on a wing and a prayer
English
Etymology
Describes a damaged warplane barely able to return to base, possibly originating in the film Flying Tigers (1942) in which the dialog refers to a flight as “coming in on one wing and a prayer”, made popular by the World War II song “Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer” with lyrics by Harold Adamson.
Prepositional phrase
on a wing and a prayer
- With the hope of averting disaster despite a desperate situation teetering on failure.
- After seeing half the senior staff walk out, the school opened the new year on a wing and a prayer.
Synonyms
- on a whim and a prayer
Translations
with the hope of averting disaster despite a desperate situation teetering on failure
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