Double whammy

Meaning

The idiom "double whammy" means receiving two negative things or situations one after another. It can also refer to a situation where the outcome is even worse than expected, causing a sense of shock or disappointment.

Usage

• John's car broke down on the way to work, and he had to call his boss to say he wouldn't be able to make it in on time. That was just the beginning - when he got home, he found out that his electricity had been cut off due to a billing error. This was definitely a double whammy for John.
• After losing their job, Sarah and her family struggled to make ends meet. Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, a fire broke out in their apartment, destroying everything they owned. It was truly a double whammy.
• When Mike started his new job, he was excited for the challenges that lay ahead. Little did he know that he would be given a heavy workload, tight deadlines, and no support from his colleagues. The icing on the cake was when he found out that his promotion had been rescinded due to poor performance.
• Karen's wedding was supposed to be the most memorable day of her life, but everything went wrong. From the rainy weather to the food poisoning, it was a double whammy for Karen and her fiancé.
• The pandemic hit hard on small businesses, and many struggled to stay afloat. When Sarah's store had to close due to lockdowns, she also lost her health insurance. It was a double whammy for her and her employees.

Roots and History

The idiom "double whammy" is believed to have originated in the United States in the mid-20th century. According to one theory, it comes from the practice of beating on someone's head with a baseball bat twice (also known as a double bonk). However, there are no concrete records of this usage or any other early uses of the idiom.

Synonyms in English

• Double dose of bad news
• Two birds with one stone
• The best of both worlds
• Having your cake and eating it too
• The perfect storm

Synonyms in other languages

• Encore des malheurs - French
• Doppio peso delle mani - Italian
• Kobra de dois cobras - Portuguese
• Dvije zlata iz jedne ruke - Russian
• 猪心人形 - Chinese (simplified)

Similar Idioms

• drain the swamp

• double date

• done for