Meaning
An instruction or commitment to continue exactly as at present, keeping the current course, pace, or policy without sudden change. Often said to reassure listeners that no dramatic action is coming, or used wryly about cautious, unadventurous management. Often mildly jocular or approving, suggesting calm competence rather than boldness. Regional use: General English.
Origin
Literally a helmsman's order meaning keep the vessel on the heading she has at the moment the order is given, the 'she' being the ship under the maritime convention of calling vessels she. The verb steady was used in nautical commands such as 'steer steady' by the 1620s, and etymological references derive the expression from that command tradition, but standard references supply no first date for the full phrase itself, which appears to be later. It survives as a genuine steering order on ships and has spread into general figurative use for calm, deliberate continuation in politics, business, and daily life.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- steady as you go
- steady-as-she-goes (used as a modifier before a noun)
Usage Examples
- Adopting a steady-as-she-goes approach, the coach kept the same starting lineup for the final.
- Steady as she goes, the project lead said, confirming that neither the budget nor the launch date would change.
- After the merger, most investors wanted steady as she goes rather than another round of reorganisation.