Set 69 · Study 1 / 5

Exit

speak of the devil

idiom/spik əv ðə ˈdɛvəl/

said when someone being talked about appears unexpectedly

We were just talking about Lisa, and here she comes—speak of the devil!

word origin — From a medieval superstition — saying 'the devil' aloud was believed to summon him, so people stopped mid-conversation.