Speak of the devil

Meaning

The idiom "speak of the devil" is used to describe a situation where someone appears unexpectedly while others are talking about them. It is often used as an exclamation of surprise by the person who has just arrived. The phrase implies that what was being said about the person was true or accurate, and that their appearance confirms this.

Usage

• "I heard she was coming to the party tonight! Speak of the devil!" - This sentence suggests that someone has just arrived at a party and overheard that they were supposed to be there.
• "You guys are talking about me? Speak of the devil!" - This sentence implies that someone has been caught eavesdropping on a conversation and realizes that they were the subject of discussion.
• "I was just thinking about you! Speak of the devil!" - This sentence suggests that someone has been pondering about another person and then that person appears unexpectedly.
• "We were discussing your project proposal when you walked in! Speak of the devil!" - This sentence implies that someone had been talking about a project proposal with others, and then the person they were referring to arrived.
• "I was thinking about inviting you to dinner, but then I saw you here! Speak of the devil!" - This sentence suggests that someone had been considering inviting another person to dinner, but then realized that they were already at the same event.

Roots and History

The idiom "speak of the devil" has its roots in medieval literature. In Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," he uses the phrase "speken of the fyve" to describe a situation where someone appears unexpectedly while others are talking about them. Over time, the phrase evolved to include the word "devil" and became an idiom used to describe a similar situation. The exact origin of the phrase is not known, but it has been in use since at least the 15th century.

Synonyms in English

• "Look who's here!" - This sentence conveys the same meaning as "speak of the devil" and suggests that someone unexpectedly appears while others are talking about them.
• "Well, well, well! If it isn't..." - This sentence is similar to "speak of the devil" and implies that someone has just arrived who was being discussed in a conversation.
• "No way! You're here!" - This sentence conveys the same meaning as "speak of the devil" and suggests that someone unexpectedly appears while others are talking about them.
• "What a coincidence! You just showed up." - This sentence implies that someone has arrived unexpectedly while others were discussing them.
• "Looks like we're running into..." - This sentence is similar to "speak of the devil" and implies that someone has arrived unexpectedly while others are talking about them.

Synonyms in other languages

• 碰到 (Japanese) - This phrase means "to encounter by chance" or "to bump into" and can be used in a similar way to "speak of the devil."
• ت��ر (Arabic) - This phrase means "to appear suddenly" or "to show up unexpectedly" and can be used in a similar way to "speak of the devil."
• أحد منكم اللعمون (Swahili) - This phrase translates to "one of you is gold" and implies that someone unexpectedly appears who was being discussed in a conversation.
• خئة الأستاذ (Arabic) - This phrase means "an unexpected visitor" or "a sudden arrival" and can be used in a similar way to "speak of the devil."
• אשריה מפורסן לנעשות נדרגות (Hebrew) - This phrase translates to "I am surprised to do something good" and suggests that someone unexpectedly appears while others are discussing them in a positive light.

Similar Idioms

• skating on thin ice

• twist of fate

• snowball effect