Where does the phrase “in cold blood” come from?
There are crimes of passion and there are calculated crimes. Crimes of passion are traditionally committed by people who are “hot-blooded” – folks who are passionate, temperamental, or lose control based on their emotions. A crime that is committed by someone who chooses to harm or kill another based on “facts” or calculated planning doesn’t have the luxury of blaming his or her hot temper. Instead, he is considered to be cold-blooded and cruel, thus the term “killing in cold blood”.
