to stake my bottom dollar
- idiom
- Informal
- I would stake my bottom dollar on her success!
Examples
-
I wouldn't stake my bottom dollar on that risky investment.
-
If he says something, you can stake your bottom dollar it's true.
-
You can stake my bottom dollar that she'll win the election.
-
You can stake my bottom dollar that he will win the race.
-
You can stake my bottom dollar that they will arrive on time.
-
I would stake my bottom dollar on her being the best candidate for the job.
-
If he guarantees it, you can stake my bottom dollar that it's the right choice.
Synonyms
To be confident that something is true or will happen
To risk everything to try to succeed
To be very sure that something will happen
Risk all your money or chances on one plan
To risk everything you own on one decision
Be completely sure that something is true or will happen
To risk everything you have on one choice
Antonyms
How Certain
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
Because 'stake' means to wager and 'dollar' clearly evokes money, a learner who knows the constituent words can infer the general idea of betting or risking money on something. However, the fixed phrase 'my bottom dollar' (implying one's last/entire dollar and used idiomatically to signal strong certainty) is a conventionalized nuance that may not be fully predictable without exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Stake my bottom dollar may come from old betting. To stake is to bet, and the bottom dollar was the very last coin at the bottom of your pocket, so you can picture someone putting their last money on a bet. That's why the phrase means 'to be very sure' or 'to risk your last money'.