noun General Slang

Double nickels

· noun · trucker

55 miles per hour.

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Definitions

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Two fives = double nickels = 55 mph. Specifically the hated national speed limit imposed in the US by the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, kept on the books until 1995. Truckers loathed it because it tanked their delivery times and revenue, and 'doing the double nickels' became code for crawling along under the federal limit just to avoid a ticket.

“Smokey thick through this stretch, better drop to the double nickels till we're past the scales.”
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Double nickels In A Sentence

Smokey thick through this stretch, better drop to the double nickels till we're past the scales.

Origin & Usage

1970s trucker slang, coined in response to the 55 mph national maximum speed limit (NMSL) signed by Nixon in 1974 to conserve fuel during the OPEC oil crisis.

Variants double nickel
Tags #trucker#cb-radio#1970s#speed-limit

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