Piece of Cake

So, I led a cake walk last weekend and let me tell you it was no 'cake walk'. Which got me thinking, where do idioms like that come from? How did we begin to associate things that are easy with being a cake walk? Now the concept of a cake walk is very simple. Take chalk, draw a donut on the ground, divide into x number of sections and number, place matching numbers in container, walk in circle, draw a number, win cake. Cake Walk. A contraire! There are often more then twelve folks who want to participate, so you have to keep them in a waiting line, people just step into the moving circle so you end up with more then you began with, or you don't sart with enough and people start hopping numbers when there are empty sections. Then you have the slow times when the same kids keep playing and winning and playing and winning but there are others that haven't won and you don't want to 'leave a bad taste in their mouth' (especially when we're talking cake). You spend two hours yelling, guarding a table of cakes from hundreds of rascal children and 'bending over backwards' to make a fun experience. Ahh!! I'm 'dog tired' just thinking about it.So, where do these phrases come from? I'm most aware of our sayings when I'm around folks for whom English is a second language. Some of them are explainable, others 'throw me for a loop'  and 'boggle my mind'. 

Just as I'm sitting here writing this blog the other two folks in the room have used barrel of laughs and beating a dead horse in their conversation completely oblivious to the content of this post. 

This post may end up clear as mud, but toss it around a bit, mull it over and get back to me.