proverb · Words worth keeping
Devil makes work for idle hands.
Devil makes work for idle hands.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying has the devil find work for idle hands. It warns that unused time may be directed toward harmful conduct.
What the words are saying
The religious personification makes the warning vivid. A critical reading considers what someone chooses to do without treating unemployment, rest or leisure as proof of wrongdoing. The supplied trouble claim is not evidence that people without work are morally deficient.
Everyday example
Someone considers a constructive use of free time without judging another person for resting.
When to use it
Use it to examine conduct during unused time without blaming inactivity itself.
What it does not mean
No necessary link between leisure or unemployment and wrongdoing is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 562; PDF page 81
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.