Speak of the devil is what you say when someone appears or calls just as you were talking about them. The tone is playful and friendly, and the word devil doesn't offend anyone here. People say it as the person appears or right after, often to their face.
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Speak of the devil! (when someone appears); Speak of the devil, here he/she is; talk of the devil (UK)
- Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you, Kate.
- I was telling Sam about our new manager when, speak of the devil, he walked into the kitchen.
- Speak of the devil, that's my brother calling right now.
What changed
First versionOh, speak about the devil! Hi, Max.
RevisionOh, speak of the devil! Hi, Max.
When you talk about someone, speak about seems natural, but in this expression the preposition is fixed: of. Speak about the devil sounds like the start of a discussion about the devil, not a playful greeting, so only the preposition was changed.
The full form is Speak of the devil and he shall appear, but in speech it's almost always cut short after the first half. In British English you'll also hear talk of the devil: Talk of the devil, here's Tom now. Both versions use of.
Your turn
We were laughing about Ben's terrible singing when the door opened and Ben came in. 'Speak ___ the devil!'
Show the answer
of — Ben walks in just as everyone is laughing about him, which is exactly the moment for this phrase, and it only works with of. With about, the phrase becomes literal and loses its meaning.
Describe a moment when someone appeared or called right after you started talking about them. Say where it happened and what you were talking about.
In the office kitchen we were discussing Lena's holiday photos, and then she walked in, so I said, 'Speak of the devil!'
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