death and taxes, (certain as)
death and taxes, (certain as)
Absolutely inevitable. This ironic phrase was coined by Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Jean Baptiste Le Roy in 1789: “But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” It has been repeated ever since.
See also: and, death
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- be twiddling (one's) thumbs
- be twiddling your thumbs
- (as) sure as eggs (is eggs)
- a penny for them
- the medium is the message
- 57
- the map is not the territory
- and the rest
- and how
- and how!