Topix Underground

"..Here's a lovely thing.

"By and large", as in,  "by and large, pizza is good", is a *nautical* expression, dating from the 18th shading back into the mists of the 17th century of English sailing ships.

"By" means "tending opposite the prevailing wind", and "large" means "tending with the prevailing wind".

So, "by and large" means "no matter which way your ship is headed relative to the wind".

I'm a poly-dork, and one of my dorkeries is language.."