go to the devil
Preserved but no longer current.
The obvious meaning of this phrase is, to go to rum. In the 17th century, however, wits used to make a play on the applicability of the phrase to the Devil Tavern, Temple Bar, one of the most famous taverns in the City, and a haunt of lawyers from the neighbouring Temple. The sign of the tavern was the Devil pulling St. Dunstan's nose.
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 “go to the devil” mean?
The obvious meaning of this phrase is, to go to rum. In the 17th century, however, wits used to make a play on the applicability of the phrase to the Devil Tavern, Temple Bar, one of the most famous taverns in the City, and a haunt of lawyers from the neighbouring Temple. The sign of the tavern was the Devil pulling St. Dunstan's nose.
Is “go to the devil” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.