VOA · Words and Their Stories
Advanced · C1learner speed4:492024-08-01public domain
Words and Their Stories is VOA's classic program about American English expressions and idioms — where phrases like 'break the ice' come from and how to use them. Native-like idioms in slow, clear speech: a rare combination for learners.
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01And now, words and their stories from VOA Learning English.
02On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language.
03We give you definitions, examples, and notes on usage.
04Today, we talk about a word with an unusual history.
05Whammy A whammy can be a magical spell that brings bad luck.
06It can also be an attack or a damaging, destructive blow.
07A blow is an incident or event that hits you hard.
08So, one whammy is bad.
09But what happens when you have two?
10That is called a double whammy.
11People traditionally say they have been hit with a double whammy.
12The online dictionary Merriam-Webster defines a double whammy as a combination of two usually unfavorable forces, circumstances, or effects.
13Two bad things happen at the same time to make something really unpleasant or difficult.
14It can also mean that two bad things happen consecutively, or one after the other.
15The origin of the expression is unclear.
16Some 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.
17Others say the cartoonist, Al Cap, popularized the word whammy in his 1950s comic strip, Lil Abner.
18A character named Evil Eye Flegal could stop someone by simply looking at them.
19The single whammy was a look with one eye.
20And the feared double whammy used both eyes.
21Now let's listen to the expression used in a sentence.
22Today my friend Jonah lost his job, and then on the way home he fell and broke his leg.
23Talk about a double whammy.
24It has not been his best day.
25Here is another example of the expression double whammy.
26On their three-hour hiking trip, the friends were hit with a double whammy.
27The first was a bad rainstorm.
28They were forced to take shelter in a cave.
29Then they realized the second bad thing.
30They left all their food and water in the car.
31There is another English expression that has a similar meaning.
32A one-two punch.
33The first punch is a difficult blow to take, but then the second one aims to finish the job.
34The expression comes from boxing, where one punch is quickly followed by another from the other fist, or closed hand.
35A boxer using a one-two punch is trying to knock out their opponent, or to score points.
36Both double whammy and one-two punch are informal expressions.
37One-two punch might be less popular than it once was, but double whammy appears in some surprising places, in both American and British English.
38And that's Words and Their Stories.
39Until next time, I'm Ana Mateo.
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