idle hands are the devil's workshop

See also: idle hands are the Devil's workshop

English

Alternative forms

• idle hands are the devil's playthings
• idle hands are the devil's tools
• the devil makes work for idle hands
• the devil finds work for idle hands
• idle hands make work for the devil
• any of these, but with Devil in place of devil

Etymology

This proverb is thought by some to originate from the Bible, the book of Proverbs chapter 16 verse 27 (Proverbs 16:27). Yet this is probably a misreading driven by an application of Protestant theological assumptions. The King James version of the verse refers only to ungodliness: An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

Only The Living Bible of 1971 injects the idea of idleness into its translation: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece. (TLB also adds the literal translation: A worthless man devises mischief; and in his lips there is a scorching fire.)

Proverbs 16:27 may have inspired St. Jerome to write in the late 4th century: fac et aliquid operis, ut semper te diabolus inveniat occupatum, or “engage in some occupation, so that the devil may always find you busy.” This was later repeated by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tales, which was probably the source of its popularity.

Proverb

idle hands are the devil's workshop

1. One who is idle will likely come to do evil.

Translations

One who is idle will likely come he’ll to do evil

• Danish: lediggang er roden til alt ondt
• Dutch: luiheid is des duivels oorkussen
• Finnish: joutilaat aivot ovat paholaisen työpaja
• French: l’oisiveté est la mère de tous les vices (fr)
• German: Müßiggang ist aller Laster Anfang (de)
• Greek: αργία μητήρ πάσης κακίας (argía mitír pásis kakías), δουλειά δεν είχε ο διάβολος, γαμούσε τα παιδιά του (douleiá den eíche o diávolos, gamoúse ta paidiá tou), δουλειά δεν είχε ο διάβολος και έπνιγε τα παιδιά του (douleiá den eíche o diávolos kai épnige ta paidiá tou)
• Italian: l'ozio è il padre dei vizi
• Polish: próżność doprowadza do zła
• Portuguese: mente vazia, oficina do diabo.
• Spanish: cuando el diablo no tiene qué hacer, mata moscas con el rabo