sure thing

sure thing

1. noun An absolute certainty; a guaranteed success. You should have learned by now that no business model is a sure thing. Getting into the playoffs is a sure thing now, so we can be a little bit more relaxed about this game.
2. expression Absolutely; certainly; no problem. A: "Would you mind taking this to the dry cleaner for me?" B: "Sure thing, when do you need it back?" A: "Could you bring a dessert to the dinner party?" B: "Sure thing!"
See also: sure, thing
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Sure thing.

Inf. I certainly will. Sue: Will you be at the reception? Bob: Sure thing. Bill: You remember my cousin, Tom, don't you? Bob: Sure thing. Hi, Tom.
See also: sure, thing
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

sure thing

1. a sure thing. A certainty, as in Making the bestseller list has been a sure thing for Stephen King. This usage originally alluded to a bet that one could not lose. [First half of 1800s]
2. Yes indeed, certainly, as in Are you coming tonight?-Sure thing! This use of the idiom as an interjection dates from the late 1800s.
See also: sure, thing
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

sure thing

1 a certainty. 2 certainly; of course. informal
1 2001 Business Week Any potential legal challenge to Microsoft's bundling decisions in XP is no sure thing.
2 1995 Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Arranged Marriage ‘Would you?’ I said gratefully. ‘That would make me feel so much better.’…‘Sure thing!’ said Sharmila hurriedly as she hung up.
See also: sure, thing
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

ˌsure ˈthing

(spoken, especially American English) yes; of course: ‘Will you come tonight?’ ‘Sure thing!’ ‘Can you help me with this table?’ ‘Sure thing.’
See also: sure, thing
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

sure thing

n. something that is absolutely certain. It’s a sure thing! You can’t lose!
See also: sure, thing
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

sure thing, a

An absolute certainty. This cliché dates from the first half of the nineteenth century and originally alluded to a bet one could not lose. Appropriately, Jane Smiley used it in her racetrack novel, Horse Heaven (2000): “‘Curtis, you’ve been around the racetrack for twenty-five years or more. Don’t you know that the only sure thing is that a sure thing is never a sure thing?’” Without the article, sure thing also is a reply that means “Yes,” or “Certainly.” This usage dates from the late 1800s.
See also: sure
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • look alike
  • angle
  • angling
  • wear (one's) apron high
  • high
  • high, wide, and handsome
  • fire and brimstone
  • biz
References in periodicals archive
He dipped to only 13 wins last season, but the improvement in the rest of the numbers (277, 2.83, 1.07) puts him pretty close to a sure thing, too.
Sure things scarce but these are close
Readers looking for a "sure thing" would be wise to cast their sights on this emerging Brit-ish novelist.
Peripheral Vision: A Novel
The one sure thing, however, is that multi-processors, in light of their versatility and affordability, will continue to be a predominant presence on demolition jobsites well into the future.
Multi-tasking: multi-processors are showing up more often on demolition sites thanks to the versatility they offer
The Jets threw a "Hail Mary" pass this week to save what had seemed like a sure thing for the football team to build the New York Sports and Convention Center on Manhattan's West Side.
Jets fire final salvo in NYSCC battle
The one sure thing that you can count on is that the farther you progress in the tournament, the more important the free throw will become.
Fun-Da-Mental Free Throwing
What they did [with the Iraq war] was to strip out all the caveats from the intelligence they had and present it to the public as a sure thing. And the press failed to call them on that by looking at what was in the public record.
Political spin doctors
Freelance journalist Tom LeCompte has written a biographical masterpiece with The Last Sure Thing: The Life & Times Of Bobby Riggs which is a "must read" for the legions of this memorable figure of the tennis world, a man who carries a large slice of the credit for popularizing the sport through all levels of American society.
The Last Sure Thing
But to go forth knowing a brownout takeoff was a sure thing, and not properly scanning the gauges during the execution of same, earns no sympathy.
Brownout
The formation broke apart, as did almost every sure thing in this ballet.
Shards of Shambards
Remember that it's always safe to begin with a sure thing. Start your garden with some instant (well, not really instant) gratification by planting vegetables that grow fast, like radishes.
Getting kids hooked on gardening
THE DAYS WHEN THE Sony brand was known worldwide as a sure thing are gone, and the company's recent fall from grace (its run of sub-par results and subsequent restructuring schemes) has been far from spectacular.
No longer sure about Sony: how Japan's global electronics giant fell asleep at the wheel
Executives in Latin American will tell you: The only sure thing about investing in the region is the certainty of chaos.
May day? Mayday!
IT WAS A SURE THING: we asked you about your favourite vestments and your letters came in droves.
Vestments hold a special place in our hearts
"I can tell you right now it looks like a possibility, but in 2006 it could be a sure thing, a sure-not thing, or somewhere in between," Frank said.
Senator Frank? (Politics)
Like other biodegradable layered films, however, the new film is far from a sure thing, he notes.
Layers break apart in controlled way. (Making Polymers That Self-Destruct)