the devil's door
Preserved but no longer current.
A small door in the north wall of some old churches, which used to be opened at baptisms and communions to "let the devil out " The north used to be known as "the devil's side." where Satan and his legion lurked to catch the unwary.
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 door” mean?
A small door in the north wall of some old churches, which used to be opened at baptisms and communions to "let the devil out " The north used to be known as "the devil's side." where Satan and his legion lurked to catch the unwary.
Is “the devil's door” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.