The idioms “piece of cake” and “easy as pie” describe a simple task, but the actual creation of a cake can be complicated. The phrase may refer to leading an enjoyable life. The origin is unclear, but “cake” has had slang meanings. The word “pie” is used in other expressions, such as “pie-eyed” and “pie-in-the-sky”.
A very simple task or project that requires very little mental or physical effort is often described as a “piece of cake” or “easy as pie”. The two idioms are very similar in nature and are often used interchangeably when referring to an exceptionally easy work assignment. However, as any cook can attest, the actual creation of a cake can be a very complicated process for the baker. The “easy” in the expression can actually refer to the ease of eating the finished product. Some etymologists suggest that the implied meaning behind the idiom is closer to “(as) easy as eating cake”. This may refer to leading such an enjoyable life that eating cake or other sweets is considered the only real challenge of the day.
The expression is often used to describe a work assignment that is so simple and effortless that it should be easy to complete. The term could be used to refer to finding a particular place in an unfamiliar city with the help of a GPS navigation system, locating the assigned target during a military bombing run with the correct coordinates, or even finding out the identity of the killer in crime show once all clues are revealed. There are any number of situations that can be described as easy as pie once all the facts are established or clear instructions are given.
There is no clear answer as to where this phrase came from, although the word “cake” has had several slang meanings over the years. During the 19th century, cake represented the easy or simple life, similar to the modern use of “sun and lollipops” or other cake-in-the-sky analogies. A person might be described as “nice as pie” or “polite as pie” in popular novels like Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. The act of eating cake was also used as a simile for other relatively easy accomplishments in sports or business.
This reference to simplicity and ease could also explain the use of the word “pie” in other expressions, such as pie-eyed and pie-in-the-sky. A particularly unmotivated person might be judged so lazy that she “wouldn’t take a job sampling pies in a pie factory.” Whether it’s a piece of cake or as easy as pie, there’s usually no question that the task at hand should be extraordinarily easy to accomplish.
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