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  • Give the devil his due
    Give the devil his due
    Admit it when there is some good even in a person you dislike. This saying appears in Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes.
  • give the devil his due
    give the devil his due
    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]

Give the devil his due

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


give the devil his due Idioms  
  1. 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]


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