- English translation
With time on his hands, the Devil sets about tearing up the dis.
- Literal wording
Iblis became free for the uprooting of the dis plant.
- Meaning and lesson
This proverb is aimed at a wicked person who, once nothing else occupies him, turns his full energy toward evil and toward corrupting whatever he can reach. For such a person, free time simply becomes time devoted to wrongdoing.
The Devil, named Iblis here in its everyday spoken pronunciation, stands in for the evildoer. His uprooting of dis, a particular plant, pictures that person putting newly available hours into mischief. Applying the saying signals that his idle moments are likely to be turned to bad ends.
- When it is used
Say it of someone known for wrongdoing who, finding himself unoccupied, spends that time stirring up evil or corrupting things around him.
- Register
- Colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: With time on his hands, the Devil sets about tearing up the dis.