vanderpol's definitions

double down

to engage in risky behavior, especially when one is already in a dangerous situation.

This figurative usage as appearing in the Oxford English Dictionary is a meaningful explanation of “double down” other than the ubiquitous “to double the wager in exchange for only one additional card in Blackjack gambit” in every online dictionary.

Don’t try to double down the exposures of your retirement money in aggressive investments

It is the time to double down on the commitment of solar energy, rather than to scale back

HP is going to double down on Palm’s webOS

by vanderpol August 5, 2010

Straw man

1. Scarecrow which is flimsy and fragile. Therefore, straw man document or straw man proposal means it is a “flimsy” document that is just an initial draft of a subject which is expected to be modified by others

2. A debate technique used to refute an opposing view by misrepresenting the opposing side and then attribute that deliberately misrepresented view to the opponents.

Someone should start to write a straw man document before we can have discussion for all the details.

The opposition party has conjured up a bogus image before proceeding to knock it down. They are using that bogus image or fallacy as a straw man for the false and scurrilous claim

by vanderpol August 3, 2010