From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishold devil/rascal etcold devil/rascal etcspoken used to talk about someone you like and admire You old devil! You were planning this all along! → old
Examples from the Corpus
old devil/rascal etc• He is not a character I like at all because I think he was just an old rascal.• I really miss the old devil.• Not that he's the worst of them, poor old devil.• Yet, in spite of everything, David Miller grew up to idolise the old rascal.• Impotent old devils and dried-up hags always deride the efforts of the young.• A true old devil, Manson vanishes in a puff of smoke.• There was one old devil with red eyes. 