ProverbPerseverance
Latin origin4th c.
Latin origin4th c.Idle hands make work for the Devil
Meaning: Unoccupied minds drift toward mischief; productive engagement prevents moral corruption.
Origin: Saint Jerome advised in the 4th century to keep busy so that the devil always finds you occupied, and Chaucer repeats the advice. Isaac Watts put it into a hymn for children in 1715: "Satan finds some mischief still / For idle hands to do."
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- 黑化肥发黑会挥发；灰化肥发灰会挥发。(Hēihuàféi fā hēi huì huīfā; huīhuàféi fā huī huì huīfā.) A 'hēi/huī/huì/fā' four-tone minefield — the tones alone change every meaning.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
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