"back to back" OR "back to back to back"?

Question

A guest on TV is telling about his visit to Disneyland.

Presenter: how many times did you go around on the rides?

Guest: we did the um Big Thunder Mountain 11 times.

Presenter: back to back to back?

Guest: and I felt sick every single time I went on it, not back to back to back David Walliams (see: 5:39-5:50)

I know "back to back" meaning consecutively, and looked it up anyway. There are 2 backs, not 3. So why do they both say back to back to back?

Because it is funny. And there are 11 'backs' in the story, are there not? — Michael Harvey, Commented Nov 5 at 19:02

the-baby-is-you · Accepted Answer · 2024-11-06 01:21:24Z

3

For emphasis. English has a number of A PREP A idioms that can be reduplicated to imply "and it keeps going."

back to back to back

one by one by one

beat for beat for beat

side to side to side

They can be extended further if three isn't enough to get the point across.

edited Nov 6 at 1:21

answered Nov 5 at 19:31

the-baby-is-you

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As in "...and it keeps going on and on and on...." (repeat to taste).
– FumbleFingers
Commented Nov 5 at 19:58
@FumbleFingers Strangers, waiting…
– the-baby-is-you
Commented Nov 5 at 20:01
I only had 3, but I see those lyrics have 4. Probably more for prosody (to match the beat) than emphasis, but well found anyway!
– FumbleFingers
Commented Nov 5 at 20:09

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