Before the afternoon Bible class, about the “Devil” and “Satan”, some of us had a lunch-time discussion about the derivation of “deviled”, as in “deviled eggs” and “deviled ham”. So I went to the #1 research tool on the planet, Wikipedia! The best evidence I could find said the term “deviled” was a culinary term that began in the 1800’s, to describe hot spiced dishes. The term presumably refers to the devil and the heat of “hell”, since anything with peppers and the like is, in effect, as “hot as hell”! (This is cited generally from The Oxford Companion to Food.)
So while I was at it…
“Devil’s food cake”: this name seems to have been developed as a contrast to the already common “angel’s food cake”. This white sponge cake was presumably named “angel’s food” because it was so light and airy, like a cloud — and, of course, that’s where angels were supposed to hang out, floating around on clouds strumming their harps. So the rich chocolate cake — being dark and dense instead of light and airy, and thus the opposite of “angel’s food” — was naturally called “devil’s food.”
A similar cake, the red velvet cake, was closely linked to a devil’s food cake, and in some early 20th century cookbooks the two names were used interchangeably. The name came originally from the reddish tint left by the natural cocoa color, but later the red color was achieved by adding red dyes (before those were found to be harmful). Today, we have Dutch-processed cocoa available to us that improves the chocolate taste as well as giving a deeper and darker, almost black, color. Possibly, both the dark color and the bright red color suggested the “devil” to some cooks. This red velvet cake was sometimes called “red devil’s food.”
Incidentally, my grandmother, a lifelong Christadelphian, felt ladies should never wear red dresses because of Rev 17:4:
“The woman [the great prostitute: cp v 1j was dressed in purple and scarlet… She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.”
But on the other hand, there’s an old song warning about the “devil with the blue dress on.” So who’s to say? If we’ve learned anything about the real “devil”, we know that he, or she, or it, comes in many dresses, many suits, and many other disguises!
Then there is the old saying, “The devil is in the details.” Where did that come from? The saying is at least 150 years old, and cannot be attributed to any single source. It expresses the idea that problems and difficulties are often hidden from plain view, and any new undertaking or purchase or relationship ought to be approached carefully. What appears very attractive at first sight may soon reveal previously unseen flaws or pitfalls. So read the contract or agreement carefully. Have an expert give your “dream house” the once-over (or the twice-over) before you make an offer. Take time to observe your intended spouse in various settings and circumstances before you tie the knot. Think long and hard before committing yourself to a long-term payment plan for something you don’t really need. What you can’t live without now may saddle you with a debt you can’t live with later!
One more and then I promise to quit.
“Devil’s advocate”: In common usage, this describes someone who takes a position simply for the sake of argument, or in an effort to test the quality of the original argument and possibly identify its weaknesses. But how did the term originate? During the Catholic Church’s canonization process (that is, the process by which the Church determines the fitness of nominees to become “saints”), the devil’s advocate is a church lawyer appointed to argue against the canonization of the candidate. His job is to act as a sort of prosecuting attorney, taking a critical view of the candidate’s character and accomplishments, and arguing against any “miracles” which the would-be saint is alleged to have performed.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One