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The full form goes like this – “speak of the Devil and he will appear”. The phrase originated in England, where it was, and still is, more often given as ‘talk of the Devil’. The phrase is old and appears in various Latin and Old English texts from the 16th century.
Meaning of “Speak of the devil”. The phrase “Speak of the devil” comes from the longer English phrase “Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.”. It is used to acknowledge that someone who was the subject of discussion has entered into the conversation, into the room, or into the vicinity of the dialogue. The phrase changes a lot ...
Speak of the devil. Look up speak of the devil in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. " Speak of the devil " is the short form of the English-language idiom " Speak of the devil and he doth appear " (or its alternative form " speak of the devil and he shall appear "). The form " talk of the devil " is also in use in the United Kingdom. [1]
Origin. This phrase, in its current usage, is a lighthearted way of referring to someone who has unexpectedly come in when being talked about, however, prior to the 20th century, it wasn’t a lighthearted one. The full form of this phrase is “Speak of the Devil and he will appear”, and was meant to warn people not to talk about the Devil.
The idiom “speak of the devil” is a commonly used expression in English that refers to when someone appears just as you were talking about them. This phrase has been around for centuries, but its origins are not entirely clear. Some say it comes from an old superstition that speaking about the devil would summon him, while others believe it ...
The idiom is actually a shortened version of the phrase: speak of the Devil, and he will appear. According to Merriam-Webster, the phrase is “used in speech to say that someone one has been talking about has unexpectedly appeared.”. Moreover, the Cambridge Dictionary defines speak/talk of the devil as “something you say when the person ...
The idiom "speak of the Devil" is commonly used to acknowledge someone's presence, often in a negative or unexpected way, or to express surprise at the timing of their appearance. It can also be used in a superstitious context, believing that mentioning someone can summon them. Origin of "Speak of the Devil"
