verb (pugilistic).—1. To punish. Also to be collapsed. Cf., DOUBLER.
1819. T. MOORE, Tom Crib’s Memorial to Congress, p. 20. DOUBLED him UP, like a bag of old duds!
1827. REYNOLDS (‘Peter Corcoran’) The Fancy, note on p. 89. [Randall] DOUBLES UP an opponent, as a friend lately declared, as easily as though he were picking a flower, or pinching a girl’s cheek.
1830. S. WARREN, Diary of a Late Physician, ch. xii. Accompanied by a tremendous DOUBLING UP body-blow, as in an instant brought him senseless to the ground.
1845. Punch, vol. IX., p. 163. Ben’s reference to the Premier’s friend, Canning, completely DOUBLED him UP.
1849. THACKERAY, Dr. Birch and His Young Friends, p. 6. I reflect as I go up and set him a sum, that he [Champion] could whop me in two minutes, DOUBLE UP Prince and the other assistant and pitch the Doctor out of the window.
1866. The London Miscellany, 5 May, p. 202, 1. DOUBLED you UP, I mean, sir. Smashed you.
2. (common).—To pair off, to chum with.
1885. W. WESTALL, Larry Lohengrin, ch. iii. He … promised the steward a handsome tip if nobody were DOUBLED UP with him,—i.e., if no other person were put into the same cabin.
