Sure-fire money spinner

[kahunabean]

My mates and I sometimes discuss our money making plans - calling them 'sure-fire money spinners'. Usually they aren't. But why 'sure-fire' ??? Where does that come from - matches ?

[woofgang]

I think that the sure fire bit comes from the invention of guns. when powder was kept in a flask and the ball added separately, it didn,t take much for the gun to fail to fire, damp or poor quality powder no spark, etc etc. When cartridges had been invented, where the powder and shot came contained and it was percussion, not a flint that made it fire, they became more reliable, or sure to fire, hence the saying

[xyzzy@bok]

So, do you think flintlocks were just a flash in the pan? That was a rhetorical question, and a sort of joke too but you can google 'flash in the pan' if curious:-)