all bets are off

[awl bets ahr awf, of]

idiom

1. (used when the outcome of a situation is too uncertain to predict).

   We have to make it to the meeting place by 5:30 or all bets are off.

   The individual ingredients may be safe, but once you mix them up into a brew, all bets are off.

Word History and Origins

Origin of all bets are off¹

First recorded in 1830–40, in reference to horse races