[ti:A Halloween Special The Devil is Everywhere] [ar:Jonathan Evans & Anna Matteo] [al:Words and Their Stories] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]Now, the VOA Learning English program [00:04.40]Words and Their Stories. [00:06.60]Many expressions in American English [00:10.00]come from the world of religion. [00:12.27]Some common idioms are based on high, [00:16.10]religious ideals. [00:17.68]But today we look at the bad [00:20.89]or evil side of religion. [00:23.48]The Devil is the most powerful spirit [00:28.34]of evil in Christianity, [00:30.31]Islam and other religions. [00:33.22]The devil is clearly at work [00:37.50]in these idioms and expressions. [00:39.89]Speaking of the devil, [00:42.80]to speak of the devil means to talk about someone [00:47.14]at the same time the person appears. [00:49.52]Here's an example, [00:51.34]"John and I are going to the movies tonight [00:54.50]and ... hey, speak of the devil! [00:56.85]Here comes John now. [00:58.41]"Hey John! [00:59.68]We were just talking about you ... [01:01.33]and speak of the devil you appear." [01:04.21]Keep in mind, [01:06.04]this expression does not mean [01:08.12]that you think the individual is bad or evil. [01:11.55]It's just an issue of timing. [01:14.16]But there are many devil expressions [01:17.57]that do refer to bad behavior. [01:20.04]And sometimes when we behave badly, [01:24.12]we blame the devil. [01:25.60]We say the devil made me do it. [01:28.78]Or we say something or someone [01:32.26]brings out the devil in us. [01:34.62]This means we blame someone else for our bad behavior. [01:39.54]Let's use it in a sentence. [01:42.08]"Boy, you are like a different person [01:45.35]when your old friend from college comes around." [01:47.95]"I know. I just can't behave when he's around. [01:51.64]He really brings out the devil in me." [01:53.78]When we use this idiom, [01:56.41]we really don't mean evil behavior ¨C [01:59.13]more like being mischievous [02:01.94]or causing light-hearted trouble. [02:04.14]This is different [02:06.16]than having a devil-may-care attitude. [02:09.59]Having a devil-may-care way of thinking [02:13.28]means you are willing to push the limits [02:15.99]more than most people. [02:17.66]And you really don't care what others think. [02:21.05]There is also the daredevil. [02:24.05]A daredevil is a wild person [02:26.94]who likes acting dangerously. [02:29.41]A daredevil is, well, daring the devil ¨C [02:33.63]which can get you into trouble. [02:36.01]So, it's good to keep busy and out of trouble. [02:40.62]And this is where the expression idle [02:44.14]hands are the devil's workshop comes from. [02:47.04]The word idle means inactive or not working. [02:51.37]And some people believe [02:53.80]that keeping busy keeps you out of trouble. [02:56.84]But there are some people who team up with the devil. [03:01.38]They play devil's advocate. [03:04.56]To play devil's advocate is a very useful expression. [03:09.12]It has a lot of meaning in just two words. [03:13.10]When you play devil's advocate you [03:17.12]say things you do not really believe [03:20.37]just to start an argument or discussion. [03:22.81]And, actually, this is often used in a good way. [03:27.18]Exactly. I could say, [03:30.19]"Let me play devil's advocate for a minute [03:33.49]so we can see the other side of this issue." [03:36.73]And teachers often play devil's advocate [03:40.34]to create interesting discussions in the classroom. [03:43.11]But to make a deal with the devil is usually a bad idea. [03:49.20]It means you want something so badly [03:53.19]that you are willing to sacrifice something [03:56.58]important for it ¨C [03:58.14]like your soul. [03:59.65]Often what you sacrifice is not really your soul [04:03.79]but rather your morals or self-esteem. [04:07.30]But you don't have to sell your soul [04:10.34]or make a deal with the devil [04:12.20]to improve your English. [04:13.94]Simply listen to VOA Learning English. [04:17.98]I'm Jonathan Evans. [04:20.13]And I'm Anna Matteo. [04:22.30]And this was one devil of a Words and Their Stories.