devil's delight

English

Noun

devil's delight

  1. (dated, slang) A riot; a row.
    • 1863, William G. Sewell, The Ordeal of Free Labor in the British West Indies, page 13:
      They are tied by the head, so that they are unable to lie down; but, their legs being free, they kick up a devil's delight during the storm, and sharpen the sensations of their sea-sick neighbors. They snort, and neigh, and groan with terror, […]
    (Can we find and add a quotation of The Ashantee War to this entry?)
    […] though he would certainly not himself do us any harm, he would awake a devil's delight of fire from all sides from the still dispersed pillagers […]

References

  • John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
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