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A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg
by and large
PRONUNCIATION:
MEANING:
adverb: In general; on the whole.
ETYMOLOGY:
From the world of sailing, describing a ship that could sail well in almost all wind conditions. Earliest documented use: 1669.
NOTES:
This phrase has its roots… or should we say, its anchor… in the world of sailing. It originally described a ship that was highly maneuverable. To simplify things a bit, such a ship that could sail well both:
By the wind: Sailing into the wind (a tricky maneuver). Think of this as the ship handling the headwinds of life.
Large: Sailing with the wind at its back (much easier!). This is the smooth sailing part. Large here means unrestricted, as in at large.
So, a ship that was good by and large could handle pretty much any wind condition. It was the all-terrain vehicle of the 17th-century seas!