plain-sailing

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plain-sailing

/ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/ US, UK

Sounds like plane sailing · Rhymes with -eɪlɪŋ

Where it comes from

From plain (adjective) + sailing.

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

adjective

not comparable Easy, simple, straightforward. […] I took an uncommon fancy to him. He's a straightforward, plain-sailing fellow. I shall be very glad to see him again.
Similar: as a duck takes to water, basic, easy, prosaic, no-fuss, easy as 123, easy as ABC, easy as cake, easy as pie, easy as falling off a log, easy as rolling off a log, easy as toffee

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MLA

"plain-sailing." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plain-sailing. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

plain-sailing. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plain-sailing

Chicago

"plain-sailing." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plain-sailing.

BibTeX

@misc{plain_sailing_2026,
  title = {plain-sailing},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plain-sailing},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}