devil

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

A kind of expletive, expressing wonder or vexation; a ludicrous negative, in an adverbial sense; a term for mischief.--Johnson. In these several senses the word is used in the United States.


The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare;

But wonder how the devil they got there?

Pope.

The devil was well, the devil a monk was he!

A Proverb.

A war of profit mitigates the evil;

But to be tax'd and beaten, is the devil.

Granville.

It is also, says Johnson, a ludicrous expletive of elder times, coupled with all; implying. after an enumeration of some things, several understood. Bale was very fond of applying it, in his zeal against popery. It is yet absurdly retained in low language.

Baptysed bells, bodes, organs, songs, wax-lyghts, pycteres, reliques, banners, crosses, altars, holye-water, and the devyl and all of soche idolatrouse beggary.

Bale, Yet a Course at the Romishe Foxe (1543).

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

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