swimmingly

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English[edit]

WOTD – 17 March 2020

Etymology[edit]

From swimming (“(adj.) moving in water as an ordinary means of motion; without difficulty”) +‎ -ly (suffix forming adverbs from adjectives).[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

Adverb[edit]

swimmingly (comparative more swimmingly, superlative most swimmingly)

  1. With a gliding motion suggesting swimming.
    • 1719, T[homas] d’Urfey, “A Song”, in Wit and Mirthː Or Pills to Purge Melancholy; being a Collection of the Best Merry Ballads and Songs, Old and New. […], volume II, London: Printed by W. Pearson, for J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 171:
      Bear your Hips ſwimmingly, tholl loll, loll, / Keep your Eyes languiſhing, tholl loll, loll, […]
    • 1734, “Chapter LXXIX. Intituled, Those Who Tear forth; Revealed at Mecca.”, in George Sale, transl., The Koran, Commonly Called The Alcoran of Mohammed, Translated into English Immediately from the Original Arabic; […], London: […] C. Ackers […], for J. Wilcox […], →OCLC, page 479:
      By the angels who tear forth the ſouls of ſome with violence; and by thoſe who draw forth the ſouls of others with gentleneſs; by thoſe who glide ſwimmingly through the air with the commands of God; […] : on a certain day, the diſturbing blaſt of the trumpet ſhall diſturb the univerſe; and the ſubſequent blaſt ſhall follow it.
    • 1807, Horatius [pseudonym; Horace Twiss], St. Stephen’s Chapel: A Satirical Poem, London: Printed for James Ridgway, […], by J. B. Bell, […], →OCLC, footnote, pages 15–16:
      The memorable exploit of the noble Secretary in rescuing his friend's dog from merciless winds and waters, deserves to be recorded in letters of gold— […] [W]hen, shortly afterwards, he jumped into the water for this heroic purpose, it was said, that a person who went on so swimmingly, could never get Down, even in the water.
    • 1833, Henry Harrison, “Miniature-painting”, in Instructions for the Mixture of Water-colours, Adapted to the Various Styles of Miniature Painting; and also to Landscape, Flower, and Fruit Painting. […], 3rd edition, London: J. Souter, […], →OCLC, pages 8–9:
      After drawing a correct outline, wash a little "indigo" or "ultramarine" faintly and swimmingly upon the forehead, between the eyes and corners of the mouth;— […]
  2. (figuratively, informal) In a very favourable manner; without difficulty; agreeably, successfully.
    Synonyms: like clockwork, smoothly, without a hitch
    • 1668, George Etherege, She Wou’d if She Cou’d, a Comedy. […], London: […] [John Macocke] for H[enry] Herringman, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene iii, page 48:
      […] I'faith; how ſwimmingly would this pretty little / Ambling Filly carry a man of my body!
    • 1712 June 11, Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter XLVII. London, May 31, 1712 [Julian calendar].”, in Thomas Sheridan, compiler, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, D.D., Dean of St. Patrick’s, Dublin. […] in Nineteen Volumes, new edition, volume XV, London: Printed for J[oseph] Johnson, [et al.], published 1801, →OCLC, page 305:
      The secretary would not go so far to satisfy the whigs in the house of commons; but there all went swimmingly.
    • 1809, Diedrich Knickerbocker [pseudonym; Washington Irving], chapter III, in A History of New York, from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: Inskeep & Bradford, […], →OCLC, book V, page 24:
      [T]he negociation goes on swimmingly—inasmuch as there is no prospect of its ever coming to a close. Nothing is lost by these delays and obstacles but time; and in a negociation, according to the theory I have exposed, all time lost, is in reality so much time gained—with what delightful paradoxes, does the modern arcana of political economy abound!
    • 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter IX, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 141:
      She had a turn for narrative, I for analysis; she liked to inform, I to question; so we got on swimmingly together, deriving much entertainment, if not much improvement, from our mutual intercourse.
    • 1888, George MacDonald, “The Gambler and the Collector”, in The Elect Lady, London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co. […], →OCLC, page 211:
      Things went swimmingly with George. He had weathered a crisis, and was now full of confidence, as well as the show of it.
    • 1917, Christopher Morley, chapter 12, in Parnassus on Wheels, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, →OCLC, pages 153–154:
      [A]t any rate I got along swimmingly. The travelling men, after a moment or two of embarrassed diffidence, treated me quite as one of themselves and asked me about my "line" with interest.
    • 2001 July 2, Daniel Kadlec, “Finally, Help with Your 401(k)”, in Time‎[1], New York, N.Y.: Time Warner Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 June 2013:
      If all goes swimmingly, the bill could reach the President's desk by year end.

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “swimmingly, adv.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1919.

Further reading[edit]

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