double (redirected from bends double)

at the double (British & Australian, American & Australian)

if you go somewhere or do something at the double, you go there or do it very quickly. Two surgeons arrived in the emergency room at the double.

do a double take

to look at something or someone twice because you are so surprised at what you have seen. He walked past her and she did a double take. Without his beard he was quite transformed.

See also: take

do (double) duty as/for something (American & Australian)

to also have another purpose. They make an electronic identity card that will do duty for a credit card and pocket calculator. She's really the secretary but she does double duty as the receptionist during Katrina's lunch hour.

See also: duty

a double bind

a situation in which you cannot succeed because whatever you decide to do, there will be bad results. Women find themselves in a double bind. If they stay at home with their kids they're regarded as non-achievers and if they go out to work, people say they're neglecting their family.

See also: bind

double Dutch (British & Australian)

speech or writing that is nonsense and cannot be understood. He came out with a load of sophisticated grammatical codes and it all sounded like double Dutch.

See also: Dutch

a double entendre

a word or phrase which has two different meanings, one of which is sexual or rude. His speech at the dinner was full of bad jokes and double entendres.

a double whammy (informal)

a situation where two bad things happen at the same time. Critics claim that the cuts in public spending coupled with a pay freeze is a double whammy which will affect low-paid workers badly.

double-dip (American)

double-dipping - the activity of receiving money from two different places or two different jobs, often when it is not honest or legal. It is tempting for physicians to double-dip by sending their patients to labs they have a financial interest in.

double-dipping (American)

the activity of receiving money from two different places or two different jobs, often when it is not honest or legal. The government has introduced tighter rules on employees' pensions to discourage double-dipping.

double-talk (British, American & Australian, mainly American)

a way of speaking that confuses people in order to avoid telling them the truth. He said the new train service would run fewer trains, but would provide a better service - sheer double-talk.

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do double duty

1. to do two jobs at one time. Kudrow does double duty in the show, playing her regular role and the character's twin sister.

2. to be used for two different activities. Three conference rooms do double duty as dining rooms when the main dining room is full.

See also: duty

double over

to suddenly bend forward and down, usually because of pain or laughter. A sudden, sharp pain made him double over.

See also: over

double up (with someone)

to share a room or or living situation with others. The two boys will have to double up in the front bedroom.

lead a double life

to have a second, secret life that is usually not socially acceptable. The investigation uncovered details of Boley's double life, including secret bank accounts and a private post office box.

Usage notes: also used with the verb live: Nobody in France seemed to really care that he lived a double life.

See also: lead, life

on the double

very quickly. Two doctors arrived on the double to treat the victims of the accident.