Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

A piece of cake

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "A piece of cake" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourThe Ubiquitous Essentials collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

The Ubiquitous Essentials

A piece of cake

A piece of cake
An activity, task, or assignment that is extremely easy to do or complete successfully.
History & Origin

The phrase likely originated from the 19th-century American tradition of the 'cakewalk,' a dance competition performed by enslaved people that parodied the formal ballroom dances of white slaveholders. The masters would award a cake to the couple who performed the most graceful and stylish steps. Because the prize was associated with an enjoyable or effortless walk, the phrase evolved into an idiom for anything that is incredibly easy to achieve.

Examples
Workplace Email

Don't worry about the software migration next Monday; the IT team ran a mock trial yesterday and promised the actual transition will be a piece of cake.

Casual Conversation

I thought fixing the leaky kitchen sink would take me all afternoon, but it turned out to be a piece of cake once I had the right wrench.

Academic Writing

While some students found the advanced calculus final daunting, those who participated in the weekly peer-led review sessions reported that the examination was a piece of cake.

News/Media

The underdog team stunned commentators tonight by defeating the reigning champions in a match that looked like a total piece of cake from the very first whistle.

Formal Speech

Reaching our annual fundraising milestone was by no means a piece of cake, but your collective dedication and hard work have made this remarkable achievement possible.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. We need to look at this business plan as a piece of cake so we can cut it into equal parts for all the investors.

B. After weeks of intense training and studying the blueprints, navigating the new facility during the drill was a piece of cake for the crew.

C. The manager told me to be a piece of cake during the negotiation so that the client would not think we are aggressive.

D. I tried to call you yesterday but the bad weather made a piece of cake out of our cellular network connection.