double or quits
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The winner stakes his stake, and the loser promises to pay twice the stake if he loses again; but if he wins the second throw his loss is cancelled and no money passes.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “double or quits” mean?
The winner stakes his stake, and the loser promises to pay twice the stake if he loses again; but if he wins the second throw his loss is cancelled and no money passes.
Is “double or quits” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.