printer's devil

English

Etymology

Of unclear etymology. The most widely accepted theories are that apprentice printers were often covered in ink, giving them a demonic appearance, or that they were responsible for errors in manuscripts and thus associated with Titivillus, the supposed devil of scribal errors. See Wikipedia for further details.

Noun

printer's devil (plural printer's devils or printers' devils)

  1. (dated) An apprentice printer.
    • 1909, The Independent, volume 67, page 711:
      The latest of the personal magazinettes to come under our observation is The East Side, a peculiarly New York product, of which Zoe Anderson Norris, of 338 East Fifteenth street, is printer's devil […]

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