Idiom of the week: A piece of cake

It was tea last week, it's cake today... I can't help it: I love food idioms. And I love this one even more for its meaning: "something easy, which involves little effort, and is usually pleasant".

"The English exam was a piece of cake!"

How many of you have ever dreamt of saying that aloud? :-)

Apparently there are two mainstream theories regarding the origin of this idiom:

1. Some believe that it originated in the late 19th century, when cakes were given out as prizes in competitions.
2. Others think that it is connected to the fact that eating cakes is extremely easy. Obvious, isn't it? (But what about baking them?)

Whatever the real origin might be, the fact is "a piece of cake" is a well-established idiom that has been used for decades now. There's evidence of British soldiers using the expression during World War II when referring to an easy target, and there are discos, novels, and even TV series named after this idiom. What's more, there's even an American version: "as easy as pie".

Enough for today! I hope remembering the meaning of this idiom will be a piece of cake (or as easy as pie) next time you see or hear it!