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peter_ohare
Guest
I was wondering what is the origin of the saying “Idleness is the Devils Workshop”? I know that thee are several references in the bible but when and where did this particular saying come to “life”?Thanks!!
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I was wondering what is the origin of the saying “Idleness is the Devils Workshop”? I know that thee are several references in the bible but when and where did this particular saying come to “life”?Thanks!!
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Peggy_Frye
Guest
I found the following information at the Phrase Finders discussion forum:
“Nothing good comes from boredom. It’s said that idle hands are the devil’s workshop, an old saying dating at least as far back as Chaucer in the twelfth century who called idle hands the devil’s tools.”
"IDLE HANDS ARE THE DEVIL’S TOOLS - “Idleness is the root of mischief. This maxim has been traced back to Chaucer’s ‘Tale of Melibee’ (c. 1386). First attested in the United States in ‘Collections’ (1808). The proverb is found in varying forms:: Satan has some mischief for idle hands to do; The devil finds work (or mischief) for idle hands to do.” From “Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings” by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). "
phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/21/messages/17.html
“Nothing good comes from boredom. It’s said that idle hands are the devil’s workshop, an old saying dating at least as far back as Chaucer in the twelfth century who called idle hands the devil’s tools.”
"IDLE HANDS ARE THE DEVIL’S TOOLS - “Idleness is the root of mischief. This maxim has been traced back to Chaucer’s ‘Tale of Melibee’ (c. 1386). First attested in the United States in ‘Collections’ (1808). The proverb is found in varying forms:: Satan has some mischief for idle hands to do; The devil finds work (or mischief) for idle hands to do.” From “Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings” by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). "
phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/21/messages/17.html
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