piece of cake

Meaning

1. (idiomatic) A job, task or other activity that is pleasant or, by extension, easy or simple.
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see piece, cake.

Synonyms

cinch

breeze

duck soup

child’s play

snap

walkover

picnic

pushover

easy as pie

cup of tea

Translations

du gâteau

Kinderspiel

gioco da ragazzi

bicoca

pan comido

moleza

çocuk oyuncağı

papita pal loro

Kuchenstück

Kleinigkeit

brise

jeu

Stück Torte

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpiːsə(v)ˈkeɪk/

Etymology

Attested since 1936, originally in American English. Possibly from cakewalk, or the notion of facility that derives from many cakes having agreeable tastes, and hence being ‘easy’ to consume. Compare French être du gâteau (literally “to be a cake”), être de la tarte (literally “to be a pie”), both meaning "to be easy, to be a piece of cake".