As soon as our manager got off our backs, everything started to go off without a hitch.

Tea is like the lubricating oil of work to allow it to proceed smoothly.

A good mediator can make a deal go smoothly.

The meeting was going off without a hitch until he threw a wet blanket on it by making silly remarks.

With most of the arts, if you don't get the basics down properly then it is difficult to acquire further skills.