meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: Feed A Cold, Starve a Fever

Stuff You Should Know

iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture

4.678.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2024

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You know that old adage that you should feed a cold but starve a fever? It’s an ancient idea and what’s surprising is that it’s kind of correct. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is Tracy V. Wilson from Stuff You Missed in History Class. Do you like podcasts, music, and audiobooks?

0:06.5

Because when you subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited, you get all three in one app. Imagine listening to your favorite podcasts and music on the go to work, school, the gym, or better yet vacation. Now, imagine being on vacation with your favorite audiobook from Audible, then listening

0:22.3

to a new one every month from a huge selection of popular titles. That sounds like a pretty good

0:27.4

vacation, right? Audible is now included on Amazon Music Unlimited. Download the Amazon Music app now

0:33.2

to start listening. Terms apply.

0:39.3

Hey, and welcome to the short stuff.

0:41.0

There's Chuck, and I'm Josh and Jerry's here, too, sitting in for Dave.

0:44.5

So this is short stuff.

0:46.3

That's right.

0:47.6

Call it Old Wives Tale Edition.

0:50.5

Mm-hmm.

0:50.9

Because this is about feeding a cold and starving a fever, which is the old wives tale that when

0:57.0

you have a cold, you should, and originally started out as stuff a cold, like eat as much as

1:02.1

you can. And then if you have a fever, you should try and not eat very much at all.

1:08.6

Yeah. I think most people have heard that, right? That's a pretty widespread adage.

1:12.7

Sure, yeah.

1:14.0

Our friends at the Cleveland Clinic, not normally known for their etymology resources,

1:18.4

but they trace this back at least half of it to 1574.

1:23.5

There's a dictionary that was compiled by a guy named John Withalls,

1:27.4

and Withal said that fasting is a guy named John Withalls.

1:31.8

And Withles said that fasting is a great remedy of fever.

1:35.3

So you've got the second part right there, starve of fever, right?

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -20 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.