bet one's boots

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bet one's boots

1. (idiomatic) To be absolutely sure of something; to be certain enough to wager an essential possession.
   • 1913, D. H. Lawrence, chapter 12, in Sons and Lovers:

     "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, chapter 27, in Of Human Bondage:

     "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.

• bet a dollar to a doughnut, bet one's bottom dollar, bet the farm