A Wing and a Prayer

By: Joy Frystak

      I use to hear my dad say “a wing and a prayer” when reaching for his golf clubs while packing for our family vacations. My mother would mumble these words right before she would stick the Thanksgiving turkey into the oven. My seventh grade basketball coach would say this to our team just as the buzzer would sound for the game to begin. I found myself thinking these words walking into my college calculus final. But what does this statement actually mean? Where did it come from? I was certain it had nothing to do with my mother’s culinary skills or golf, although my father would argue otherwise in both cases.   

      The phrase originated from the WWII patriotic song Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer (1943), by Harold Adamson and Jimmie McHugh, which told the story of a damaged warplane, barely able to limp back to base. A verse in the song sings, “Though there’s one motor gone, we can still carry on. Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.”¹

      The words ring true to our everyday lives. Some days are better than others. Sometimes our hearts may not be as open as we wish them to be. We may opt for the easy way because the right way is too difficult.  The phrase itself translates to “in poor condition but still able to get the job done.” 

      We all have our less than days, but I will hold on to a wing and a prayer. It worked on that calculus final. 

¹PhraseFinder.Com