english
1
general::
Upset, ruin, make a mess of, as in This weather plays the devil with my aching joints, or Wine stains play the devil with a white tablecloth. This allusion to diabolical mischief is heard more in Britain than in America. [Mid-1500s] Also see the synonym PLAY HAVOC.
American Heritage Idioms
2
general::
Phrase(s): play the devil with something Fig. to cause disruption with something; to foul something up. • Your being late really played the devil with my plans for the day. • This weather is really playing the devil with my arthritis.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs