all bets are off

[ awl-bets-ahr awf, of ]

idiom

(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.

Origin of all bets are off

¹

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

Words Nearby all bets are off

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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