# back to back

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-back/84070>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 27, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-back/84070 "2001-09-27T06:24:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhielo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@drhielo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhielo)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-back/84070/1 "2001-09-27T06:24:02Z")

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Where does the term “back-to-back,” in terms of “back-to-back games,” originate?

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-back/84070/2 "2001-09-27T13:38:07Z")

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Welcome to the boards!

According to [http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=back-to-back](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=back-to-back), back-to-back as in standing with backs together is from the 15th century. I guess it’s not that big a jump to it meaning consecutive or successive.