dead cert
Absolutely certain outcome
A dead cert is something absolutely certain to happen or succeed—a sure thing.
The phrase comes from horse racing, where a cert (certainty) is a horse considered guaranteed to win; dead intensifies it to mean utterly beyond doubt.
Primarily British: He's a dead cert for the promotion.
Americans more often say sure thing or lock.
- shoo-inInevitable victor
- bankerMoney institution employee
- sure thingGuaranteed outcome or agreement
- lockMechanism requiring a key
- winnerOne who prevails
no-brainer · foregone conclusion · in the bag · odds-on · money in the bank · ticket · copper-bottomed · guarantee · favorite · done deal · surefire · slam dunk · cinch · safe bet · cast-iron · gilt-edged · definite · open and shut
dead certlong shot
Unlikely to succeed
outside chance · no-hoper · lost cause · snowball's chance in hell · fat chance
dead certlong odds
Unfavorable probability ratio
punt · flutter · speculation · wild gamble · leap of faith
death, certain, deadly, uncertain, uncertainty, certainty, deaden, deceased, deadening