Speak of the Devil
Have you ever been in a situation where you were talking about someone and then they showed up? What did you do? Well, a lot of English speakers will say, “speak of the devil!” in this situation. The phrase comes from a longer one, “speak of the devil and the devil shall come.” In British English, you may also hear, “talk of the devil” to mean the same thing.
This phrase is old and was used as a warning. In Piazza Universale (1666), Giovanni Torriano wrote, “The English say, Talk of the Devil, and he’s presently at your elbow.” In the 17th century, people believed that it was dangerous to mention the devil because it might show up. So, people were instructed to refrain from talking about the devil. Instead, they would use pseudonyms like Old Nick, Prince of Darkness, or the Horned One.
The original idea of the phrase lasted to the mid-19th century. By that time the phrase was meant as a warning against being curious about the devil or the occult.
By the 20th century, ‘speak of the devil’ was a warning against eavesdropping (listening to a conversation you are not a part of). Nowadays, the phrase lacks any sinister meaning. It simply means that someone that you were talking about has suddenly appeared.
Depending on the situation, “speak of the devil” can have a different feeling. It can be used sarcastically, jokingly, cruelly, or just as an observation depending on the tone and situation. It is a surprisingly useful phrase.
Example: Did you hear the rumor about Brenton? Oh, speak of the devil, here he comes.
See Also: The witching hour, Bless you
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Reference:
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/speak-of-the-devil.html
https://poemanalysis.com/idiom/speak-of-the-devil/