How to create a Python dictionary with double quotes as default quote format?

I am trying to create a python dictionary which is to be used as a java script var inside a html file for visualization purposes. As a requisite, I am in need of creating the dictionary with all names inside double quotes instead of default single quotes which Python uses. Is there an easy and elegant way to achieve this.

    couples = [
               ['jack', 'ilena'], 
               ['arun', 'maya'], 
               ['hari', 'aradhana'], 
               ['bill', 'samantha']]
    pairs = dict(couples)
    print pairs

Generated Output:

{'arun': 'maya', 'bill': 'samantha', 'jack': 'ilena', 'hari': 'aradhana'}

Expected Output:

{"arun": "maya", "bill": "samantha", "jack": "ilena", "hari": "aradhana"}

I know, json.dumps(pairs) does the job, but the dictionary as a whole is converted into a string which isn't what I am expecting.

P.S.: Is there an alternate way to do this with using json, since I am dealing with nested dictionaries.

json.dumps() is what you want here, if you use print json.dumps(pairs) you will get your expected output:

>>> pairs = {'arun': 'maya', 'bill': 'samantha', 'jack': 'ilena', 'hari': 'aradhana'}
>>> print pairs
{'arun': 'maya', 'bill': 'samantha', 'jack': 'ilena', 'hari': 'aradhana'}
>>> import json
>>> print json.dumps(pairs)
{"arun": "maya", "bill": "samantha", "jack": "ilena", "hari": "aradhana"}

You can construct your own version of a dict with special printing using json.dumps():

>>> import json
>>> class mydict(dict):
        def __str__(self):
            return json.dumps(self)

>>> couples = [['jack', 'ilena'], 
               ['arun', 'maya'], 
               ['hari', 'aradhana'], 
               ['bill', 'samantha']]    

>>> pairs =  mydict(couples) 
>>> print pairs
{"arun": "maya", "bill": "samantha", "jack": "ilena", "hari": "aradhana"}

You can also iterate:

>>> for el in pairs:
       print el

arun
bill
jack
hari

# do not use this until you understand it
import json

class doubleQuoteDict(dict):
    def __str__(self):
        return json.dumps(self)

    def __repr__(self):
        return json.dumps(self)

couples = [
           ['jack', 'ilena'], 
           ['arun', 'maya'], 
           ['hari', 'aradhana'], 
           ['bill', 'samantha']]
pairs = doubleQuoteDict(couples)
print pairs

Yields:

{"arun": "maya", "bill": "samantha", "jack": "ilena", "hari": "aradhana"}