No sweat

[0855] Piece of cake

🎲 Stand your ground
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • An idiom meaning that a task or activity is extremely easy to accomplish.

Origin

  • The exact origin is debated, with theories pointing to US English in the late 19th/early 20th century or possibly British RAF slang during World War II.
  • The common idea is that eating a piece of cake is a pleasant and effortless activity, hence the comparison to an easy task. Another theory relates it to cakewalks, competitions where cakes were awarded as prizes and which were often easy to win.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Easy peasy (lemon squeezy)
  • A walk in the park
  • A breeze
  • A cinch
  • Child's play
  • No sweat
  • Duck soup (Dated US slang)
  • Money for old rope (UK idiom for easy money/work)
  • A doddle (UK slang)
  • Like shooting fish in a barrel (Extremely easy target/task)
  • Like taking candy from a baby (Easy, potentially unethical)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Easy peasy / Easy peasy lemon squeezy
  • A breeze / A cinch
  • A doddle (UK)
  • Dead easy (UK/Aus) / Real easy
  • Like shooting fish in a barrel / Like taking candy from a baby (Emphasize extreme ease, latter implies unfairness)
  • Cushy (Often for jobs/situations)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Easy as fuck / Fuckin' easy
  • Piss easy (UK/Aus)
  • Easy as shit

Milder/Standard:

  • Very easy / Extremely easy
  • Simple / Straightforward
  • Not difficult (at all)
  • Effortless
  • Uncomplicated
  • Basic / Elementary

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal.
  • Extremely common and widely understood idiom.
  • Acceptable in most informal and semi-formal situations. Avoid in highly formal writing or speech where a more literal description (very easy, straightforward) would be preferred.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Purely idiomatic. A literal interpretation makes no sense in context. Non-native speakers need to learn it as a fixed expression meaning very easy.

Examples

  • Don't worry about the test, it was a piece of cake.
  • Fixing that faucet should be a piece of cake for a plumber.
  • Compared to climbing Everest, this hike is a piece of cake.

Dialogue

Student A: How was the history exam? I'm taking it this afternoon.

Student B: Honestly? It was a piece of cake. Just basic recall from the lectures. You'll be fine.

Student A: Phew! That's good to hear.

Social Media Examples

  • Facebook post: Finally assembled that IKEA bookshelf! Thought it'd be a nightmare, but it was a piece of cake. #DIY #Success
  • Tweet: People complaining about [simple task]? Come on, it's a piece of cake!

Response Patterns

  • Relief: Oh, good! I was worried it would be difficult.
  • Agreement: Yeah, it really was surprisingly easy.
  • Skepticism/Disbelief: Really? A piece of cake? I heard it was tough.
  • Encouragement: Okay, if you say it's a piece of cake, I'll give it a try.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Asking why the task was so easy.
  • Expressing relief or renewed confidence.
  • Proceeding with the task more confidently based on the assessment.
  • Potentially questioning the assessment if it seems unrealistic.

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Used to describe the perceived difficulty level of a task or activity.

Intonation

  • Often said with confidence, sometimes slightly dismissively (regarding the task's difficulty).
  • Stress usually falls on CAKE. Oh, that'll be a piece of CAKE.

Generation Differences

  • Used and understood across all generations. It's a very established idiom.

Regional Variations

  • Common and instantly recognizable in virtually all major English-speaking regions (US, UK, Aus, NZ, Canada, etc.).
No sweat
🎲 Stand your ground