bet a dollar to a doughnut

== English == === Alternative forms === bet a dollar to a donut wager a dollar to a doughnut bet dollars to doughnuts dollars to donuts (phrase) === Etymology === Possibly adapted from "bet dollars to buttons" and "bet dollars to dumplings" that appeared in the 1880s, meaning "to feel almost certain" because the dollars are bet against something nearly worthless and perhaps shaped like a zero. === Pronunciation === === Verb === bet a dollar to a doughnut (third-person singular simple present bets a dollar to a doughnut, present participle betting a dollar to a doughnut, simple past and past participle bet a dollar to a doughnut) (figurative, mildly humorous) To declare with confidence. ==== Usage notes ==== Becoming dated in places where the price of a doughnut now approaches or exceeds one dollar. ==== Synonyms ==== a pound to a penny bet a dollar to a dime bet one's boots bet one's bottom dollar bet the farm take to the bank ==== Related terms ==== ==== See also ==== === References ===