: something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences This much freedom of expression and opinion can be a double-edged sword.— Linda Connors.
What are some examples of a double edged sword?
An example of a double edged sword is an excuse that you were intoxicated when you behaved badly. You could end being forgiven for your behavior because you weren’t really in control of your actions or you could end up being in more trouble for being intoxicated.
Is a double edged sword a metaphor?
From the notion that if two sides of the same blade are sharp, it cuts both ways. The metaphor may have originated from the Arabic expression سَيْفٌ ذُو حَدَّيْنِ (sayfun ḏū ḥaddayni, “double-edged sword”). The metaphor is first attested to in English in the 15th century.
Is double edged sword a cliche?
In the court of public opinion, clichés are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they make your meaning clear as a bell; but on the other hand, long story short, in a heartbeat you’re confronted by a bunch of strange bedfellows who are shocked, shocked!
Why is a double-edged sword bad?
In other words, the poetic implication of cutting both ways supersedes the historical reality of the actual weapon. “Double-edged sword”, as a metaphor, has always been linked with “cuts both ways”, meaning it can (figuratively) hurt both the person attacked and the attacker.
What is the advantage of a double-edged sword?
While possible with a single-edged sword, double-edged swords are more lethal for thrusting due to the presence of two edges. Double-edged swords are also more effective at penetrating through armor than single-edged swords.
Why are double-edged swords bad?
What’s another word for double-edged sword?
What is another word for double-edged?
| double | dual |
|---|---|
| paired | bifold |
| duple | binate |
| duplicate | dualistic |
| coupled | doubled |
Is there a single-edged sword?
A single-edged sword may be any single-edged bladed weapon with a hilt which is shorter than a polearm.
What is another word for double-edged sword?
What is the benefit of a two edged sword?
Such a sword can be helpful (in striking your opponent) and harmful (if you strike yourself). If something is a double-edged sword, it will help you or be good for you but will also most likely hurt you or have a harmful cost.
What does it mean when you have a double edged sword?
Literally, a double-edged sword is a sword that has two sharpened edges. Figuratively, double-edged sword refers to something that has both good and bad consequences. When you’re wielding a double-edged sword, you have to be careful that you don’t cut yourself when you’re trying to swing it at an opponent.
What kind of sword is sharp on both sides?
A double-edged sword is a sword that is sharp on both sides of the blade. Many early swords like the katana used by samurai, had only one sharp edge and one dull side. In many European countries double-edged swords were most common.
What kind of sword did the samurai use?
Samurai in combat using katanas, a thin single edged sword. The most probable origin I’ve found is that it stems from the Arabic expression sayf ḏū ḥadayn meaning “double-edged sword” and used in a similar idiomatic way [10].
