In politics, "doubling down" can work in a similar fashion. Zuckerberg and Cook both used the "doubling down" expression to suggest that big bets are necessary to succeed in the tech realm, even if naysayers are aligned against you. (So much for that: this week's iPhone 5 release was thoroughly spoiled by leaks on tech blogs.) And at the same event, Cook responded to complaints about Siri, the dulcet-toned virtual assistant on the iPhone, by saying " We're doubling down on it." Earlier this week, in his first public appearance since Facebook's notoriously rocky initial public offering, Mark Zuckerberg said that because Facebook stock is undervalued, now is "a great time for people to double down." Zuckerberg was primarily talking about retaining employees who are getting paid in stock options, but the AP wire story took that as the takeaway message, under the headline " Zuckerberg: Time to 'Double Down' on Facebook."Īnother tech company leader, Apple CEO Tim Cook, is also fond of talking about "doubling down." Back in May, at the D10 conference, Cook vowed to " double down on secrecy" to avoid product information being leaked before launch. Let's take a look at some recent examples. So when "doubling down" is extended metaphorically, that high-risk, high-reward strategy can be seen as admirably bold or woefully foolhardy - or perhaps a little of both. If you feel confident enough in your chances of winning after being dealt two cards, you can double your bet, but you're only allowed to take one additional card. In blackjack, "doubling down" is a move that promises a big reward, but only when the player takes a big risk. So why is everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to Bill Clinton talking about risk-taking in this way? And when is it considered a good thing? If there's one expression that seems to have taken over the media landscape lately, it's "doubling down." Deriving from the game of blackjack, "doubling down" has taken on a figurative meaning over the past couple of decades: "to engage in risky behavior, especially when one is already in a dangerous situation," as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it.
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