What does you will have the devil to pay mean?

Answer 1

(Have the Devil to pay)

This comes from an old nautical terminology.

The devil was sea side face of the ships bow. Olden sailing ships where sealed with rope and tar pitch to insure they where water tight.

Over the course of a sailing journey the sea would weaken the tar on the bow or "devil" of the ship. The crew would have to lower a man down with a bucket

of tar and brush to reseal the Bow or "Devil".

This was normally done during calm seas.

"Have the Devil to pay." was used as a term when this was dealt out as a punishment, and ordinarily issued during rough seas. Therefore quiet dangerous and oft fatal slamming the crew member violently against the Devil of the ship in the course of their duties. I would imagine this was issued as an ultimatum. " Pay the Devil or be keel hulled." Which in itself was another very cruel torture of seaman of old.

MDBirdsong