The Devil's Current
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Part of the current of the Bosporus is so called, from its great rapidity.
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 “The Devil's Current” mean?
Part of the current of the Bosporus is so called, from its great rapidity.
Is “The Devil's Current” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.