26 Jan. When should I use the English phrase “as easy as pie?”

This English expression is often used in informal settings. To learn when to use it and what it means, keep reading!

Meaning

The expression is used in order to denote that something is extremely easy. It can be used interchangeably with another commonly used English idiom “a piece of cake.”

Etymology

The use of the word pie in such a way derives from America during the 19th century. The first recorded use of the word pie in a metaphorical sense dates to the year 1855 in Which: Right or Left? which reads “for nearly a week afterwards, the domestics observed significantly to each other, that Miss Isabella was as ‘nice as pie!’”

The first use of the exact phrase “as easy as pie” originates from Australia in the 1920s. It is unclear exactly why pie is used as being synonymous with easy as for example, the cat of making a pie from scratch is not a particularly easy one but some people suggest it relates to the ease of slicing a pie.

Example

An example of the idiom in use can be found in a quote by animator, Doug Tennapel which reads “making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody’s goal to actually make a funny game.”