Origin of Phrases - W
Wing and a prayer
Meaning: Hopeful but unlikely to succeed.
Example: She is driving on a wing and a prayer in that old jalopy.
Origin: During World War One airplanes were still a novelty and untested in war. A "wing and a prayer" was first uttered when an American flyer came in with a badly damaged wing.
His fellow pilots and mechanics were amazed he didn't crash. He replied he was praying all the way in. Another pilot chimed in that "a wing and a prayer brought you back."