50 Idioms with Single, Double, and Triple

50 Idioms with Single, Double, and Triple 50 Idioms with Single, Double, and Triple 50 Idioms with Single, Double, and Triple By Mark Nichol The following is a list of idioms about multiplicative numbers (single, double, and triple) and their meanings. 1–2. at a single blow/stroke: with one movement 3–4. at/on the double: quickly 5. body double: someone who stands in for another, especially in a performance 6. double: two servings of an alcoholic beverage, a two-base hit in baseball, or an identical person or thing 7. double as: serve in two capacities 8. double back: return to a starting point 9–10. double bill/feature: a performance involving two works or two performers or groups of performers; a separate meaning of â€Å"double bill† refers to being charged the cost of something twice 11. double bind: a dilemma 12. double booked: committed for two events, or scheduled for two people or parties at the same time 13. double cross: an act of cheating or swindling 14. double date: socialize as two couples, or the act of doing so 15. double digits: the numbers 10 through 99 16. double down: originally, double one’s bet in blackjack; by extension, exert twice the effort 17. double dribble: use both hands to bounce a basketball, or bounce a basketball again after stopping, or the act of committing either penalty 18. double Dutch: a difficult language; also, a game of jump rope involving two ropes swung in different directions 19. double duty: said in reference to something that serves two functions at once 20. double entendre: a word or phrase with more than one meaning, one of which is obscene or sexual 21. double in brass: see â€Å"double duty† (from a reference to a musician who performs on more than one instrument during a performance) 22. double life: a life in which one assumes two identities 23. double nickels: the number 55, often in reference to a speed limit (from the value of a nickel) 24. double or nothing: a type of bet in which a person receives double the prize or nothing 25. double over: bend over, as if in laughter or in pain 26. double standard: principles or values hypocritically applied differently to different people or situations 27. double take: a reaction in which one looks twice at something or someone because one is confused or surprised 28. double talk: comments made to avoid telling the truth 29. double tap: a repeated touch, or repeated firing of a weapon 30. double time: move twice as fast, or cheat; as a noun, a rate of pay that is twice the normal rate, or a type of tempo in music 31. double trouble: a difficult person or thing, or two difficult people or things 32. double up: pair up or share; also, see â€Å"double over† 33. double whammy: an occurrence of two bad things at a time 34. double-bagger: a person considered so ugly that two nested grocery bags should be placed over the person’s face to conceal it 35. double-decker: a vehicle with two levels, or a two-layer sandwich 36. double-dipper: one who earns two salaries or collects both Social Security payments and a federal pension; also, one scoops half-eaten finger food in a dip or sauce at the risk of introducing germs 37. double-edged sword: something that might be advantageous but also dangerous 38. double-tongued: deceitful or hypocritical 39. doublespeak: deceitful or misleading language 40–41. H-E-double-hockey-sticks/toothpicks: a euphemism for the oath hell, from the resemblance of the uppercase letter l to hockey sticks or the lowercase letter l to toothpicks 42. of a single mind: in agreement 43. see double: see two of everything, as when affected by dizziness 44. single: an unmarried person, or a one-base hit in baseball 45. single file: a reference to a line of people or things, with each one standing behind another 46. single out: focus on or identify one thing 47. triple: a set of three, or a three-base hit in baseball 48. triple threat: someone talented in three areas 49. triple whammy: see â€Å"double whammy† 50. triple-bagger: see double-bagger Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should Know50 Idioms About Roads and Paths5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation