bet one's life

present singular third person bets one's life · participle present betting one's life

1. Synonym of bet one's boots.

   This is not really happening / You bet your life it is

   1994, “Cornflake Girl”, in Under the Pink, performed by Tori Amos

   2 more examples

   But whenever one of the motor-trucks lumbering by bore a big U.S. on its rear panel Troy pushed his light ambulance ahead and skimmed past, just for the joy of seeing the fresh young heads rising pyramid-wise about the sides of the lorry, hearing the snatches of familiar songs—"Hail, hail, the gang's all here!" and "We won't come back till it's over over here!"—and shouting back in reply to a stentorian "Hi, kid, beat it!", "Bet your life I will, old man!"

   1918, Edith Wharton, chapter IX, in The Marne, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, pages 87–88

   You can play a lot of tricks with a glass eye because you can take it out and pop it back in again any time you like. You can bet your life Mrs Twit knew all the tricks.

   1979, Roald Dahl, The Twits

   Synonyms: bet one's boots

1. You bet; damn straight.

   Q: Do you think the Dallas Cowboys will go all the way this year? A: You bet your life they will!