double-nickel

[duhb-uhl-nik-uhl]

noun

Slang.

1. the national speed limit of 55 miles per hour as established in 1974 on U.S. highways.

Word History and Origins

Origin of double-nickel¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Two decades of culture war ensued, as rural Americans and Republicans turned against the very idea of oil conservation, represented by those double-nickel interstate signs.

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“She called it the double-nickel,” Graham said.

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