A Piece of Cake
Meaning: Something very easy to do.
When something is described as “a piece of cake,” it means it’s very easy. The phrase became common in American English in the 1930s; the poet Ogden Nash wrote “life’s a piece of cake” in 1936. Some people link it to cake prizes at old “cakewalk” contests, but that connection isn’t proven. Example: “Don’t worry about the test—it’ll be a piece of cake.”
How to use it
Use it about tasks, tests or jobs that were, or will be, easy. It’s casual and friendly, and common in conversation and at work. People often say “It was a piece of cake” or “That’ll be a piece of cake.” As a short reply on its own, “Piece of cake” is fine.
Examples
- The driving test was a piece of cake.
- Don’t worry about setting up the app. It’s a piece of cake.
- After the last project, this one feels like a piece of cake.
A common mistake
Keep the whole phrase in a sentence: It was a piece of cake, not “It was a cake” or “It was cake piece.”
Where it comes from
It appeared in the 1930s; the American poet Ogden Nash used “life’s a piece of cake” in 1936. Some connect it to 19th-century “cakewalk” contests, where the prize was a cake, but that link isn’t proven.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: Grammar Monster