Would you like to tell someone that they shouldn't let laziness take over their lives, or just point out to someone that they should get up and do something? The phrase 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' is common and means just this, often as an insult. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this very popular saying.
Meaning
The phrase 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' is a common figurative phrase that is used to imply that someone is lazy, or should be doing more than they are.
The phrase 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' can be used as a direct reference to someone, or as a reference between speakers when speaking about someone else.
Most common use of the saying means it as an insult, with the implication that the person (or group) it's being said about to be lazy.
The most common use of 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' is to say or use the entire phrase, though it can also be shortened to just 'idle hands' with the rest of its meaning being implied by the speaker.
While the phrase has been translated into some languages, direct translation of the phrase from English does not work in all languages for which an equivalent does not exist. Afrikaans is one example, where the phrase with a similar meaning calls laziness 'the devil's ear-pillow' instead.
Origin of the phrase traces it back to a heavily-religious time, when it implies that someone who does not do any work at all is guilty of sin – laziness, or thus sloth.
Example Usage
“If you don't get up and go to work today, then I pray that you burst into flames tomorrow. You know what they say about idle hands being the devil's workshop.”
“Idle hands are the devil's workshop. If you don't make it through the book tour, then you sure don't deserve the reward.”
“Idle hands are the devil's workshop, and since my dad's a baptist I just went ahead and cleaned all the toilets in your house.”
“If you don't know that idle hands are the devil's workshop, you're going to have a bad time at work tomorrow.”
Origin
The origin of the phrase 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' is generally given by most online etymology resources as occuring first in the Living Bible and similar translations.
The first use of the phrase is found in Proverbs 16:27, and the phrase has heavily religious implications that its use today does not always literally imply.
Today, modern use of the phrase just implies laziness and does not carry any philosophical implications in most cases.
After the 1970s publication of the Living Bible, the phrase would become more popular as a pop culture reference. Early message boards of the 2000s and social media in the 2010s would cause a resurrection of the phrase.
Phrases Similar to Idle Hands Are The Devil's Workshop
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Phrases Opposite to Idle Hands Are The Devil's Workshop
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What is the Correct Saying?
- Idle hands
- Idle hands are the devil's workshop
Ways People May Say Idle Hands Are The Devil's Workshop Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can misunderstand the meaning of the phrase, or use the phrase 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' in the wrong way.
The phrase is used to imply laziness, though does not carry the religious or faith-based implications that the term might have at its first appearance.
In languages where the phrase might have no exact equivalent, direct translation might render the phrase meaningless. In translation, it is better to look for an equivalent phrase in the language being translated to first.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Idle Hands Are The Devil's Workshop
The right way to use the phrase 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' is to use it as a sentence that implies laziness.
Sometimes the phrase is shortened to 'idle hands' and the rest of the phrase is implied.