish that was best served cold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-a-salnikova/she-remembered-a-saying-that-revenge-was-a-dish-that-was-best-served/) Natasha A Salnikova > [Another old saying is that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it feels best served piping hot, straight out of the oven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/another-old-saying-is-that-revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-cold-but-it-2/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Like vichyssoise, revenge is a dish best served cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/like-vichyssoise-revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-cold/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Revenge is a dish better severed cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan/revenge-is-a-dish-better-severed-cold/) [Sushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan/) > [“There was no doubt in my mind that Daemon believed revenge was a dish best served in my face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/there-was-no-doubt-in-my-mind-that-daemon-believed-revenge-was-a-dish/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [Revenge is a dish best served unexpectedly and from a distance - like a thrown trifle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-unexpectedly-and-from-a-distance-like-a/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“Revenge is a dish best served cold. – Precious”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-cold-precious/) Mike O > [And as the Italian proverb says, 'Revenge is the dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hamer/and-as-the-italian-proverb-says-revenge-is-the-dish-which-people-of/) Robert Hamer > [“Revenge is a dish best served by a tennis racket”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-stern/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-by-a-tennis-racket/) [Josh Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-stern/) > [Revenge is a dish best eaten cold. The reason for this, of course, is that while you're gleefully anticipating the event, the victim has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bradley/revenge-is-a-dish-best-eaten-cold-the-reason-for-this-of-course-is/) [Alan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bradley/) > [Revenge is a dish best served . . . At every meal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grumpy-cat/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-at-every-meal/) [Grumpy Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grumpy-cat/) > [Everyone knows revenge is a dish best served when you've had enough time to build up enough vitriol and fury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/everyone-knows-revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-when-you-ve-had-enough/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [Revenge is a dish best served hurtling toward your enemy's face. Oh, and with blades attached.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-hurtling-toward-your-enemy-s-face-oh/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) ## More by Stephen Fry > [“...Catholic versus Protestant, essentially. It's that kind of fight. ... And it goes on to this day. Will we never learn? Who knows? Religion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/catholic-versus-protestant-essentially-it-s-that-kind-of-fight-and-it/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [How dare you? How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/how-dare-you-how-dare-you-create-a-world-in-which-there-is-such/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Look at the kind of people who most object to the childishness and cheapness of celebrity culture. Does one really want to side with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/look-at-the-kind-of-people-who-most-object-to-the-childishness-and/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The object of love should feel honoured or flattered, responsible in some way. Instead he felt insulted, degraded and revolted. More than that, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-object-of-love-should-feel-honoured-or-flattered-responsible-in/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The only people who are obsessed with food are anorexics and the morbidly obese. That, in erotic terms, is the Catholic church, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-only-people-who-are-obsessed-with-food-are-anorexics-and-the/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [To me, reason is as spiritual as anything else, the beauty of reason seems to me indelible and ineffable and numinous... the spirit is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/to-me-reason-is-as-spiritual-as-anything-else-the-beauty-of-reason/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [The stranger might laugh and seem to enjoy the writing, but you hug to yourself the thought that they didn't quite understand its force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-stranger-might-laugh-and-seem-to-enjoy-the-writing-but-you-hug-to/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“The future is a much bigger deal than the past,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/the-future-is-a-much-bigger-deal-than-the-past/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I've never had any illusions about being a lead actor in films, because lead actors have to be of a certain kind. Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Because, let's face it, I do not get offered the parts that Brad Pitt has just turned down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/because-let-s-face-it-i-do-not-get-offered-the-parts-that-brad-pitt/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-will-defend-the-absolute-value-of-mozart-over-miley-cyrus-of-course/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [You can't just say there is a god because the world is beautiful. You have to account for bone cancer in children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-t-just-say-there-is-a-god-because-the-world-is-beautiful-you/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [If you know someone who's depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn't a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-you-know-someone-who-s-depressed-please-resolve-never-to-ask-them/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [It's as if scientists exert every effort of will they possess deliberately to find the least significant problems in the world and explain them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-as-if-scientists-exert-every-effort-of-will-they-possess/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) [Explore all 466 Stephen Fry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) ## More Revenge quotes > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [“The best way to take revenge of me is to make me see you successful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/the-best-way-to-take-revenge-of-me-is-to-make-me-see-you-successful/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [Revenge is a dish better severed cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan/revenge-is-a-dish-better-severed-cold/) [Sushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan/) > [The best revenge in the world is success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suge-knight/the-best-revenge-in-the-world-is-success/) [Suge Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suge-knight/) > [And, re-assembling our afflicted powers, consult how we may henceforth most offend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/and-re-assembling-our-afflicted-powers-consult-how-we-may-henceforth/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/how-could-a-readiness-for-war-in-time-of-peace-be-safely-prohibited/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Convulsive anger storms at large; or pale And silent, settles into full revenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tillotson/convulsive-anger-storms-at-large-or-pale-and-silent-settles-into-full/) [John Tillotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tillotson/) > [If you put together all the ingredients that naturally attract children - sex, violence, revenge, spectacle and vigorous noise - what you have is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/if-you-put-together-all-the-ingredients-that-naturally-attract/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [If someone steals my man, there's no better revenge than letting her keep him. A real man can't be stolen unless he wants to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/if-someone-steals-my-man-there-s-no-better-revenge-than-letting-her/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/the-best-revenge-is-to-be-unlike-him-who-performed-the-injury/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [But I believed in starting over. There was finally, I knew, only rupture and hurt and falling short between all persons, but, Shirley, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/but-i-believed-in-starting-over-there-was-finally-i-knew-only-rupture/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [As I predicted, young people who overwhelmingly didn't want Brexit have turned out in their droves and exacted revenge on a generation of Leavers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-soubry/as-i-predicted-young-people-who-overwhelmingly-didn-t-want-brexit/) [Anna Soubry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-soubry/) > [I am not vindictive, but very forgiving. Despite being wronged, I never took revenge on anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rituparna-sengupta/i-am-not-vindictive-but-very-forgiving-despite-being-wronged-i-never/) [Rituparna Sengupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rituparna-sengupta/) > [“the human is offered a choice: they can get revenge on me, or they can accept their pain and continue their journey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wade/the-human-is-offered-a-choice-they-can-get-revenge-on-me-or-they-can/) [Tobias Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wade/) [Browse all 2,625 Revenge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revenge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have always disbelieved that Sicilian saying about revenge being a dish best served cold. I feel that – don’t you? – when I see blinking, quivering octogenarian Nazi war criminals being led away in chains. Why not then? It’s too late now. 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