Dollars to Donuts (Idioms)

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Welcome to English in a Minute!

This is a delicious donut. Here in the U.S., a donut costs about a dollar. But what could this mean?

Dollars to Donuts

Speaker A: Hey Anna, are you still riding with me to Maggie’s party later?
Speaker B: Yes! And I took a nap earlier, so I am ready to par-tay!
Speaker A: Great! Dollars to donuts we get stuck in traffic on the way, though.
Speaker B: Dollars to donuts Maggie’s party will go on way past midnight.

“Dollars to Donuts” means you are sure something will happen.

Experts say the phrase first appeared in the 1800s. It replaced similar expressions at the time like “dollars to buttons” and “dollars to dumplings.”

And that’s English in a Minute!

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*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.