Also quickness can be ascribed as in "quick as the dickens," cleverness of speech as in "the dickens you say." WebC
Let's focus in on "dickens" as the important word here, since there are lots of different expressions with it in, such as "what the dickens", "where the dickens", "the dickens you are!", and "the dickens you say!".
He will also use the phrase, "the dickens you say!" and it will crack me up.