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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010double down
Hi Could anyone please tell me what does "double down" mean, say, President Obama doubles down on stimulus. I checked dictionaries and only found "double up". With thanks. Kevin in Hong Kong Kevin schrieb: > Hi > > Could anyone please tell me what does "double down" mean, say, > President Obama doubles down on stimulus. I checked dictionaries and > only found "double up". With thanks. as a last resort, wikipedia did yield something that corresponds with my understanding of the expression: origin seems to be: "Double down is a betting technique in blackjack." and by extension: "Double down is also a colloquial phrase for increasing a stake in an opportunity or investment so as to take a bigger chance with the hope that the gamble will work out well and pay off." in another sense, the term may be used to say "fold" or "fold in half", as suggested here (number 72): http://www.wordnik.com/words/double/definitions Luca  Signature"Paying taxes is like going to the zoo. Admission is 20 bucks. You can't walk in and say 'Here's 18.50. I don't like zebras.'" - Jon Stewart > Kevin schrieb: > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > You can't walk in and say 'Here's 18.50. I don't like zebras.'" > - Jon Stewart Thanks Luca. Right, I found it in a casino glossary page, saying that "In blackjack, it is the players option to double their original bet in exchange for receiving only one more card. To do this the player turns over their first two cards and places an equal bet alongside the original bet". But I could not quite work it out on the Obama sentence, not, it's just a headline. Kevin >Hi > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Kevin in Hong Kong As explained in responses to your question, it is a phrase used in gambling that means to double the original bet. Obama used it to mean that he is confident enough about his original plan that he is willing to increase his investment in it. He said it metaphorically, though, so no actual doubling of an amount is meant. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >Hi > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Kevin in Hong Kong In the card game Blackjack, at least as played in casinos, if a player gets two cards of the same value 1 to 9, or two Jacks**, two Queens, or two Kings, he can split the two cards and get two more down cards (cards dealt face down), and bet the same on each set that he had been betting on one set. To do this is to double down. **No one would split two picture cards, which total 20, which is a very good number when playing Blackjack, also called 21, where the goal is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. 20 is very likely to win, because the dealer has to get 20 or 21 to beat it, so people won't break up a 20 to likely get two other hands less likly to win. The metaphoric meanings are described in other replies. SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 7 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years >> Hi >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > (cards dealt face down), and bet the same on each set that he had been > betting on one set. To do this is to double down. No. Splitting is one thing where, as you say, you can convert a pair of matching cards into two separate hands, each with the original stake (though I've never heard of a casino dealing blackjack cards face down to the player). Doubling down is to double your stake on your initial two cards and in return take one (and *only* one more card). You can't simply double your stake - you have to gamble that a fresh card will improve your holding. This is a key feature of what Obama said - not only is he confident enough to 'double' his bet but he doesn't want to 'play' the hand - he'll take one more shot and that's it. NB - most casinos allow a player to double down after splitting though many restrict the hands on which double down is permitted. > **No one would split two picture cards, which total 20, which is a > very good number when playing Blackjack, also called 21, where the > goal is to get as close to 21 as possible without going over. The goal is not to get close to 21, the goal is to beat the dealer. If, eg, your initial hand was a face card and a 2 counting 12 and the dealer's hole card was 2 to 6 inclusive you'd stick because it's more likely the dealer will bust (having to draw below 17) than that you will get closer to 21. >20 is > very likely to win, because the dealer has to get 20 or 21 to beat it, > so people won't break up a 20 to likely get two other hands less likly > to win. For similar reasons, you wouldn't split a pair of 4s or a pair of 5s. You *always* split As or 8s. SignatureJohn Dean Oxford >>> Hi >>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >in return take one (and *only* one more card). You can't simply double your >stake - you have to gamble that a fresh card will improve your holding. This I knew I should have spent more time in casinos. I had a wasted youth. >is a key feature of what Obama said - not only is he confident enough to >'double' his bet but he doesn't want to 'play' the hand - he'll take one [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >For similar reasons, you wouldn't split a pair of 4s or a pair of 5s. You >*always* split As or 8s. SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 7 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years >>>> Hi >>>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > I knew I should have spent more time in casinos. I had a wasted > youth. You'll be telling us next you never played billiards SignatureJohn Dean Oxford >>>>> Hi >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > >You'll be telling us next you never played billiards Alas, in college I was the scratch king. It seemed to happen 2 or 3 times as often as physics, trigonomotry, and probability could account for. SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 7 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years >>>> On Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:27:11 -0800 (PST), Kevin >>>> <parogon@gmail.com> [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > You'll be telling us next you never played billiards Hmm. Is it just US apocrypha that Mark Twain made the affirmative association in speaking to the Prince of Wales? What corresponding Brit(s) supposedly made such a statement? |
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