play the devil with someone/something
play the devil with (something)
To ruin or cause serious damage to something; to greatly upset, disrupt, or negatively affect something. Lack of oversight allowed overzealous investment bankers to play the devil with the economy. I love wine, but it plays the devil with my stomach!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
play the devil with someone/something
verbMcGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.