When Is Two Too Many? When It's a 'Double Whammy'!

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give definitions, examples and notes on usage.

Today we talk about a word with an unusual history – whammy. A whammy can be a magical spell that brings bad luck. It can also be an attack or a damaging, destructive blow. A blow is an incident or event that hits you hard.

So, one whammy is bad. But what happens when you have two?

That is called a double whammy.

People traditionally say they have been hit with a double whammy!”

The online dictionary Merriam-Webster defines a double whammy as a combination of two usually unfavorable forces, circumstances, or effects. Two bad things happen at the same time to make something really unpleasant or difficult.

It can also mean that two bad things happen consecutively, or one after the other.

The origin of the expression is unclear. Some 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.

Others say the cartoonist Al Capp popularized the word whammy in his 1950s comic strip Li'l Abner. A character named Evil-Eye Fleegle could stop someone by simply looking at them. The single whammy was a look with one eye, and the feared double whammy used both eyes.

Now, let's listen to the expression used in a sentence.

Today, my friend Jonah lost his job. And then, on the way home, he fell and broke his leg. Talk about a double whammy! It has NOT been his best day.

Here is another example of the expression double whammy.

On their 3-hour hiking trip, the friends were hit with a double whammy. The first was a bad rainstorm. They were forced to take shelter in a cave. Then they realized the second bad thing. They left all their food and water in the car.

There is another English expression that has a similar meaning – a one-two punch. The first punch is a difficult blow to take, but then the second one aims to finish the job. The expression comes from boxing where one punch is quickly followed by another from the other fist, or closed hand.

A boxer using a one-two punch is trying to knock out their opponent or to score points.

Both double whammy and one-two punch are informal expressions. One-two punch might be less popular than it once was. But double whammy appears in some surprising places in both American and British English.

And that's Words and Their Stories. Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

Do you have a similar expression in your language? Let us know in the comments. Or send us an email at LearningEnglish@21VOA.com.

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spell –n. magic that used on a person, often to create a bad or damaging effect

circumstance –n. a situation

consecutively –adv. taking place one after another in a series

origin –n. the beginning point of something

punch –n. the act of striking with a closed hand, or fist

cartoonist –n. a person who draws simple pictures that tell stories

comic strip –n. a series of pictures telling, often funny, stories that appears in newspapers or books as a series that continues for a time

character –n. a person who appears in stories, plays, movies or TV who is not real

knock out –v. to strike a person so that they lose consciousness or cannot continue