# How do you speak "double talk"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140 "2001-09-06T23:01:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140/1 "2001-09-06T23:01:25Z")

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It’s kind of like Pig Latin but the word “double” is used. I have only heard people use it once when I was ten or eleven.

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**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140/2 "2001-09-06T23:09:24Z")

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Do you mean [Ubbi Dubbi](http://www.pbs.org/cgi-registry/wgbh/zoom/ubbidubbi.cgi)

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140/3 "2001-09-06T23:15:51Z")

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wondering if you mean [‘Double-Dutch’](http://home.wish.net/~sparhawk/taal.htm)

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140/4 "2001-09-06T23:20:36Z")

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the terms Doubletalk/doublespeak usually refer to intentionally confusing, contradictory or obscure language used intentionally (maybe to appear to win an argument by confusing the opposition into silence)

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**Author:** ![Fonz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Fonz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fonz)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140/5 "2001-09-07T03:17:22Z")

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There’s some old 40’s B&W movies that feature that. I guess it was a Vaudeville standard. People like Phil Silvers and Arnold Stang.

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**Author:** ![Fonz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Fonz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fonz)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-speak-double-talk/80140/6 "2001-09-07T03:20:48Z")

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So, anyway, what they usually used it for was to confuse the Inspector or Officer, to cover up what they were doing.  
“Refurbishing the framistam”, instead of “Making Gin in the mess tent”