Would you like to indicate that something is going to be easy or almost effortless to accomplish? The phrase 'as easy as pie' is a common phrase used in English that can be applied to say just that. This post unpacks the meaning, origin and common use of the phrase.
Meaning
The phrase 'as easy as pie' is a common figurative saying used in the English language.
The saying 'easy as pie' can be used to mean that something is very easy or effortless.
Most common use of the phrase is to say that '[something is/something is going to be] easy as pie'.
The implication of something being 'easy as pie' is that a task is (or was) effortless to accomplish.
The saying 'easy as pie' can be used in several different ways, including in the denial form to indicate that something is 'not easy as pie'.
Additional context for the phrase 'as easy as pie' can usually be taken from the rest of what is being said, or is implied by the rest of the conversation.
The phrase is common as an English figurative expression, though it does not always translate well to other languages as a direct saying.
A similar expression in meaning includes to say that something is 'like taking candy from a baby' – or easy and effortless.
Example Usage
“The whole thing didn't even take us five minutes to figure out. They called the escape room a challenge, but to us it was pretty much as easy as pie.”
“It didn't even take us the whole day to repack grandma's garage after she died. She packed everything into boxes her entire life, so it was easy as pie. ”
“The exam was easy as pie, and I was done before everyone else.”
“It's funny how baking a pie just isn't easy as pie. I've tried six different recipes and the pies just won't come out like my mother used to make.”
Origin
The phrase 'as easy as pie' is agreed by most online language resources to have come from Australian English, and gained popularity as a figurative saying in the 1920s.
Surprisingly, the origin of the saying has almost nothing to do with pie as most people know it: the 'pie' part of the saying is taken from the Maori word for easy, 'pai' which sounds similar.
The phrase would become known as 'easy as pie' through the English-speaking world, with uses of the phrase more or less international.
The phrase evolved to become 'pie' instead of 'pai' outside of Australia, and the phrase became common almost everywhere English is used.
References to the phrase would continue through to more popular modern use on social media, where 'easy as pie' has the same meaning as when the phrase first appeared in the 20s..
Phrases Similar to As Easy As Pie
- Like taking candy from a baby
Phrases Opposite to As Easy As Pie
- Fucking difficult
- Harder than a toffee apple
What is the Correct Saying?
- [things are] as easy as pie
Ways People May Say As Easy As Pie Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the phrase 'easy as pie' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the saying when it gets used.
The phrase 'easy as pie' is derived from the Maori word 'pai', although acceptable modern use of the saying continues to say that something is 'easy as pie'.
The saying does not always have a direct equivalent in languages other than English, and the saying might confuse others as a direct translation.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase As Easy As Pie
The correct way to use the phrase 'easy as pie' is to imply that something is easy or effortless, which is compared to 'pie' or 'pai'.
Something can be said to be 'easy as pie', or something can be said to be 'not as easy as pie' in the denial form of the phrase.