IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchL'avocat du diable
Meaning: Someone who argues a position they do not hold in order to test it.
Literally: The devil's advocate
Example: “Je vais faire l'avocat du diable : et si ton plan échouait ?” — Let me play devil's advocate: what if your plan failed?
English equivalent: To play devil's advocate
Equivalents in other languages
English: play devil's advocate
Origin: A real office in Catholic canonization, the promotor fidei, whose job was to argue against the proposed saint and pick holes in the evidence for their miracles. The post was abolished in 1983.
More French idioms
- Convoquer le ban et l'arrière-ban To call in absolutely everyone available.
- Une république bananière A corrupt, unstable state run for the benefit of a few private interests.
- Un travail de bénédictin Painstaking, patient scholarly labor demanding enormous persistence.
- Le benjamin The youngest member of a family, team or group.
- C'est la Bérézina A total, chaotic disaster.
- Chercher la petite bête To nitpick; to hunt for a trivial fault.
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