Speak of the devil
/spiːk əv ðə ˈdɛv.əl/informal, humorousUK · US · AU · IE · CA
What does “Speak of the devil” mean?
Speak of the devil means this phrase is said when a person unexpectedly arrives right as others are talking about them.
You say this phrase when someone enters the room at the exact moment you are talking about them. It draws attention to the funny timing of their arrival.
The idiom is friendly and playful. Calling the other person the "devil" is only a joke, so speakers use it comfortably with friends and coworkers.
When do people say it?
People say this aloud to greet someone who walks into the room just as they were being discussed.
“We were just talking about your new job, and speak of the devil, here you are!”
Is it formal or informal?
Register: informal, humorous. It is most at home in everyday conversation rather than formal writing. Most common in UK and US and AU and IE and CA.
Where does it come from?
It comes from an old proverb warning that speaking about evil spirits would make them appear. Over time, people dropped the superstition and kept the phrase as a light joke.
Origin confidence: Well documented
How do you say “Speak of the devil” in other languages?
Last reviewed 2026-09-11