the
action of betting a
ratio of ten things to one because one is so sure of something.
Lay is
slang for the laying down of
money as one does when making a
bet. To
lay someone ten to one means one is making a
bet he is so certain he will
win, that he is willing to
risk ten
times the amount the other person is betting. For
example, if
Joe bets
Bill $10.00 to $1.00, that means if
Joe loses the
bet Bill takes the $10.00 laid down by
Joe and if
Joe wins the
bet he takes the $1.00 laid down by
Bill. Thus
Joe takes a much higher
risk of
loss than
Bill (as
Joe is certain he will
win).
(slang) bet (someone) ten to one; i.e., if proved
wrong about the outcome (of something), pay ten for every one wagered.