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What Does this Mean?

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SeizeTheDay
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04 Dec 2008, 11:36 pm

When someone says "Speak of the Devil"? Someone said that to me a while back and I didn't know how to react. Stupid Clichés! :evil:


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Spokane_Girl

04 Dec 2008, 11:38 pm

I don't know. I would have just asked "What does that mean?"



To3To3
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04 Dec 2008, 11:38 pm

It's meant to be offensive. I guess it implies that you are a troublemaker.



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04 Dec 2008, 11:40 pm

It usually means you were talking about someone or something and the very object of conversation comes in. Speak of the devil.


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smheath
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04 Dec 2008, 11:40 pm

No, it's not offensive. It means they were talking about you right before you entered the room.

(edit: I guess I'm a little too slow.)



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04 Dec 2008, 11:41 pm

That's not always the case. People have said it to me to be mean.



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04 Dec 2008, 11:43 pm

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/spea ... devil.html

You guys are right, though.



2ukenkerl
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04 Dec 2008, 11:47 pm

Liverbird wrote:
It usually means you were talking about someone or something and the very object of conversation comes in. Speak of the devil.


For what it is worth, liverbird is RIGHT! So if they speak of what a person that does that you do, or speak of you, they will say "speak of the devil". It basically means "Here s/he is", or "Here comes an example".

BTW it is often NOT an insult as, if it were, they would probably shut up.



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04 Dec 2008, 11:49 pm

2ukenkerl wrote:
Liverbird wrote:
It usually means you were talking about someone or something and the very object of conversation comes in. Speak of the devil.


For what it is worth, liverbird is RIGHT! So if they speak of what a person that does that you do, or speak of you, they will say "speak of the devil". It basically means "Here s/he is", or "Here comes an example".

BTW it is often NOT an insult as, if it were, they would probably shut up.


Some people use it to be one.



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04 Dec 2008, 11:50 pm

Hmmm...I'm glad I didn't get mad at her when she said that then :lol:

I don't think I would've anyway. It was my teacher last year who said that. :wink:


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05 Dec 2008, 12:09 am

smheath wrote:
No, it's not offensive. It means they were talking about you right before you entered the room.

(edit: I guess I'm a little too slow.)


Yeah. The longer version of it is "Speak of the devil, and the devil appears."


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05 Dec 2008, 6:56 am

To3To3 wrote:
Some people use it to be [an insult].

Those people use it wrongly. I've never heard anyone do that, nor with the Swedish version, which directly translated is "when one speaks of the trolls, they stand in one's vestibule". Trolls were big in Sweden back in the day, I suppose.


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05 Dec 2008, 7:10 am

This is one phrase I have learned, which I like and actually use, but as said above not as an insult.


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