double dog dare

present singular third person double dog dares · participle present double dog daring · participle past double dog dared · past double dog dared · alternative double-dog dare · alternative double-dog-dare

1. USinformaltransitiveAn intensified form of dare (“to challenge (someone) to do something”).

   I double dog dare you to ask her out!

   5 more examples

   In Mississippi dare and double dog dare are used by children in quarrelling. Dog dare and double black dog dare I never have heard.

   [1893, H[ubert] A[nthony] Shands, “[Supplement.] Dare.”, in Some Peculiarities of Speech in Mississippi, [Miss.?]: [H. A. Shands]; Boston, Mass.: Norwood Press; J. S. Cushing & Company, →OCLC, page 71

   It wasn't until he let off a round at Sergeant Shireman when Sergeant Shireman was trying to answer a call of nature in the woods, thereby interrupting the platoon hero at his daily toilette, that we had our fill of him. "Dirty little shitbird!" Sergeant Shireman raged, stomping down the line in open view buttoning his pants, as though double-dog daring the sniper to try it again.

   1989 January, Craig Roberts, Charles W. Sasser, chapter 23, in The Walking Dead: A Marine’s Story of Vietnam, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 166

   ["]She'd do anything if you double dog dared her." / "Double dog dared?" I said. / "Yeah." She sat up, plunking another stack of pictures into my hands.

   1996, Sarah Dessen, chapter 6, in That Summer, New York, N.Y.: Orchard Books, →ISBN, page 81

   They had walked almost a mile outside of town, to the water tower that had elmwood springs written on it in huge black letters, with the express intention of climbing all the way to the top. […] [H]e and Monroe had double-dog-dared each other to climb it, so there was no turning back. Secretly both of them were a little nervous. Scared that they might chicken out at the last minute.

   2002 October, Fannie Flagg, “The Water Tower”, in Standing in the Rainbow (Elmwood Springs; 2), New York, N.Y.: Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 17

   Double-dog daring his enemies to prove him otherwise, Jesus declared, "Before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58).

   2003, Max Lucado, “God Gets into Things: Stormy Places”, in Next Door Savior, Nashville, Tenn.: W Publishing Group, Thomas Nelson, →ISBN, page 126

plural double dog dares · alternative double-dog dare · alternative double-dog-dare

1. USinformalAn intensified form of dare (“a challenge to prove courage”), frequently used after the dared person initially refuses.

   I didn't need Phil tossing out double-dog dares.

   2004, Evelyn Vaughn, chapter 1, in Her Kind of Trouble, Richmond, Surrey: Silhouette Sensation, →ISBN, page 8

   3 more examples

   Someone once wrote in to my radio show and double-dog dared me to address a certain issue on the porch. Their suggestion isn't important to our discussion, but their complete mishandling of the double-dog dare is very alarming.

   2008, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, “Buns in the Oven: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters about Having and Raising Children (with Bread Recipes for All Your Little Honeybuns)”, in Suck Your Stomach in and Put Some Color on: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters that the Rest of Y’all Should Know Too, New York, N.Y.: Berkley Books, →ISBN, page 110

   She never could turn down a double-dog dare. […] That double-dog dare led to The Pencil Dick Poster Incident that had gotten Ruby two weeks' suspension and a stag trip to the prom.

   2009 July, Dana Marie Bell, chapter 1, in Dare to Believe, Macon, Ga.: Samhain Publishing, published May 2010, →ISBN, page 10

   "Olivia and I go way back." Back to Girl Scouts and slumber parties and double-dog dares and pinky promises made beneath the stars.

   2022, Alexandria Bellefleur, chapter 1, in Count Your Lucky Stars, New York, N.Y.: Avon, →ISBN