the.com/sure thing
The verbal handshake that commits you to nothing while sounding like everything.
means An affirmative reply meaning 'yes, definitely' — or, in practice, 'yes, probably, ask me later.'
from A straightforward American colloquialism from the 1800s, pairing 'sure' (certain) with 'thing' to mean a certainty — first used literally for guaranteed bets or outcomes, then drifted into casual speech as a breezy way of saying 'yes.' No hidden trick in its roots — the gap between its confident sound and its noncommittal use is purely a modern social habit, not an etymological one.
- translation
- often means probably not, said politely
- origin
- american slang, early 1900s, betting culture
- tone trick
- sounds certain, promises zero timeline
- overuse zone
- workplaces avoiding the word no