lead-pipe cinch

noun

US, informal
: something very easy or certain
ought to be a lead-pipe cinch to findBig Detective Cases
if it wasn't him it was you and that's a lead-pipe cinchNelson Algren

Word History

Etymology

lead-pipe from the phrase lead pipe pipe made of lead, from Middle English lede pype, from lede, leed lead + pype, pipe pipe

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lead-pipe cinch was in 1888

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Dictionary Entries Near lead-pipe cinch

Cite this Entry

“Lead-pipe cinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead-pipe%20cinch. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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