Deuce/deuced

Origin of: Deuce/deuced

Deuce/deuced

Deuced bad luck is often used as an exclamation, usually to describe misfortune or mishap and is perhaps more acceptable to some ears than damnable bad luck. Used in this way, deuced has been in the language since the mid-17th century and because of its association with bad luck or bad events it also became a euphemism for the devil. The word deuce itself comes from the French deux meaning two and has been in use since the 15th century. The origin of the association with bad luck comes from the game of dice where the lowest possible score and, therefore a losing throw, is two or deuce. Since the late 16th century, deuce has also been used as a score in tennis when two players or two sets of players are level on 40-all. See also blazes, dickens.