Speak of the devil
Meaning: Said when someone appears just as they're being discussed.
Origin: Short for "Speak of the devil, and he will appear." Behind it lies the old superstition that naming the devil summons him. Giovanni Torriano's collection of 1666 has "Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow." Today it greets anyone who walks in just as they are being discussed.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Quand on parle du loup, on en voit la queue (literally: Speak of the wolf, you see its tail)
- Spanish: Hablando del rey de Roma, por la puerta asoma (literally: Speaking of the king of Rome, through the door he appears)
- Japanese: 噂をすれば影 (Uwasa wo sureba kage) (literally: Speak of rumors, and a shadow appears)
- German: Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, ist er nicht weit (literally: When one speaks of the devil, he is not far away)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- You can't please everyone — It's impossible to satisfy every person all the time.
- A leopard can't change its spots — People can't fundamentally change their nature.
- When the cat's away, the mice will play — People behave freely when authority is absent.
- Lightning never strikes twice — Rare events are unlikely to happen to the same person twice.
- To each their own — Everyone has their own preferences and choices.
- You can't teach an old dog new tricks — It's difficult to change established habits.
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