Proverbially
The first written appearance of the proverb "revenge is a dish best served cold" is often wrongly credited to the novel Les liaisons dangereuses (1782); it does not, in fact, appear there in any form. The concept embodied in the proverb has been in the English language since at least 1846, in an English translation of the French novel Mathilde by Marie Joseph Eugène Sue: la vengeance se mange très-bien froide] (sp?)] — there italicized as if quoting a proverbial saying — published in English translation in 1846 as revenge is very good eaten cold. The popularly familiar wording can be attributed to The Godfather by Mario Puzo, a major bestseller in 1969, but the 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets had it as revenge is a dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold. The familiar wording more recently appears in the title sequence of the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill: Vol 1, first used as an "Old Klingon Proverb", referencing its use in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which so cites it.
The French diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) is credited with the saying "La vengeance est un mets que l'on doit manger froid." as seen in the book: Le Dictionnaire Marabout des pensées des auteurs du monde entier. Verviers: Gérard & Co., 1969
The proverb suggests that revenge is more satisfying as a considered response enacted when unexpected, or long feared, inverting the more traditional revulsion toward 'cold-blooded' violence. In early literature it is used, usually, to persuade another to forestall vengeance until wisdom can reassert itself. This sense is lost in recent presentations.
Another proverb states: "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." The implication here is that a desire for revenge may ultimately hurt the seeker as much as the victim.
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