Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

plain sailing

/ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.86 in modern English

Syllables: plain sail-ing
IPA: /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/

15

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The navigation of waters free from hazards or unfavourable winds.

Uncountable

noun

Obsolete spelling of plane sailing (“a technique for navigation using the assumption that the journey occurs over a plane or flat surface rather than the actual curved surface of the Earth, which is sufficiently accurate over short distances”).

Obsolete; Uncountable

noun

Something that is easy, simple, or straightforward; something that offers no difficulties or trouble.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[…] I hired a Tonquineſe for about a Dollar to be my guide. This, tho but a ſmall matter, vvas a great deal out of my Pocket, vvho had not above 2 Dollars in all, vvhich I had gotten on board, by teaching ſome of our young Seamen Plain Sailing."
"[…] Me[r]cators Sailing gives the correct Difference of Latitude and Longitude both; Middle Latitude Sailing, only the correct Difference of Longitude; Plain Sailing gives neither correctly; and therefore their Merits are in Proportion."
"I doubt as hovv I've ſteered by a vvrong chart, d'ye ſee—as for the matter of the ſciences, to be ſure, I knovv plain ſailing and mercator; and am an indifferent good ſeaman, […]"
"[W]e have determined to go by way of Lisbon, […] and so on our old route to Malta and Constantinople, if so be that Captain Kidd, our gallant commander, understands plain sailing and Mercator and takes us on our voyage all according to the chart."
"[H]e ſhould give himſelf fair play, by trying his hand vvith the rudiments, vvhich vvould no ſooner be run over, than the reſt vvould become plain ſailing: […]"
"After this [the whale's tongue] was hoisted in, the rest of the way was plane sailing, the blubber of the body being cut and peeled off, in huge unbroken strips, as the carcass rolled over and over, being heaved on by the windlass, then hooked into by the blubber hooks, and hoisted in by the men all the time heaving at the windlass."

Etymology

From plain (adjective) + sailing. Sense 2 (“something that is easy, simple, or straightforward”) is attested slightly later than plain-sailing (adjective), and so could have been derived from it.

Word Breakdown

Root: *pleh₂-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/
British English: /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/

Usage

Inflected Forms

plane sailing (alternative)

Phrases

plain-sailing

Frequently Paired Words

plain-sailing

Synonyms

child's play smooth sailing walk in the park bagatelle waltz breeze cake and gingerbread cakewalk cinch doddle doss duck soup

Homonyms

plane sailing

Rhymes With

failing sailing plane sailing scaling mailing prevailing trailing railing whaling hailing wailing ailing

Questions

How do you pronounce plain sailing?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/.
What does plain sailing mean?: The navigation of waters free from hazards or unfavourable winds.
Where does plain sailing come from?: From plain (adjective) + sailing. Sense 2 (“something that is easy, simple, or straightforward”) is attested slightly later than plain-sailing (adjective), and so could have been derived from it.

How to pronounce plain sailing

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