bet your bottom dollar
Meaning
Be very sure something is true or will happen; you can be confident about it.
Origin
From gambling language: your “bottom dollar” is your very last dollar. Saying you’d bet even that emphasizes extreme confidence/certainty.
Notes
An emphatic way to say you’re certain. Slightly old-fashioned but still understood; usually used in conversation, not formal writing.
Examples
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With that much experience, you can bet your bottom dollar she’ll get the job.
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You can bet your bottom dollar he’ll forget and show up late again.
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Bet your bottom dollar this car will give you more trouble down the road.
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You can bet your bottom dollar they’ll change the plan at the last minute.
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If the sky is turning that dark, you can bet your bottom dollar it’s going to rain.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed phrase with possessive: “bet your bottom dollar (that) …”. Can be inflected (“I’d bet…”, “You can bet…”). Often followed by a that-clause; sometimes used alone.
Synonyms
- you can bet
- count on it
- be sure
- no doubt
- for sure
- you can take it to the bank
Antonyms
- doubt it
- be unsure
- have doubts
- not be certain