Grammar Moses: Let's put an end to doubling down on anything outside a casino

President Obama does it. Gov. Rauner does it, too.

It seems everyone is doing it these days - without the benefit of a felt surface or playing cards.

What, Grammar Moses, are you talking about?

Doubling down, of course.

I know full well that if you're sitting at a blackjack table and the dealer slides you a pair of fives and he's showing a bust card, you split those fives.

I'm just kidding! However, I nearly leapt on a man sitting two spots away from me in a Las Vegas casino when he split EVERY pair he was dealt - even fives and face cards - and still won.

Back to the story. The odds suggest you "double down" on those fives, meaning you plunk down another bet, risking twice as much that you'll beat the dealer if you're dealt one more card.

But now people use "double down" to mean a variety of things related to risk, increased commitment, zealotry, sandwich contents and who knows what else.

The phrase has become as watered down as a casino cocktail.

There is a "double down" sandwich, in which you're doubling the amount of meat, calories (more on calories, later) and probably your risk of heart disease.

Companies double down on cost savings to try to right the ship. Other companies double down by expanding operations.

Who knows what the phrase means anymore? It's the flavor of the month, and it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

That's my campaign for limiting its use to gambling halls.

I mean ...

Dick Yingst of Batavia wrote recently to express a peeve of his.

"Have you ever noticed over the last few years more and more people, in everyday speech, in television interviews, and on talk radio banter how many people begin their responses or points with 'I mean'?"

(That last line was murder to punctuate.)

I have noticed this.

Few thing rob you of your sense of authority as much as wishy-washy qualifiers such as "I mean" or "I think" or "I feel."

If you want to express yourself with confidence, avoid that sort of thing.

Back to calories

Do you know what a calorie really is?

If you remember your high school chemistry class, you'll know it is a measure of heat energy. It is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of a gram of water one degree Celsius.

So you don't actually consume calories; you consume food that becomes fuel to power your body. And the amount of energy that fuel provides is measured in calories.

Another thing you may not know is that when nutritionists talk about calories, they really mean kilocalories.

So that Big Mac is not really 540 calories. It's 540 kilocalories. Or 540,000 calories of deliciousness.

Chew on that for a while.

Write carefully!

• Jim Baumann is vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald. Write him at jbaumann@dailyherald.com. Put Grammar Moses in the subject line. You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim.