if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Be cautious when dealing with a dangerous or untrustworthy person
Literally: eating with the devil using a long spoon
Examples
If you're going to do business with him, remember if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon” mean?
Be cautious when dealing with a dangerous or untrustworthy person Literally: eating with the devil using a long spoon
Is “if you sup with the devil, use a long spoon” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.