sell the farm

sell the farm

To risk all of one's assents on a venture that one thinks will be hugely successful or rewarding. I wouldn't sell the farm on that wacky invention. He's broke now because he sold the farm on a foolish business venture.
See also: farm, sell
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

sell the farm

 and bet the farm
Fig. to liquidate all one's assets in order to raise money to invest in something. It's a risky proposition. I wouldn't bet the farm on it.
See also: farm, sell
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • bet the farm
  • bet the farm/ranch
  • farm
  • ranch
  • bet the ranch
  • tabbacky
  • wacky-tabbacky
  • wacky-tobacky
  • crackpot
  • down under
References in classic literature
Lynde advises me to sell the farm and board somewhere--with her I suppose.
Frome's long illness, they would sell the farm and saw-mill and try their luck in a large town.
Moira is urged not to sell up by Holly Meanwhile, Holly urges Moira not to sell the farm and tells Jai her grand plan to save it, while Jai wonders if they should go public with their relationship.
A third will split it up amongst their children while only 2% plan to sell the farm.
Accusing the Congress of making dubious attempt to sell the farm land in Kiccha ( Udham Singh Nagar) the party disrupted the assembly proceedings leading to the adjournment of the house.
Moira wants to sell the farm, but she needs Cain out of her way first.
Now Hexham MP Guy Opperman has become involved, claiming it would be "an act of vandalism" for the council to sell the farm.
When her husband dies, everyone says she must sell the farm and move to town, but she knows this will kill her.
However, what kind of farm Glenrock Farm will become will be up to its new owners, as the Ashworth Family has decided to sell the farm their family has operated since 1937.
Plans to sell the farm in lots, announced in January, had been criticised by farming leaders and Ceredigion AM Elin Jones.
PETER MOODY yesterday urged punters to "sell the farm" - and put it on Black Caviar in next Saturday's Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
18 October 2011 - US agricultural equipment manufacturer Agco Corp (NYSE:AGCO) would be interested in buying CNH Global (BER:CNH) if Fiat Industrial (BIT:FI) agreed to sell the farm equipment unit, German daily Handelsblatt reported today, citing Agcoa[euro](tm)s chief, Martin Richenhagen.
Ideally he'd like to sell the farm as a whole, rather than see it broken up.
What is known is that without adequate income, the family will be required to sell the farm. Before Nate and his sister can put an end to that part of their lives, they take the family car and travel 300 miles to visit their father.
The taxpayer can shelter a taxable gain from another business by `rolling' it into the stud farm, and can eventually sell the farm and have great capital gains tax