Nearby Words
noun Slang.
1.
an absolute certainty: It's a lead-pipe cinch they'll be there.
2.
something very easy to accomplish: Getting him elected will be a lead-pipe cinch.
Origin:
1895–1900, Americanism
1895–1900, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To lead-pipe cinch
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Lead-pipe cinch
is always a great word to know.
So is navel-gazing. Does it mean:
| excessive absorption in self-analysis or focus on a single issue |
| having a pleasantly plump figure |
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
lead-pipe cinch
A certainty, an assured success. For example, "An engagement ain't always a lead-pipe cinch" (O. Henry, The Sphinx Apple, 1907). This colloquial expression is of disputed origin. It may allude to the cinch that tightly holds a horse's saddle in place, which can make it easier for the rider to succeed in a race; or it may allude to a cinch in plumbing, in which a lead pipe is fastened with a band of steel to another pipe or a fixture, making a very secure joint. [Late 1800s].
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo Rating For Lead-pipe cinch
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