Give the devil his due

1. Admit it when there is some good even in a person you dislike. This saying appears in Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes.

Idioms and Phrases

Give credit to what is good in a disagreeable or disliked person. For example, I don't like John's views on education, but give the devil his due, he always has something important to say, or I don't like what the new management has done, but give the devil his due, sales have improved. [Late 1500s]