Meaning of Idiom ‘Speak of the Devil’
Speak of the Devil means that the person that you were just discussing unexpectedly appears.
It is short for ‘speak of the devil and he is sure to appear’ or just ‘speak of the devil and he appears.’
Usage
Speak of the Devil is used as a standalone phrase for when someone we are talking about or had just mentioned, suddenly walks into a room or appears on the scene. We are not necessarily comparing the person to the Devil. This idiom can be used whether or not the discussion about the person was favorable or negative. It is often slightly humorous.
Examples Of Use
To understand these conversational examples, you have to imagine that the person who is being spoken of just walked in a room or just appeared, interrupting the conversation.
“Speak of the devil, we were just talking about you.”
“We’ll have to ask Pete about the problem with the remote meeting thing, he’s the expert around here. Oh, speak of the devil. Hey, Pete, we can’t seem to sign in to the app for the meetings.”
“Mac isn’t here yet. We’ll have to start without him….ah, speak of the devil, here he is!”
“Well, speak of the devil. I know you took credit for my idea, Robert!”
Origin
Used figuratively since at least the early 1700s, this idiom is based on the superstition that if you speak the devil’s name he will come.
