plain sailingn.adj.

Brit.

/ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/, U.S.

/ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: plain adj.², sailing n.¹

Etymology: < plain adj.² + sailing n.¹ Compare later plane sailing n.In early use, the range of senses of plain, encompassing both ‘ordinary, uncomplicated’ and ‘level, geometrically flat’, make it difficult to identify the exact meaning of the phrase.

A. n.

†1. Nautical. = plane sailing n. 1. Obsolete.See etymological note.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > [noun] > that which is easy > easy way or method

primrose path1604

primrose waya1616

line of least resistance1746

plain sailing1756

royal road1793

plane sailing1850

pipe course1923

1683 A. Martindale in J. Houghton Coll. of Lett. for Improvement of Husbandry & Trade II. i. 4 (heading) A Token for Ship-Boys, or Plain-Sailing, made more plain.

1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. i. v. 90 2 Dollars..which I had gotten..by teaching some of our young Seamen Plain Sailing.

1701 T. Tuttell Descr. Math. Instruments in J. Moxon Math. made Easie (ed. 3) 15 Plain Scale..used by Seamen to solve their questions in Plain Sailing and to save their Gunter.

1704 J. Harris Lexicon Technicum I Plain sailing, is the Art of finding all the Varieties of the Ships Motion on a Plain, where all the Meridians are made parallel, and Parallels at Right Angles with the Meridians, and the Degrees of each Parallel equal to those of the Equinoctial.

1756 R. Rolt New Dict. Trade Plain Sailing, in navigation, is the art of working the several cases and varieties in a ship's motion on a plain chart.

1756 N. Owen Jrnl. Slave-dealer (1930) 67 He is to be prefer'd..if he can take an observation and is acquainted with that part of navagation call'd plain sailing, without any of the practical part of seamanship.

1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves I. vii. 160 As for the matter of the sciences, to be sure, I know plain sailing and mercator; and am an indifferent good seamen.

1809 Ld. Byron Let. 25 June (1973) I. 208 Capt. Kidd our gallant..commander understands plain sailing and Mercator.

2. Sailing a straightforward course, in which there is no difficulty or obstruction; figurative smooth or easy progress; simple or straightforward going. Cf. plane sailing n. 2.Implied earlier in adjective use: see sense B.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > swift movement in specific manner > [noun] > easy

plain sailing1827

1796 F. Burney Camilla I. 73 The rudiments, which would no sooner be run over, than the rest would become plain sailing.

1827 H. Steuart Planter's Guide (1828) 493 It must be all ‘plain sailing’, as the seamen say, and no sudden turns, intricacies, or narrow passes.

1842 F. E. Paget Milford Malvoisin 209 So far all was plain sailing, as the saying is; but Mr. Till knew that his main difficulties were yet to come.

1860 S. Osborn Career, last Voy. & Fate Capt. Sir John Franklin iii. 45 If I can but get down there, my work is done; thence it's all plain sailing to the westward.

1916 G. B. Shaw Androcles & Lion Pref. p. xxiv Without the proper clues the gospels are, to a modern educated person, nonsensical and incredible... But with the clues, they are fairly plain sailing. Jesus becomes an intelligible and consistent person.

1955 Times 29 June 13/3 It is not all plain sailing. Difficulties have to be overcome, for example, in disposing of ‘contract’ vehicles because of the contract terms.

1993 Clothes Show Feb. 21/3 ‘What could have been a horrible struggle has turned out to be plain sailing,’ adds Graham.

B. adj.

Straightforward, uncomplicated.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > unaffectedness or naturalness > [adjective] > straightforward or frank

right fortha1382

plaina1393

free-hearteda1398

round1487

opena1535

sincere1539

frank1555

pert1567

single-hearted1574

single-minded1577

direct1586

open-hearted1593

open-breasted1594

transparent1600

unclose1606

unminced1648

even down1654

unreserved1654

rugged1678

plain sailing1707

whole-footed1744

sturdy1775

heart-in-mouth1827

jannock1828

straightforward1829

direct-dealing1830

undiplomatic1834

straight-ahead1836

straight-up-and-down1859

man to man1902

1707 E. Ward Wooden World Dissected 45 Tho' he guide others to Heaven by the plain-sailing Rules of the Gospel.

1807 A. Knox Let. Aug. in J. Jebb & A. Knox Thirty Years' Corr. (1834) I. 344 With all possible rectitude of heart, he has not a plain-sailing mind.

1887 H. R. Haggard Jess iv. 31 Happy, healthy, plain-sailing Bessie.

1911 G. B. Shaw Shewing-up Blanco Posnet Pref. in Doctor's Dilemma 303 But the plain-sailing tradesman who must be taken as the typical manager..is by no means equally qualified to judge whether a play is safe from prosecution or not.

