plain sailing
/ˌpleɪn ˈseɪlɪŋ/ noun
Forms plane sailing
- noun The navigation of waters free from hazards or unfavourable winds.
- noun (figurative) Something that is easy, simple, or straightforward; something that offers no difficulties or trouble.
Synonyms
child's play smooth sailing walk in the park bagatelle waltz breeze cake and gingerbread cakewalk cinch doddle doss duck soup easy pickings gimme layup low-hanging fruit no-brainer open and shut case picnic piece of cake clear sailing easy going
Etymology
Sense 2 (“something that is easy, simple, or straightforward”) is attested slightly later than plain-sailing (adjective), and so could have been derived from it.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “plain sailing”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details