Clambake and Sally Kral sucking grapefruits from a classic "devil"-style ginbucket
“The devil” or “devil” is a descriptive term (used interchangeably as a noun or adjective) which came to prominence in the fall of 2008 at Hamilton College among Shivni practioners and satellite associates. The word is emblematic of a post-Shivni worldview which may, for the purposes of Shivni scholarship, be termed “Humans vs. Demons”.
“The devil” entered the Cloverspeak lexicon on a night during Hamilton College orientation week in 2008, on which Winston Cook-Wilson sang the words "the devil" to the rough tune of the chorus/coda to Radiohead’s 2003 song "Sit Down. Stand Up. (Snakes & Ladders).” Cook-Wilson interspersed this refrain with freeform "verse" sections of syntactical Shivni in an attempt to describe his advanced shreewo consciousness after drinking a full bottle of blue raspberry (“Bling Bling”) MD 20/20 and taking several full-bodied hits from Klaus, Chris Rand’s cobra bong.
“Devil” is a concept fundamental to HvD thinking and multifarious in its meaning. It can most carefully be likened to the concept of “freakfuck." The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though Shivni experts such as the ghost of Creighton Creightonbeck protest this practice as "the jive fabrication of Darby Dickles-type philistines" (2008). For the most part, experts would view the difference between “freakfuck” and “devil” (and the “Humans vs. Demons” dichotomy in general) as being primarily a historical one. These schools of thoughts are linked; Shivni morphed into HvD and “devil” roleplay to address a changing context for shreewo consciousness. Shivni was invented as a reaction to socialization issues between shreewo/Shivni-afflicted people and their colleagues at Hamilton College in 2005-2007. HvD and post-Shivni thinking is more extreme; "devil" theorists believe that Shivni at some point became a permanent “social disease." "Devilry" or "demon behavior" by Shivs is indicative of a fundamental, embodied difference between the Shivni-minded and those outside of it (2008-present).
Perhaps the most important difference between “freakfuck” and “devil” in terms of meaning is that “freakfuck,” in its canonical usage, is exclusively used in reference to non-Shivnis (or “croovs”), whereas “devil” is used just as commonly to characterize both Shivnis and croovs. It is standard practice for Shivs to comment on their own behavior as “devil” (i.e. “I just bought Southland Tales on DVD- I’m the devil” or “My joke friendship with this freshman who works at the radio station is devil- I’m hell”) as well as that of others (i.e. to a Shiv- “Stop listening to Primus at eight in the morning, you fucking devil” or in relation to a croov- “That kid who wears that Ron Jon Surf Shop shirt everyday is the devil”).
“Devil” is also primarily used negatively, whereas “freakfuck” is usually used to discuss something or someone that “comes back around” or that Shivs should "get into," thus describing the full “freaking/fucking whack” to “freaking/fucking awesome” spectrum signified by the freakfuck object. Even if something that is “devil” has the freakfuck duality (which it does not necessarily have to have), “devil” is usually used to express regret (when the Shiv is referring to his or herself) or repulsion (when discussing a croov or another Shiv). “Devil” usually lacks the celebratory implication of “freakfuck,” though the joy taken in “devil” activities may be latent- the result of neo-ironic motivations buried deep in the creewo subconscious, the place where most Shivs would argue the “social disease” itself was born.
Therefore. the dichotomy of “Shiv” and “croov” is the prototype for the “human” and “demon” relationship. Fundamental to “devil” Shivni is the idea that “humans” and “demons” can both be considered “devils,” whereas in original Shivni parlance, due to the lack of self-awareness of the Shivni progenitors, only “croovs” can be “devils.”
“Devil” [synonym: “demon”, “sorcerer” (Apolon only)] is still commonly used at post-Hamilton Cloverspeak gatherings today, which occur primarily in New York City. “Freakfuck” is used more rarely, often nostalgically, though many of the Shiv forefathers are currently pushing to “resurrect this indispensable adjective” (Parseltongue, 2011).