When Is Two Too Many? When It's a 'Double Whammy'!
2024-08-04
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language.
3We give definitions, examples and notes on usage.
4Today we talk about a word with an unusual history - whammy.
5A whammy can be a magical spell that brings bad luck.
6It can also be an attack or a damaging, destructive blow.
7A blow is an incident or event that hits you hard.
8So, one whammy is bad. But what happens when you have two?
9That is called a double whammy.
10People traditionally say they have been hit with a double whammy!"
11The online dictionary Merriam-Webster defines a double whammy as a combination of two usually unfavorable forces, circumstances, or effects.
12Two bad things happen at the same time to make something really unpleasant or difficult.
13It can also mean that two bad things happen consecutively, or one after the other.
14The origin of the expression is unclear.
15Some guess it comes from taking the word "wham" which describes a hard punch or blow and adding a -y ending which makes it sound funny.
16Others say the cartoonist Al Capp popularized the word whammy in his 1950s comic strip Li'l Abner.
17A character named Evil-Eye Fleegle could stop someone by simply looking at them.
18The single whammy was a look with one eye, and the feared double whammy used both eyes.
19Now, let's listen to the expression used in a sentence.
20Today, my friend Jonah lost his job.
21And then, on the way home, he fell and broke his leg.
22Talk about a double whammy! It has NOT been his best day.
23Here is another example of the expression double whammy.
24On their 3-hour hiking trip, the friends were hit with a double whammy.
25The first was a bad rainstorm.
26They were forced to take shelter in a cave.
27Then they realized the second bad thing.
28They left all their food and water in the car.
29There is another English expression that has a similar meaning - a one-two punch.
30The first punch is a difficult blow to take, but then the second one aims to finish the job.
31The expression comes from boxing where one punch is quickly followed by another from the other fist, or closed hand.
32A boxer using a one-two punch is trying to knock out their opponent or to score points.
33Both double whammy and one-two punch are informal expressions.
34One-two punch might be less popular than it once was.
35But double whammy appears in some surprising places in both American and British English.
36And that's Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.