An idle man is the devil’s playfellow.
An idle man is the devil’s playfellow.
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes an idle man the devil’s playfellow. It gives inactivity a threatening moral companion.
Example
A reader asks what conduct is actually being criticised rather than treating rest as wrongdoing.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The religious image associates idleness with wrongdoing without describing an actual act. A critical application can distinguish purposeful activity from needed rest, unemployment or contemplation. The phrase does not verify a supernatural cause or make lack of paid work evidence of bad character.
When to use it
Use it to analyse a moral warning with its religious image acknowledged.
Keep in mind
Inactivity does not prove wrongdoing, and supernatural action is not verified.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 221; PDF page 36
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