The devil is due its soul. What does it mean? (Sherlock Holmes 2009)

[luckylucy]

The devil is due its soul. It is from Sherlock Holmes (2009), what does it mean?

 

[emsr2d2]

In some stories, people sell their soul to the Devil in exchange for something very nice in life. Usually, there is an interval of time between the sale and the Devil coming to collect the soul. It can be used to describe any deal where someone is going to end up paying with a lot more than money.

I assume that metaphorically someone in the film made a deal and now it's time for the payment to be made.

 

[luckylucy]

I got it! Thanks!

 

[BobK]

Also, while in many literary works someone does make a deal with the devil (in some form), there's nothing Faustian about that film - it's just a criminal with a neat line in misdirection.

b

 

[White Hat]

This is quite an interesting usage of the word due, it seems.

due1. owed: I think I'm still due some pay. (They owe me some pay.)
due - definition of due by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Somebody owes the devil his/her soul.

 

[luckylucy]

"He is a criminal with a neat line in misdirection." What does "a neat line" refer to?

 

[BobK]

"He is a criminal with a neat line in misdirection." What does "a neat line" refer to?

'Misdirection' is what a stage conjuror does. 'See, there's nothing in my hands' means 'I bet you can't guess where I've hidden <whatever-it-is>. [It's quite easy to guess, but not if I make you concentrate on my hands.]' ;-)

A tradesman who provides something is said to 'have a line' in it. 'Do you need anything for the kitchen? For a limited time only I have an unmissable line in disposable dishcloths.'

'Neat' was just my judgement about what he did - it was a bit vague, because I was in two minds about not giving a 'spoiler alert'.

b

 

[luckylucy]

Thanks! I learn a lot through this question! For example, the useful phrases: have a line. spoiler alert