give the devil his due

== English == === Pronunciation === === Verb === give the devil his due (third-person singular simple present gives the devil his due, present participle giving the devil his due, simple past gave the devil his due, past participle given the devil his due) (idiomatic, informal) To acknowledge the positive qualities of a person who is unpleasant or disliked. 2007 April 5, Richard Schickel, "The Fog of War Resistance" (film review), Time: We are obliged, at least this once, to give the devil his due — and to consider the possibility that he may even be, in this instance, the angel of bleak truthfulness. === References === “give the devil his due”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.