A sudden, powerful, or devastating blow, shock, or setback, usually used in phrases like 'double whammy.'
American slang from the 1930s, likely derived from 'wham' (an onomatopoeia for a loud impact). The '-y' suffix was added to create a noun, and it gained popularity through comic books and informal speech.
The phrase 'double whammy' exploded in popularity during the 1950s because it perfectly captures what happens when two bad things hit you at once—like losing your job and your car breaking down on the same day.
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