lead-pipe cinch

[ led-pahyp ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lead-pipe cinch¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

And he’s saved his best season for last, a lead-pipe cinch to become the first in league history to own triplicate Wilson trophies.

From Seattle Times

We can do better: sitting behind mesh netting is a lead-pipe cinch guarantee that you will not get hit.

From New York Times

But in the interest of full disclosure it was about one week ago that I characterized Kelly Jennings as a "lead-pipe cinch" to make the roster.

From Seattle Times

At one point on Friday, a day after the stock market went south, a check of Google News' Top Stories produced this list in this order: Tiger Woods Rise of the Planet of the Apes Jersey Shore Dow Jones Industrial Average Patrick Cantlay, No. 1 in the World Amateur Ranking and playing in the wake of a stellar run in PGA Tour events, was the proverbial lead-pipe cinch to win the prestigious Western Amateur.

From Golf Digest

He saw something move and, though it's a lead-pipe cinch he couldn't tell what it was, he shot anyway.

From Project Gutenberg