Definition 2024
bet_one's_boots
bet one's boots
English
Verb
bet one's boots
- (idiomatic) To be absolutely sure of something; to be certain enough to wager an essential possession.
- 1913, D. H. Lawrence, Sons and Lovers, ch. 12:
- "You see," he said, "she never knew the fearful importance of marriage . . . and treated him badly, I'll bet my boots."
- 1915, William Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, ch. 27:
- "If a man tells you he's a gentleman you can bet your boots he isn't," he retorted.
- 2011 April 24, D. D. Guttenplan, "Scotland Wrestles With Question of Tuition Fees," New York Times (retrieved 19 Jan 2013):
- Lord Sutherland sees tuition fees in Scotland as inevitable. “Only you can bet your boots they won't call it a fee,” he said.
Synonyms
