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By and Large (Origin)

by Craig Shrives

What Is the Origin of the Saying "By and Large"?

By and large means for the most part or on the whole.

By and large is a nautical term from the late 17th century, which stems from the practice of sailing by (which means close to the line of the wind) or sailing large (which means with the wind on the quarter). These sailing techniques were sufficient to keep the ship heading in approximately the right direction, but they were not very accurate.

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