as the devil loves holy water
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That is, not at all, holy water drives away the devil. The Latin proverb is, "Sicut sus amancmum amat" (as swine love marjoram).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “as the devil loves holy water” mean?
That is, not at all, holy water drives away the devil. The Latin proverb is, "Sicut sus amancmum amat" (as swine love marjoram).
Is “as the devil loves holy water” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.