to double and twist
Preserved but no longer current.
To prevaricate, act evasively, try by tortuous means to extricate oneself from a dilemma or difficulty. The phrase is taken from coursing — a hare "doubles and twists'* in the endeavour to escape from the hounds. In weaving, "to double and twist" is to add one thread to another and twist them together.
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 “to double and twist” mean?
To prevaricate, act evasively, try by tortuous means to extricate oneself from a dilemma or difficulty. The phrase is taken from coursing — a hare "doubles and twists'* in the endeavour to escape from the hounds. In weaving, "to double and twist" is to add one thread to another and twist them together.
Is “to double and twist” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.