penny to a pound

[Boadicea1413]

what does this mean when someoe says Ill bet you a penny to a pound

[Schutzengel]

The person saying that they will bet a penny to a pound, means that they are completely sure that they are correct, and therefore would win the pound for the small outlay of a penny.

[Schutzengel]

Just realised, it also works the other way around, i.e to bet a pound to a penny, meaning they are so sure they are correct that they have no chance of losing the pound.

[BilSuth]

As the above Schutzengel correction says, the speaker is giving odds of 100-1 against him being wrong, so he is pretty sure.

[Boadicea1413]

thanks guys

[R1Geezer]

It's a pound to a penny, as above, they are so sure they are right they'll give 100-1 odds. a mate of mine always says a pound to a pinch of sh1t!

[joggerjayne]

I think the expression is ...

"A pound to a pinch of snuff"

LOL

[wiltsman]

Don't want to be thought pedantic, but this saying was around before we went decimal. So the odds would be 240 to 1. (12 pennies to a shilling, and 20 shillings to a pound).

[Schutzengel]

Wiltsman. You can be as pedantic as you like on here.

[R1Geezer]

"I don't want to be pedantic........but", right oh! So you do want to be pedantic.......!

[crisgal]

my dad has always said " I'll bet you a pound to a pinch of sh1t!"