lead-pipe cinch

American  

[led-pahyp] / ˈlɛdˌpaɪp /

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.

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lead-pipe cinch Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of lead-pipe cinch

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

“They just use it as a mechanism for getting rid of difficult-to-prosecute cases, cases that weren’t a lead-pipe cinch to get a conviction,” said Gary Kleck, professor emeritus of criminology at Florida State University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

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 • Mar. 21, 2018

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

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2015

One of them, crusty old Jasper McLevy of Bridgeport, Conn.,* has been in office 14 years, looks a lead-pipe cinch for re-election to his eighth term in November.

From Time Magazine Archive

"It's a cinch," murmured Mr. Ring with a glad smile, as he boarded his train, "a lead-pipe cinch."

From The Politeness of Princes and Other School Stories by Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)