On a wing and a prayer

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Meaning

Barely scraping by with slim hope, relying on luck.

Origin

From 20th-century America, tied to WWII; pilot Harold Adamson's 1942 song 'Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer' for a shot-up plane, slang by 1943. A 1940s film cemented it.

Variants

  • Wing and prayer
  • On wing prayer

Usage Examples

  • We're on a wing and a prayer with this budget.
  • He passed on a wing and a prayer; no prep!
  • On a wing and a prayer, they fixed the leak.

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