Double guess

[fredpuli47]

'It's impossible to double guess Max Clifford' said a journalist on TV. Where did 'to double guess' originate ? Is it a recent expression ?

[heathfield]

I suspect it originated with someone who thought it meant the same thing as 'second guess', which has been around for a while.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/second-guess

[fredpuli47]

Seems reasonable ! You can guess what's next: How old is 'second guess' ?

[Quizmonster]

The earliest recorded reference for 'second-guess' in the OED is dated 1941.

[Bert]

I would guess that the journalist was mixing up 'double-bluff' and 'second-guess'. I read in the Daily Mail last week that," ..protesters ... can write virtually whatever they like without impunity." The quality of journalism has declined over the years.