double Dutch

double Dutch

1. Indecipherable or nonsense speech. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. I'm not a programmer, so I have no idea what they're saying in there—it all sounds like double Dutch to me. When you teach preschoolers, you get used to hearing double Dutch all day.
2. A style of jumping rope in which two ropes are swung at the same time in opposite directions. I'm pretty good at jumping rope, but I always get tangled up when I try double Dutch.
See also: double, Dutch
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

double Dutch

 
1. language or speech that is difficult or impossible to understand. This book on English grammar is written in double Dutch. I can't understand a word. Try to find a lecturer who speaks slowly, not one who speaks double Dutch.
2. a game of jumping rope using two ropes swung simultaneously in opposite directions. The girls were playing double Dutch in the schoolyard.
See also: double, Dutch
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

double Dutch

1. Language that cannot be understood, gibberish, as in They might have been speaking double Dutch, for all I understood. This usage dates from the 1870s (an earlier version, however, had it as high Dutch) and is heard less often today than the synonym double talk.
2. A game of jump rope in which players jump over two ropes swung in a crisscross fashion.
See also: double, Dutch
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

ˌdouble ˈDutch

(British English, informal) language that is impossible to understand: I wish someone would explain this contract in simple language — it’s all double Dutch to me!
See also: double, Dutch
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • horsefeathers
  • Horsefeathers!
  • martin
  • all my eye
  • all my eye (and Betty Martin)
  • betty
  • a load of (old) cobblers' awls
  • a load of rubbish, nonsense, etc.
  • nonsense
  • rubbish
References in periodicals archive
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Fusion Freestyle (double dutch choreographed with music) - participating Fusion Freestyle teams compete for "Best of Show," the Championship Title of the Holiday Classic.
OWN TV's Actress Kendra C. Johnson Hosts the 25th Annual "Double Dutch Holiday Classic" at the World-Famous Apollo Theater
Several different companies make this style cast-iron Dutch oven, sometimes called a double Dutch oven.
You can bake artisanal quality bread at home, from scratch
Schumer, Fallon, and James McAvoy continued with the Tonight's Show episode when they played the Double Dutch with some of the Roots' band members.
Jimmy Fallon and Amy Schumer's 'Truth or Truth' - Another Hilarious 'Tonight Show' Episode
In September, she had first showed off her double dutch skills when she was spotting filming a PSA for Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play on the South Lawn of the White House.
US First Lady shows off 'expert' double Dutch skills on TV show
Double Dutch from France regale audiences at Sahara Centre
Double Dutch from France regale audiences at Sahara Centre
This month's Sunday Streets in San Francisco, when everyone from cyclists to strollers to double Dutch jump ropers take over the Mission.
Sactown's new hangout
Another kids-doing-the-darndest-things docu in the mode of "Spellbound," sharply crafted "Doubletime," by debuting feature helmer Stephanie Johnes, follows two high-ranking school teams in competitive jump rope and Double Dutch. Engaging personalities and jaw-dropping routines make this a crowd-pleaser with solid niche theatrical potential before it lands on cable.
Doubletime
The Reward bars come in Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Banana and Double Dutch Chocolate flavors.
GoodBody
Likewise, she encourages more women to find ways to keep their play and games alive--just as men do-and in the spirit of the adult age troupe known as the Double Dutch Divas keep their ropes turning.
The Games Black Girls Play: Learning the Ropes From Double-Dutch to Hip-Hop
Arsene wenger admits the speculation surrounding Patrick Vieira's future is overshadowing Arsenal's pre-season preparations, but he will continue talks with the French midfielder in a bid to keep him at Highbury.: It's double Dutch:Dutch duo Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie kept up their impressive scoring record as Arsenal beat Austrian side Grazer AK 2-1 on Saturday.
Vieira doubts are hitting Gunners' plans
Its first single, "Double Dutch," has since become a thumping hit that got a boost after airing in an episode of Dawson's
Nothing iffy about him: Iffy bassist Tom Merkl talks about his Dutch boyfriend, the influence of Leif Garrett, and being asked to judge wet T-shirt contests. (The Music Issue)
With the exception of Double Dutch, 1994, an early wall-mounted grid of fifty small acrylic-on-textile panels, and the 1998 photo series "Diary of a Victorian Dandy," exhibited originally as posters in the London Underground, the Studio Museum show concentrated on Shonibare's reputation-making sculpture of Western period clothing made of "African" fabric, most set on dressmaker's dummies or headless mannequins.
Yinka Shonibare: Studio museum in Harlem, New York. (Reviews)
IT may sound like double Dutch but you can buy a Jag for 16 per cent less in Holland than in Castle Bromwich, where it was made.
Sunday Mercury Comment: Going Dutch for a new car
Double Dutch: Arsenal's Marc Overmars celebrates scoring the equaliser against West Ham United with Dennis Bergkamp at Highbury.
Football - Picture story: Double Dutch