1989 S. Bedford Jigsaw v. 284 It was Maria who made the appointment for a consultation. It was not as plain-sailing as that: the appointment was broken.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	plain sailing
释义	plain sailingn.adj. Brit. /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/, U.S. /ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/ Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: plain adj.², sailing n.¹ Etymology: < plain adj.² + sailing n.¹ Compare later plane sailing n.In early use, the range of senses of plain, encompassing both ‘ordinary, uncomplicated’ and ‘level, geometrically flat’, make it difficult to identify the exact meaning of the phrase. A. n. †1. Nautical. = plane sailing n. 1. Obsolete.See etymological note. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > [noun] > that which is easy > easy way or method primrose path1604 primrose waya1616 line of least resistance1746 plain sailing1756 royal road1793 plane sailing1850 pipe course1923 1683 A. Martindale in J. Houghton Coll. of Lett. for Improvement of Husbandry & Trade II. i. 4 (heading) A Token for Ship-Boys, or Plain-Sailing, made more plain. 1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. i. v. 90 2 Dollars..which I had gotten..by teaching some of our young Seamen Plain Sailing. 1701 T. Tuttell Descr. Math. Instruments in J. Moxon Math. made Easie (ed. 3) 15 Plain Scale..used by Seamen to solve their questions in Plain Sailing and to save their Gunter. 1704 J. Harris Lexicon Technicum I Plain sailing, is the Art of finding all the Varieties of the Ships Motion on a Plain, where all the Meridians are made parallel, and Parallels at Right Angles with the Meridians, and the Degrees of each Parallel equal to those of the Equinoctial. 1756 R. Rolt New Dict. Trade Plain Sailing, in navigation, is the art of working the several cases and varieties in a ship's motion on a plain chart. 1756 N. Owen Jrnl. Slave-dealer (1930) 67 He is to be prefer'd..if he can take an observation and is acquainted with that part of navagation call'd plain sailing, without any of the practical part of seamanship. 1762 T. Smollett Adventures Sir Launcelot Greaves I. vii. 160 As for the matter of the sciences, to be sure, I know plain sailing and mercator; and am an indifferent good seamen. 1809 Ld. Byron Let. 25 June (1973) I. 208 Capt. Kidd our gallant..commander understands plain sailing and Mercator. 2. Sailing a straightforward course, in which there is no difficulty or obstruction; figurative smooth or easy progress; simple or straightforward going. Cf. plane sailing n. 2.Implied earlier in adjective use: see sense B. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > rate of motion > swiftness > swift movement in specific manner > [noun] > easy plain sailing1827 1796 F. Burney Camilla I. 73 The rudiments, which would no sooner be run over, than the rest would become plain sailing. 1827 H. Steuart Planter's Guide (1828) 493 It must be all ‘plain sailing’, as the seamen say, and no sudden turns, intricacies, or narrow passes. 1842 F. E. Paget Milford Malvoisin 209 So far all was plain sailing, as the saying is; but Mr. Till knew that his main difficulties were yet to come. 1860 S. Osborn Career, last Voy. & Fate Capt. Sir John Franklin iii. 45 If I can but get down there, my work is done; thence it's all plain sailing to the westward. 1916 G. B. Shaw Androcles & Lion Pref. p. xxiv Without the proper clues the gospels are, to a modern educated person, nonsensical and incredible... But with the clues, they are fairly plain sailing. Jesus becomes an intelligible and consistent person. 1955 Times 29 June 13/3 It is not all plain sailing. Difficulties have to be overcome, for example, in disposing of ‘contract’ vehicles because of the contract terms. 1993 Clothes Show Feb. 21/3 ‘What could have been a horrible struggle has turned out to be plain sailing,’ adds Graham. B. adj. Straightforward, uncomplicated. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > unaffectedness or naturalness > [adjective] > straightforward or frank right fortha1382 plaina1393 free-hearteda1398 round1487 opena1535 sincere1539 frank1555 pert1567 single-hearted1574 single-minded1577 direct1586 open-hearted1593 open-breasted1594 transparent1600 unclose1606 unminced1648 even down1654 unreserved1654 rugged1678 plain sailing1707 whole-footed1744 sturdy1775 heart-in-mouth1827 jannock1828 straightforward1829 direct-dealing1830 undiplomatic1834 straight-ahead1836 straight-up-and-down1859 man to man1902 1707 E. Ward Wooden World Dissected 45 Tho' he guide others to Heaven by the plain-sailing Rules of the Gospel. 1807 A. Knox Let. Aug. in J. Jebb & A. Knox Thirty Years' Corr. (1834) I. 344 With all possible rectitude of heart, he has not a plain-sailing mind. 1887 H. R. Haggard Jess iv. 31 Happy, healthy, plain-sailing Bessie. 1911 G. B. Shaw Shewing-up Blanco Posnet Pref. in Doctor's Dilemma 303 But the plain-sailing tradesman who must be taken as the typical manager..is by no means equally qualified to judge whether a play is safe from prosecution or not. 1989 S. Bedford Jigsaw v. 284 It was Maria who made the appointment for a consultation. It was not as plain-sailing as that: the appointment was broken. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.adj.1683
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