the devil finds work for idle hands
1the devil finds work for idle hands to do — ► the devil finds work for idle hands to do proverb if someone doesn t have enough work to occupy them, they are liable to cause or get into trouble. Main Entry: ↑devil …
2(the) devil finds work for idle hands. — something that you say which means people who have no work or activity are more likely to do things they should not do, such as commit crimes. There s plenty more tidying to do if you ve finished the bedroom. The devil finds work for idle hands …
3(the) devil finds work for idle hands — the devil makes/finds/work for idle hands phrase used for saying that people who are bored or do not have enough work will start doing things that they should not do Thesaurus: morally bad or wrong behavioursynonym Main entry: devil …
4the devil finds work for idle hands to do — Idleness and mischief are linked in ST. JEROME Letters CXXV. xi. fac et aliquid operis, ut semper te diabolus inveniat occupatum, do something, so that the devil may always find you busy; cf. c 1386 CHAUCER Tale of Melibee 1. 1594 Therfore seith… …
5devil finds work for idle hands — When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people don t have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality …
6(the) devil makes work for idle hands — the devil makes/finds/work for idle hands phrase used for saying that people who are bored or do not have enough work will start doing things that they should not do Thesaurus: morally bad or wrong behavioursynonym Main entry: devil * * * …
7devil finds work for idle hands — When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people don t have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality. (Dorking School Dictionary) …
8Devil finds work for idle hands — When people say that the devil finds work for idle hands, they mean that if people don t have anything to do with their time, they are more likely to get involved in trouble and criminality …
9the devil finds work for idle hands to do — proverb someone who doesn t have enough work to do is liable to cause or get into trouble …
10an idle brain is the devil’s workshop — Recent US usage appears to conflate this proverb with the devil finds work for idle hands to do (see quot. 2001). a 1602 W. PERKINS Works (1603) 906 The idle bodie and the idle braine is the shoppe [workshop] of the deuill. 1732 T. FULLER… …
