Meaning & Analysis
The phrase literally expresses a desire to possess or know everything conceivable, including that which is considered evil, forbidden, or supernatural, as embodied by 'the Devil'. It signifies an all-encompassing, exhaustive scope of ambition.
Insights
Boundless Greed
The proverb symbolizes an insatiable greed or ambition that recognizes no moral or ethical boundaries. Wanting 'the Devil and all' is to desire everything, including what is corrupting or damned.
Transgressive Knowledge
It represents a yearning for forbidden or dangerous knowledge, pushing beyond the accepted limits of human understanding into realms that are considered perilous, whether intellectually, spiritually, or morally.
Desire for Total Control
As a form of hyperbole, the phrase is used to signify a desire for total control or comprehension of a situation. It implies wanting to know every single detail, both good and bad, leaving nothing out.
Exhaustive Inclusivity
In a more casual sense, the expression means 'everything imaginable' or 'an exhaustive list of things'. It serves as an emphatic way to convey the vastness or completeness of a collection or situation.
The Faustian Bargain
Rooted in a theological worldview, the proverb reflects the Faustian archetype of trading morality for forbidden knowledge or power. The Devil symbolizes the ultimate boundary, and desiring him 'and all' signifies a willingness to transgress all moral and spiritual limits for total possession or understanding.
Psychology of Unchecked Ambition
The phrase illustrates the psychological concept of the 'shadow self'—the part of the human psyche that harbors boundless, often destructive, ambitions. It speaks to the internal conflict between limitless desire and the moral restraints that govern society.
Linguistic Evolution
While originating with sinister, theological overtones, the expression has evolved into a colloquial hyperbole. Modern usage often softens the meaning to simply 'everything imaginable' or 'a great deal', stripping it of its original moral weight, as seen in the shift from Tyndale's 'save devils and all' to more mundane applications.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
The phrase is a classic example of hyperbole, exaggerating a desire to an impossible extreme ('the Devil and all') to emphasize its vast and limitless nature.
Symbolism
'The Devil' serves as a powerful symbol for all that is evil, forbidden, and corrupt. Its inclusion immediately frames the desire as transgressive and dangerous.
Idiomatic Expression
The entire phrase functions as an idiom, where the collective meaning ('everything imaginable') is distinct from the literal sum of its parts. Its power comes from its shared cultural and theological connotations.
Transcription
Quotations
He will save devils and all.
Til he got the divel and all.
Some Knaves got by their fees, the Devill and all to boote.
To know almost everything; The English say, to know the devil and all.
I would willingly shake hands with .. the Divel and all.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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