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Certainty & Possibility - Certainty

Discover how English idioms like "go without saying" and "beyond a shadow of a doubt" relate to certainty in English.

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English idioms related to Certainty & Possibility
to [bet] {one's} (life|boots|bottom dollar)

to express strongly and confidently that something is undoubtedly true or will certainly happen

Ex: I'd bet my life he knew about the plan before the meeting. 
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to {not} [count] {one's} chickens

to be cautious and not assume that something will succeed or happen as planned, as there is always a possibility of unforeseen obstacles or problems

Ex: We're close to a deal, but let's not count our chickens yet. 
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beyond a shadow of a doubt

used when one can claim that something is true with all one's certainty

Ex: The evidence proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was there. 
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dollars to doughnuts

used to show one's utmost certainty about something

Ex: Dollars to doughnuts, he forgot the meeting again. 
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hands down
hands down
[phrase]

in a way that is free of all ambiguity or uncertainty

Ex: She is hands down the best teacher in the school. 
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to [go] without saying

used to say that something is so obvious that there is no need for further explanation

Ex: It goes without saying that safety comes first. 
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mark my [word]
mark my word
[sentence]

used when one is certain that something will happen at some point in the future

Ex: Mark my word, he'll come back asking for help. 
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to [seal] {one's} fate

to do something that ensures that someone or something fails or something unpleasant happens to them

Ex: Lying to the board sealed his fate. 
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tried and true

denoting something that has been tested many times and proved to be reliable or effective

Ex: We used a tried and true method to train the new staff. 
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acid test
acid test
[noun]

a way of proving the validity of a claim or determining the success rate of a plan

Ex: The first month with real customers will be the acid test for the product. 
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a backward glance

a feeling of remorse, and reservation that one gets upon facing a challenge or finding oneself in an unexpected situation

Ex: She accepted the risky offer with hardly a backward glance. 
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to [feel] {sth} in {one's} bones

to believe something strongly, even though one cannot explain why

Ex: I feel it in my bones that this plan is going to work. 
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foregone conclusion

something that is assumed to be true or already decided upon before any evidence or arguments are presented

Ex: Many voters saw his victory as a foregone conclusion. 
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in no uncertain terms

in a way that is most clear or direct

Ex: She told him in no uncertain terms that the behavior had to stop. 
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a one-way ticket

a situation in which any decision made cannot be undone

Ex: Signing that contract is a one-way ticket; you won't be able to back out later. 
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to [be] (only|just|) a matter of time

to certainly happen at some point in the future

Ex: With that much pressure, it was only a matter of time before the pipe burst. 
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{sb} can take {sth} to the bank

used to imply that something is reliable, certain, and can be trusted completely

Ex: You can take it to the bank that she'll finish the project on time. 
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