cloven

Related to cloven: cloven foot

cloven hoof

An evil or malicious nature. The devil is typically depicted with cloven hooves. I thought I could trust Eric until he showed the cloven hoof by spreading rumors about me. Jill definitely sabotaged my last two relationships. She might seem nice, but she always shows a cloven hoof eventually.
See also: cloven, hoof

show the cloven hoof

To reveal one's evil or malicious nature. The devil is typically depicted with cloven hooves. I thought I could trust Eric until he showed the cloven hoof by spreading rumors about me. Jill definitely sabotaged my last two relationships. She might seem nice, but she always shows the cloven hoof eventually.
See also: cloven, hoof, show
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a cloven hoof

a symbol or indication of evil.
Traditional pictures of the Devil show him with the head and torso of a man but the legs and cloven hoofs of a goat. Therefore, a cloven hoof is a giveaway sign of the Devil.
1959 François Mauriac A Woman of Pharisees She had been a trial to him from the beginning, and now the cloven hoof was beginning to show.
See also: cloven, hoof
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • cloven hoof
  • a cloven hoof
  • show the cloven hoof
  • show (one's) horns
  • have to hoof it
  • hoof it
  • not as black as (one) is painted
  • not as black as you are painted
  • painted
  • black as one is painted
References in periodicals archive
Cloven, the six-minute short film, is the debut production of Bahraini film-maker Mohammed Fakhro.
1855: The "Devil's Footprints" appeared in snowbound South Devon - an estimated 100 miles of cloven hoofprints, eight inches apart in a single line and measuring four inches by two, reported from more than 30 different locations.
1855: The "Devil's Footprints" appeared in snowbound South Devon - reportedly, between 40 and 100 miles of cloven hoofprints, eight inches apart in a single line and measuring four inches by two.
1855: The ''Devil's Footprints'' appeared in snowbound South Devon - 100 miles of cloven hoofprints, eight inches apart in a single line and measuring four inches by two.
1607-1681) "A Procession of Diabolical Creatures": feline heads atop demon-like silhouettes with cloven hooves-imagine if sphinxes returned only to fall in with the wrong crowd.
The government has now begun a programme to vaccinate all pigs, cows and cloven hoofed animals.
To Steven old is go the name on it, the world are, in are to buy the my kit look after L4 The cloven hooves of Thatcher can be heard slowly creeping back up Downing Street through Cameron.
Here, it suffices to state that this article will attempt to apply this definition to a novella of Italo Calvino, The cloven Viscount.
Caesar had his horse's hooves cloven into five toes.
In all, the season comprises 19 works spanning nearly 50 years, from the bubbling Esplanade to that vigorous inquiry into man's inner animal, Cloven Kingdom.
Our greed in wanting cheaper and cheaper prices; manufacturers' greed in wanting to make money even out of cloven hoof and shrivelled gizzard?
Muslims, and my own Jewish religion says: 'Anything to do with a pig is strictly forbidden, only animals with a cloven hoof which chew the cud may be eaten.'
1855: The "Devil's Footprints" appeared snowbound South Devon - 100 miles of cloven hoofprints, eight inches apart in a single line and measuring four inches by two.
1855: The Devil''s Footprints appeared in snowbound South Devon - 100 miles of cloven hoofprints, eight inches apart in a single line and measuring four inches by two.
1855: The "Devil's Footprints" appeared in snowbound South Devon - allegedly, 100 miles of cloven hoofprints, eight inches apart in a single line and measuring four inches by two.