sure cure
A remedy that won't fail, as in Hard work is a sure cure for brooding. Originating in the late 1800s as an advertising slogan (Dr. Keck's Sure Cure for Catarrh; first recorded in 1881), this rhyming phrase was soon extended to other matters.
Nearby words
surcoat, surculose, surd, sure, sure as shooting, sure cure, sure enough, sure of oneself, sure thing, sure-enough, sure-fire
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.