"Double Down" Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms
Channel: Superduper English Idioms
Date: 2021-02-02

0:00 - How to Say, “Double down…”
0:23 - Examples of “Double down…”
1:10 - Meaning of “Double down…”
1:28 - Origin of “Double down…”
3:08 - More Examples of “Double down…”
4:04 - Conclusion

“Double down…”

When you hear that someone is going to “double down”, it means that they are going to become more resolute, tenacious, unwavering, stubborn in whatever they are doing or saying.

“Are you sure you want to double down on your investment? Business isn’t going well,” your business partner might be discussing a decision to spend money on renovations.

Maybe your parents recently retired to the countryside, “We love this little town, so we’re doubling down by purchasing a rental property here!”

“He’s so stubborn! He always doubles down when anyone questions his opinion,” your best friend might be complaining about her husband.

As you can tell, if you “double down”, you are being insistent, unflagging, single-minded, steadfast in your opinion or actions, whether good or bad.

The idiom, “double down”, is a uniquely American phrase and it comes from the card game, Blackjack, also known as Vingt-et-Un, Twenty-One or Pontoon.

The goal in Blackjack is to get your hand to total 21 or as close as possible without going over. If you think you can get a strong hand with just one more card…

… you may “double down” - you double your bet in exchange for just one more card.

You have to be pretty confident if you’re going to “double down” - both in the card game and in real life!

In real life, however, many people double down on something without thinking it through - simply because they are stubborn or “have a feeling” that it’s the right thing to do.

In your life, even if you are “cock sure” about something, it may not be a good idea to double down, as we’re only human and are wrong more often than we’d like to admit.

“Instead of cutting my losses and moving on, I doubled down on a sinking stock and lost it all!” your friend might be telling you about a bad investment decision.

Perhaps you just argued with your best friend and are talking to your mom, “You probably hurt her feelings, don’t double down by ignoring her. I think you should call to apologize.”

“Electric cars are great! We should double down by selling your gas guzzler and getting another EV,” your partner might tell you after a week of driving his new car.

So, the next time you’re ardent, devoted, fervent, zealous about your decision or position, don’t forget that you’re “doubling down”!

#superduperenglishidioms #englishidioms #idioms #proverbs