do a double take
To look twice due to surprise or disbelief. Everyone did a double take at his shiny new sports car as he drove by. Men and women alike did a double take when they saw him in his tuxedo. I did a double take when I saw my old high school science teacher at the grocery store.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
do a double take
to react with surprise; to have to look twice to make sure that one really saw correctly. When the boy led a goat into the park, everyone did a double take. When the nurse saw that the man had six toes, she did a double take.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
double take, do a
Show a delayed reaction to an unusual remark or circumstance; also, look at something or someone again. For example, He did a double take when his ex-wife appeared at his wedding. [1930s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
do a ˌdouble ˈtake
react to something surprising or unusual only after a short delay: I had to do a double take when she walked in — she looked exactly like her mother!Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017