Where does the saying the devil to pay?

Where does the saying the devil to pay?

The original saying was ‘the devil to pay and no pitch hot’. ‘Pay’ was an old nautical term that meant to seal a ship’s seams with tar. As regular readers will already know the ‘devil’ was the name of the longest seam of a ship, which ran from stem to stern and supported the gun deck.

What is the meaning of the devil to pay?

the Serious trouble
devil to pay, the. Serious trouble resulting from some action, as in There’ll be the devil to pay if you let that dog out. This expression originally referred to trouble resulting from making a bargain with the devil, but later was broadened to apply to any sort of problem.

Where does the saying luck of the devil come from?

Extraordinarily good fortune, as in You’ve the luck of the devil—that ball landed just on the line, or Winning the lottery—that’s the luck of the Irish. These superstitious attributions of good fortune date from the first half of the 1900s.

Where does devil in the detail come from?

The source of the proverb ‘The devil is in the details’ is often attributed to the German/American architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. This is almost certainly a misattribution. The expression derives from an earlier German proverb – “Der liebe Gott steckt im detail”, which translates as ‘God is in the detail’.

When you sup with the devil use a long spoon?

Possible meaning: If you eat with the devil, you need a (very) long spoon so that you can keep your distance. If you mix with bad people, you should be careful not to be influenced by them.

What does luck of the Irish mean?

extreme good fortune
The phrase luck of the Irish is commonly thought to mean “extreme good fortune.” However, according to Edward T. “During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were of Irish and Irish American birth. . . .

Is good luck of the devil?

Extraordinarily good fortune, as in You’ve the luck of the devil-that ball landed just on the line, or Winning the lottery-that’s the luck of the Irish. These superstitious attributions of good fortune date from the first half of the 1900s.

How the Devil are you meaning?

I would say that it’s just a way of asking ‘how are you’ to someone that you haven’t seen for a long time. The ‘the devil’ part is added to show real interest in how they are.