Today's idiom comes from a good friend of mine:
"a piece of cake"
What does it mean?
If something is a piece of cake, it is very easy. Example: How was the test at school?--A piece of cake.
Where does it come from?
Apparently, it originated during slavery in America when slaves could win a cake by circling around the cake especially gracefully. Cakes were also given out as prizes for winning other competitions. The American expression "cakewalk" also originated from the slave competition and means a task that is very easy and fun to do. Both idioms originated in the 1870's, and "piece of cake" was first mentioned in writing in 1936. According to some sources, the British soldiers in World War II already knew and used this term too.
My two cents:
When I chose this idiom, I didn't expect to find such an interesting background story to it. In one way, it shocked me that a phrase commonly used nowadays has such a dark origin, but on second thought, considering the dark spots in history in almost every country, it would be strange if there were no idioms originating in those times. Nevertheless, I like cake, so these two idioms will certainly stick in my mind.
Language ... the bridge of communication, the magic creator of worlds, the brush and paint of authors. Language is magic. It gives us power. It is something you just have to love.
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