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double-nickel

(with dummy it) To travel at 55 miles per hour.

ˈdʌbənˌlɪkəlDocumented since 1970s1970sGen Xhistorical144 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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3 definitions
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Born ~1970 · no dated citations yet
1970BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

#1·Apr 27, 2026

(with dummy it) To travel at 55 miles per hour.

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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(US, _, slang) The number 55 (by extension).

Peckinpah is just as interested in the old golf-cart codger who says “Damn the double-nickel!” (in reference to the 55mph speed limit) as he is in Duck or Lyle, and much more so than in Ali MacGraw’s character, along for the ride and mar…
Cluster: general
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#3·Apr 27, 2026

(US, _, slang) The national speed limit of 55 miles per hour introduced in the USA in 1974.

But in 1982 they found a loophole: Keep the double-nickel speed limit, but effectively allow motorists to drive up to 65 by designating that speed a “waste of a finite resource” and setting the fine at $15.
Origin: From trucker slang in the 1970s referring to the national 55 mph speed limit, based on five-cent coin. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"double-nickel" means: The national speed limit of 55 miles per hour introduced in the USA in 1974.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"double-nickel" means: The national speed limit of 55 miles per hour introduced in the USA in 1974.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used

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