plane sailing
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plane sailing
- /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/ US, UK
Sounds like plain sailing · Rhymes with -eɪlɪŋ
Where it comes from
From plane (adjective) + sailing (noun), a variant of plain sailing probably by analogy with plane chart (“(nautical) chart representing the earth in which lines of latitude and longitude are respectively shown as parallel straight lines”) or plane scale (“(chiefly nautical, obsolete) scale or ruler with markings used for calculations, especially for navigation”).
noun plain 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. […] 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.
- Alternative spelling of plain sailing (“navigation of waters free from hazards or unfavourable winds; (figurative) something that is easy, simple, or straightforward”). 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
Talk about this word "plane sailing." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plane%20sailing. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. plane sailing. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plane%20sailing "plane sailing." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plane%20sailing.Cite this
@misc{plane_sailing_2026,
title = {plane sailing},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plane%20sailing},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
