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In "The Diplomat's Club" (Seinfeld Season 6 Episode 21) the phrase in question is used in the following context:

Kramer, one of the show's characters, is gambling with a stranger, and he's down by some amount. Kramer proposes a "double or nothing" final bet, which is accepted. Kramer ends up winning that bet... and it's later shown that he walks away with a cheque.

I don't get this. Given the definition of "double or nothing", how is he walking away with anything at all? Isn't the idea that his previous debt should be merely cleared upon winning?

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    I’m voting to close this question because it would be a better fit on Movies&TV.SE
    – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
    Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 18:40
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    (a) It's a question about the English expression, not the show. (b) Migration is not the same thing as closure. Flag it for mod action, rather than voting to close.
    – lly
    Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 18:52
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    I’m voting to close this question because the asker does understand the English language expression (it's asked and answered), any confusion arises from misunderstanding the context of the Seinfeld episode. As such, this is a plot explanation question which would be on-topic on Movie.SE. With the question to old for migration, it should be closed here as there is no English language problem.
    – JJJ
    Commented Jul 27, 2021 at 3:57
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    It remains a question about the English expression and it's asked-and-answered because it was open, allowing for it to be answered. There may be nothing else for other editors to add, but that doesn't make it an off-topic question. Incidentally, if you feel terribly strongly on the topic old posts can still be migrated. It's just rare to avoid disruptions. This low-vote post certainly wouldn't be one, though.
    – lly
    Commented Jul 27, 2021 at 5:07
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    That's pretzel logic.
    – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
    Commented Jul 27, 2021 at 18:49

2 Answers 2

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You're not wrong about the expression. "Double or nothing" means doubling or canceling the existing debt. In this case, the $3200 Kramer has already lost betting on airport arrivals would either become nothing if he wins the next bet or $6400 if he loses. (Within the show itself, he wouldn't've actually paid that amount even if he had lost: he would've forfeited his collateral, a valuable bag of mail that Newman had previously stolen from David Berkowitz's route.)

You're wrong about two different aspects of the episode itself. First, there's a time skip.

Earl: I should've quit at double or nothing.

That is, he didn't quit at the double or nothing bet on the Ithaca plane arrival. He continued to bet (and lose) off camera. Second, Kramer doesn't walk away with anything. Because Elaine shows up and reveals that Kramer's friend Jerry was personally responsible for the late Ithaca plane that got Kramer out of his hole, Earl Hafler refuses to pay for his own loses (which he had begun doing in traveler's checks, rather than with an actual check).

In other words, the bet ends up finishing at "nothing" after all.

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  • Would the downvoter mind explaining what could be improved in this answer? or, mods, are you able remove such an obviously malicious one, assuming this comes from a serial downvoter?
    – lly
    Commented Jul 27, 2021 at 1:00
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    This is a great answer, but I agree that it belongs on movies.stackexchange.com
    – Davo
    Commented Jul 27, 2021 at 14:18
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    Great answer. :) Downvoters: f*** off and find something better to do.
    – nz_21
    Commented Jul 30, 2021 at 10:08
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Yes, "double or nothing" means a doubling of the debt or a cancelation of the debt. If the debtor wins the bet, the debt is canceled.

I'm not familiar with that Seinfeld episode, but I believe the purpose of the show was to be funny, not necessarily to make sense.

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    Agreed on all counts. Given the nature of Kramer it would not surprise me if he walked away with the double and more. Nothing ever affects him badly.
    – Elliot
    Commented Jun 14, 2020 at 3:54
  • Stupid stuff like this happens on shows all the time. Quite annoying.
    – thomj1332
    Commented Jul 26, 2021 at 19:07

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