To Be Sure

Writers of opinion articles know how to use what we call a to-be-sure graf. ❋ William Safire (2004)

Much of it was devoted to to-be-sure disclaimers: "I know, if many Jews left Iran, it was for a reason." ❋ Unknown (2009)

Well, hell, your to-be-sure graf turned out to be your lede! ❋ Unknown (2009)

In goes the to-be-sure graf, a paragraph disarming our opponents with its “Yes, we know all that folderol on the other side” and thereby reducing the volume of irate email. ❋ William Safire (2004)

A very common word, to-be-sure, and well understood as to its application. ❋ Various (N/A)

"What an awful wasteful habit it is to-be-sure, ain't it?" went on the old gentleman between vigorous puffs. ❋ Harold Bell Wright (1908)

Perhaps taint fer the best fer us to do this; to-be-sure though I thought it was, and so did Brother Cameron; and so did you. ❋ Harold Bell Wright (1908)

Things went on that way a spell 'til Bill got to thinkin' he'd better come and live on the home farm and look after things, as I didn't have no woman; to-be-sure, it did need a good bit of tendin '. ❋ Harold Bell Wright (1908)

It was right to assist people in distress, to-be-sure; but to risk his own life he did not think to be his duty. ❋ Charles Brockden Brown (1790)

The other surlily muttered, "Their legs, to-be-sure." ❋ Charles Brockden Brown (1790)

The actual content of the piece is one long to-be-sure paragraph, and as such it makes some useful points that you have read here many times: Much or all of the uptick in spending can be accounted for by people blowing through their savings. ❋ Tim Cavanaugh (2010)

Requisite to-be-sure: Denton runs a for-profit business, and he won't run athlete dong photos or anything else unless he can make money doing it. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Even when WashPost Ombudsdman Andrew Alexander agreed with critics of the paper's coverage on the topic, he could only do so with a big to-be-sure about the nassty right wingersses: ❋ Unknown (2009)

The article has one to-be-sure sentence, wherein Rosenblatt claims to be planning to aim higher in the future. ❋ Unknown (2009)

This to-be-sure trick is described by grammarians as “concessive”—that is, I’ll give you this; it costs me nothing and makes me appear reasonable. ❋ William Safire (2004)

She didn't marry the church -- to-be-sure, though, it does look like it sometimes. " ❋ Harold Bell Wright (1908)