expression, godan verb (-su)
speak of the devil
Proverb equivalent to 'speak of the devil'; used when the person you are talking about appears. The literal meaning is 'if you speak rumors, a shadow will fall'.
噂をすれば影が射すで、ちょうど田中さんが来たよ。
Speak of the devil—just then, Tanaka-san showed up.
噂をすれば影がさすとはよく言ったもので、今まさに彼から電話がかかってきた。
As the saying goes, speak of the devil—he just called me right now.