on a wing and a prayer

Questions

What does on a wing and a prayer mean?

With the hope of averting disaster despite a desperate situation teetering on failure.

Where does on a wing and a prayer come from?

Describes a damaged warplane barely able to return to base, possibly originating in the film Flying Tigers (1942) in which the dialog refers to a flight as “coming in on one wing and a prayer”, made popular by the World War II song “Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer” with lyrics by Harold Adamson.

How to pronounce on a wing and a prayer

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “on a wing and a prayer”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “on a wing and a prayer”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “on a wing and a prayer” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.