speak of the devil
An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Speak of the devil — here's Tom now!”
“We were just talking about you, and — speak of the devil — you walked in.”
“I had just told my colleagues how much I admired the new director when, speak of the devil, she appeared in the doorway.”
disputed origin
Shortened from the 17th-century superstition 'Speak of the Devil and he shall appear', a warning against naming the devil lest you summon him.
- 01
blue devils
Low spirits; depression.
- 02
dance with the devil
To engage in risky and immoral behavior.
- 03
devil dancing
Risky, reckless or potentially immoral behavior.
- 04
devil in disguise
A person or thing that appears to be good, honest, or upstanding, but is inherently nasty, evil, or damaging.
- 05
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 06
devil's advocate
One who debates from a viewpoint which one may not actually hold, usually to determine its validity or simply for the sake of argument.
- 07
devil's luck
astounding good luck.
- 08
folk devil
A person or type of person blamed by the public for various ills, as during a moral panic.
Last updated August 10, 2026