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.
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.