Whammy is used in expressions such as double whammy and triple whammy to indicate that two or three unpleasant or difficult situations occur at the same time, or occur one after the other.
[mainly journalism]
This is a double whammy for public sector workers. [+ for]
We're suffering a triple whammy at the moment.
whammy in British English
(ˈwæmɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-mies
1.
something which has great, often negative, impact
the double whammy of high interest rates and low wage increases
2.
an evil spell or curse
she was convinced he had put the whammy on her
Word origin
C20: wham + -y2
whammy in American English
(hwæmi; wæmi)
US
nounWord forms: pluralˈwhammies
Slang
a jinx or the evil eye
: usually in put a (or the) whammy on
Examples of 'whammy' in a sentence
whammy
And in a double whammy, oil prices are also rising.
The Sun (2016)
Unsurprisingly, then, this double whammy has met with a cynical welcome.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Manufacturers are scaling back investment plans as the sector struggles against a 'double whammy' of weak demand and political uncertainty.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
IT'S not so much a double as a triple whammy.
The Sun (2014)
The double whammy is we can't take much positives.
The Sun (2013)
That's the final test of the triple whammy.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In terms of calibre, it delivers at least a triple whammy.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They are running harder to stand still, having been hit by a triple whammy of big changes.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
MG was back in business this week with a double whammy.
The Sun (2011)
A double whammy if you have a mortgage.
The Sun (2014)
I also like roasting some veg off before adding them for a triple whammy of tastes.
The Sun (2016)
Motorists face a double whammy.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So it now faces a triple whammy of big borrowing, a rapidly growing mountain of debt and a global economy sluggish in many areas.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It was a double whammy,' the manager said.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But the Conservatives had launched their Labour double whammy and tax bombshell campaigns months beforehand.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There is a triple whammy on Super Sunday.
The Sun (2006)
BRITISH holidaymakers face a triple whammy of strikes after Spanish taxi drivers and bar owners joined airport staff in announcing walkouts.
The Sun (2011)
Perhaps that's all we should expect; but that opening double whammy suggested there might have been more.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is a double whammy that will showcase Brazil's glittering potential and subject it to the glare of global scrutiny.
The Sun (2014)
At the fashion shows, designers and journalists collide backstage with varying degrees of success, but this week issued a triple whammy.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But factories face a double whammy because they export 75 per cent of their cars and the rest of the world is suffering, too.