Seeing 'Double'?
2023-07-23
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2Today we talk about one of those English words that changes meaning depending on the words added to it.
3"Double" is just such a word.
4It is such a useful word that we should discuss it on the double! That means quickly.
5If I say, "Get here on the double," it means get here as soon as you can. Please.
6But that is just one of the many uses of this versatile word.
7"Double" means two of something.
8So, if you double up on something, you increase the amount by two.
9For example, if I plan to enter a swimming race, I might want to double up on my training.
10So, if I train one hour a day, I would increase my training to two hours a day.
11Now, if you add "down" to "double" you get something completely different.
12If you double down, you stick to a position or undertaking even if it is not a good one.
13You are not willing to change your position at all.
14For example, instead of apologizing for a poorly worded statement, the politician doubled down and said it again.
15Here, we could also say he dug in his heels.
16Now, if something does double duty is serves two purposes.
17For example, an exercise bike serves double duty if I can also dry my towels on it.
18People can also do double duty.
19That means they do two jobs or the work of two people.
20Let's combine "double" with the word "back."
21If you double back, you turn around and come back the same way that you came.
22One time I took a hike and got a little lost.
23So, instead of continuing, I just doubled back: I returned the way that I came.
24A delayed reaction to something that takes you by surprise is called a double take.
25We usually say do a double take. For example, I did a double take when I saw my co-worker after a year.
26She had a new haircut and a tattoo. I had to double-check if it was even her.
27When I looked again and made sure it was my friend, I told her how much I liked her tattoo.
28Then she doubled over with laughter.
29As it turns out, it was a temporary tattoo.
30When we double over, we bend over and cannot stand up straight because of laughter or from pain.
31For some reason, certain "double" words are not good.
32For example, double-crossing someone means to cheat them.
33A double-cross is a betrayal. We could also use the word double-dealing which has a similar meaning.
34Double talk is language that appears to be meaningful but, in fact, is a mixture of sense and nonsense.
35And doublespeak is language used to trick people by hiding some of the truth.
36A double standard is a set of principles or rules that apply differently and usually more severely to one group of people than to another.
37For example, people are not surprised if an older man dates a much younger woman.
38However, those same people may criticize a woman who dates a much younger man.
39That is a common double standard because the outcomes are so different.
40And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories. I hope you enjoyed this exploration of the many word combinations using "double."
41You may want to double up on your English lessons by practicing with the combinations of this very useful word.
42Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2Today we talk about one of those English words that changes meaning depending on the words added to it. "Double" is just such a word. 3It is such a useful word that we should discuss it on the double! That means quickly. If I say, "Get here on the double," it means get here as soon as you can. Please. 4But that is just one of the many uses of this versatile word. 5"Double" means two of something. So, if you double up on something, you increase the amount by two. For example, if I plan to enter a swimming race, I might want to double up on my training. So, if I train one hour a day, I would increase my training to two hours a day. 6Now, if you add "down" to "double" you get something completely different. If you double down, you stick to a position or undertaking even if it is not a good one. You are not willing to change your position at all. For example, instead of apologizing for a poorly worded statement, the politician doubled down and said it again. Here, we could also say he dug in his heels. 7Now, if something does double duty is serves two purposes. For example, an exercise bike serves double duty if I can also dry my towels on it. People can also do double duty. That means they do two jobs or the work of two people. 8Let's combine "double" with the word "back." If you double back, you turn around and come back the same way that you came. One time I took a hike and got a little lost. So, instead of continuing, I just doubled back: I returned the way that I came. 9A delayed reaction to something that takes you by surprise is called a double take. We usually say do a double take. For example, I did a double take when I saw my co-worker after a year. She had a new haircut and a tattoo. I had to double-check if it was even her. When I looked again and made sure it was my friend, I told her how much I liked her tattoo. Then she doubled over with laughter. As it turns out, it was a temporary tattoo. When we double over, we bend over and cannot stand up straight because of laughter or from pain. 10For some reason, certain "double" words are not good. 11For example, double-crossing someone means to cheat them. A double-cross is a betrayal. We could also use the word double-dealing which has a similar meaning. 12Double talk is language that appears to be meaningful but, in fact, is a mixture of sense and nonsense. And doublespeak is language used to trick people by hiding some of the truth. 13A double standard is a set of principles or rules that apply differently and usually more severely to one group of people than to another. For example, people are not surprised if an older man dates a much younger woman. However, those same people may criticize a woman who dates a much younger man. That is a common double standard because the outcomes are so different. 14And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories. I hope you enjoyed this exploration of the many word combinations using "double." You may want to double up on your English lessons by practicing with the combinations of this very useful word. 15Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 16Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. 17_______________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19versatile -adj. something with many different uses 20dig in -v. to take a position and to be unwilling to give up that position 21tattoo -n. a permanent picture written in ink on a person's skin 22betrayal -n. to hurt someone who trusts you or who can expect you to deal with them honestly or impartially by moral or ethical rules 23principle -n. (often pl.) a moral rule or belief that people use to decide what is right and what is wrong 24We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expressions in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 25We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 26Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.