h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi,

I had great fun reading your article. Thanks.

As a collector of words and linguistic oddities, this is a long-standing gap in my understanding of English. It is a common enough phrase, and I feel that I understand the sense perfectly well, and that I could use it in context. Nonetheless, I have no idea how 'needs' can possibly 'must'!

I would love to be enlightened, and if someone knows the answer, perhaps it would fit well among your examples.

I think you've waited long enough for a reply to your question!

I've always understood "Needs must when the devil drives" to mean that in an emergency you do what you have to do. But I don't know why or where it came from.

Maybe in another year or so someone will come across this entry via the Infinite Improbability Drive and give us some more information!

Charlie

This is one of my favourite phrases! I hope someone is still reading this conversation...

I think it came from a similar construction as the phrase "who dares wins", ie. whoever dares to do something will win. Who needs (to do something) must (do it) when the Devil drives (ie. when you're pursued by unavoidable circumstance and have no choice).

Hope this makes some sort of sense!