English · Proverb Candidate

Tell the truth and shame the Devil (Shakespeare, Henry IV)

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Honesty is the best policy, even if it's uncomfortable

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trung thực là chính sách tốt nhất, dù không thoải mái

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: speaking truth to counter evil

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Sources & notes

Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.

Topics: Devils & ghosts

Common questions

What does “Tell the truth and shame the Devil (Shakespeare, Henry IV)” mean?

Honesty is the best policy, even if it's uncomfortable Literally: speaking truth to counter evil

Is “Tell the truth and shame the Devil (Shakespeare, Henry IV)” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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