double Dutch

From double (“twice, i.e. more than”) + Dutch. For sense 1: Dutch (which historically had a wider meaning) as a foreign language was not easily understood, so anything completely incomprehensible would be double Dutch, i.e. twice as hard as Dutch. Sense 2 expands on this meaning.

• IPA^(key): /dʌb.əl ˈdʌtʃ/

• Audio (AU)

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double Dutch (uncountable)

1. Incomprehensible language.
2. A language game akin to pig Latin.
3. A game of jump rope with two ropes and frequently two jumpers.
4. (colloquial) Sex using a condom and the contraceptive pill at the same time.

• all Greek to me
• gibberish
• gobbledygook
• nonsense