lead-pipe cinch

noun

US, informal

: something very easy or certain

ought to be a lead-pipe cinch to find

—Big Detective Cases

if it wasn't him it was you and that's a lead-pipe cinch

—Nelson 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

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