on a wing and a prayer
Meaning: Only just managing, with luck rather than means.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The old van got us to the coast on a wing and a prayer.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From the Second World War: a 1943 American song, "Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer," about a damaged bomber limping home.
Equivalents in other languages
- Russian: на честном слове и на одном крыле (na chestnom slove i na odnom kryle) — literally: on honest word and on one wing
More idioms — Daily Life
- welcome to the club — Said to someone who has just joined you in a shared situation, usually an unwelcome one.
- tell me another one — Said to someone whose story is obviously untrue.
- go off the rails — To lose control of one's life or behavior.
- there's nothing for it — There is no other choice.
- on the back of an envelope — Roughly worked out, without proper tools or care.
- truth be told — To be honest about it.
More English idioms
- a scapegoat — Someone blamed for others' faults.
- for the life of me — However hard I try.
- kick the can down the road — To put off dealing with a problem, leaving it for later.
- away with the fairies — Daydreaming, or not quite in touch with reality.
- drop the ball — To make a mistake, especially by failing to do something one was responsible for.
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