sure as shooting
1
8.2
- idiom
- Informal
- She knew that it would take more than a new house to create a new life, but she also knew, sure as shooting, they couldn't do it in this house.
Examples
-
She will help you, sure as shooting.
-
They could sure as shooting mutate from one life to the next, too.
Fiction book (1998) -
I got something you want, and you sure as shooting got something I want.
-
Something goes wrong, that little boy's dead, sure as shooting.
-
He'll snap at it, sure as shooting.
-
I will be diverted, sure as shooting.
Academic text (1993) -
You will find the answer, sure as shooting.
-
They will arrive on time, sure as shooting.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To say certainly or definitely
∞
1.0
Showing that something is true or will happen without any doubt
∞
1.0
Completely and without any doubt
949
2.0
Without any doubt
862
1.0
Without any doubt
784
1.8
Shows that something is almost certainly true, often before saying something different
286
1.0
Sure to happen or be true
107
2.3
Says that something is certainly true
89
2.7
Shows that something happens exactly as expected
86
1.3
To be completely sure and have no doubt
55
3.0
Completely sure with no chance of being wrong
24
9.9
You can be certain it is true
19
4.7
Without any doubt and with confidence
2
4.6
In a way that shows there is no doubt
1
8.8
Certain to happen without any doubt
1
9.9
Says that something will definitely happen or is true
1
9.1
Certain to happen
1
9.8
Completely certain that something is true
Completely sure in a strong, playful way
Completely certain that something is true
Antonyms
How Certain
- Offensive
24
9.9
- Informal
1
8.2
- Archaic
1
9.9
- Informal
1
8.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core meaning relies on 'sure' (certain), which a B1 learner will know, and the simile pattern 'as ... as ...' signals an intensifier; however 'shooting' (discharge of a gun) does not transparently contribute to the sense of absolute certainty. Because the phrase is an idiomatic intensifier where the role of 'shooting' is metaphorical and not directly predictable from the parts, it is only partially transparent to learners.
Etymology
The idiom sure as shooting may come from old hunting talk. When a hunter aimed and the shot hit the target, the result felt certain, so the image of shooting came to mean something is 'without any doubt'.