| 释义 |
speak of the devil
Thesaurus| Verb | 1. | speak of the devil - mention someone's name who just then appearscite, mention, refer, advert, name, bring up - make reference to; "His name was mentioned in connection with the invention" |
speak of the devil
speak of the devilAn acknowledgment of a person who has arrived just as or after they were being discussed. (A shortening of the longer proverb, "speak of the devil, and he is sure to/shall/will appear.") A: "Hey everyone, sorry I'm late!" B: "Well, speak of the devil! We were just speaking talking something funny you were saying the other day."See also: devil, of, speaktalk of the devilAn acknowledgment of a person who has arrived just as or after they were being discussed. (A shortened variation of the longer, more common proverb, "speak of the devil, and he shall/will/is sure to appear.") John: "Hey everyone, sorry I'm late!" Dave: "Well, talk of the devil! I was just telling them about something funny you said the other day."See also: devil, of, talkspeak of the devil (and in he walks), and Talk of the devil (and he is sure to appear).Prov. Talk about a certain person, and that person appears. (Used when someone appears whom you have just been talking about.) Alan: I haven't seen Bob for weeks. Jane: Look, here comes Bob right now. Alan: Well, talk of the devil. Hi, there. We were just talking about you. speak of the devil and in he walks.See also: devil, of, speakspeak of the devilThe person just mentioned has appeared, as in Why, speak of the devil-there's Jeannie. This expression is a shortening of the older Speak of the devil and he's sure to appear, based on the superstition that pronouncing the devil's name will cause his arrival on the scene. The figurative use was already explained in James Kelly's Scottish Proverbs (1721). See also: devil, of, speakspeak of the devil or talk of the devil SPOKENPeople say speak of the devil or talk of the devil if someone they have just been talking about arrives unexpectedly. `Speak of the devil,' she greeted him, smiling. `Well, talk of the devil.' Duncan had wandered up from the beach in red wellies and a duffel coat. Note: This expression comes from the saying `talk of the devil and he will appear'. See also: devil, of, speakspeak (or talk) of the devil said when a person appears just after being mentioned. This phrase stems from the superstition that the devil will manifest himself if his name is spoken.See also: devil, of, speakspeak/talk of the ˈdevil (informal, saying) said when somebody who has just been mentioned appears unexpectedly: ‘I haven’t seen Leo for a while.’ ‘Well, speak of the devil, here he is!’See also: devil, of, speak, talkspeak of the devil in. said when someone whose name has just been mentioned appears or is heard from. (Cliché.) And speak of the devil, here’s Ted now. See also: devil, of, speakspeak of the devilNow that one mentions that person, he or she turns up. This old proverbial saying is, as John Ciardi pointed out, a leftover from the ancient superstitious belief that pronouncing the devil’s name will cause him to appear. Indeed, the full saying is, Speak of the devil and he’s sure to appear. For primitive peoples, one’s name was an essential part of one’s being, and to speak a name gave one some power over the person named. The roots of the cliché have been largely forgotten, and today it is most often voiced simply when a person one has been talking about unexpectedly appears on the scene.See also: devil, of, speakspeak of the devilAcknowledgment of someone's unexpected arrival. The complete expression is “speak of the devil and he will appear,” which is nothing that superstitious people wanted to have happen. As such a cautionary tale, the expression was not used in jest until the late 19th century. That's when responding to an unanticipated appearance with “speak of the devil” lost its dark satanic connotation.See also: devil, of, speakEncyclopediaSeedevilspeak of the devil
Related to speak of the devil: tempting fateWords related to speak of the devilverb mention someone's name who just then appearsRelated Words- cite
- mention
- refer
- advert
- name
- bring up
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