Plain-sailing

Pronunciation

• IPA: en, /?ple?n ?se?l??/
• Homophones: en, plane sailing
• Rhymes: -en, -e?l??
• Hyphenation: en + plain-sail + ing

Origin

From en + plain + sailing.

OED Online|entry=plain sailing|pos=n. and adj|id=3841861675|date=March 2024|nodot=1; compare Lexico|entry=plain sailing|pos=n

Sense 2 of plain sailing is attested slightly later than the adjective, and so could have been derived from it.

Full definition of plain-sailing

Adjective

1. Easy, simple, straightforward.
• 1873, w:Louisa Parr, Hero Carthew or The Prescotts of Pamphillon Chapter Rays of Hope, ... I took an uncommon fancy to him. He's a straightforward, plain-sailing fellow. I shall be very glad to see him again.
• Haggard Jess|page=31|passage=What was the mainspring of her mind—round what axis did it revolve—that was what puzzled him. Clearly enough it was not like most women's, least of all like that of happy, healthy, plain-sailing Bessie.
• Shaw Doctor's Dilemma|page=303|passage=But the plain-sailing tradesman who must be taken as the typical manager (for the west end of London is not the whole theatrical world) is by no means equally qualified to judge whether a play is safe from prosecution or not.

Derived terms

• plain sailing possibly: see the #Etymology, etymology