Whiteisms
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Etymology Journal ยท P

Piece of cake

Meaning

Something that is very easy to accomplish. It describes a task that requires little effort or skill to finish.

Casual, confident

Used in a sentence

  • I studied all week so the final exam was a piece of cake.
  • Don't worry about fixing that leak, it will be a piece of cake.
  • The drive there is a piece of cake if you avoid rush hour.

The backstory

The term comes from the 19th-century tradition of cake walks, where a cake was awarded as a prize for a simple competition. It became a common metaphor for ease by the mid-20th century.

Heard in

Nationwide

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