Child’s play

Meaning

"Child’s play" is an idiomatic expression that means something is extremely easy or effortless to do, often because it involves a task that requires little skill or knowledge. The phrase comes from the idea of children playing and having fun without much difficulty.

Usage

• "The math problem was child’s play for her." - This sentence implies that the problem was so easy that it was like playing a game for a child.
• "The presentation was child’s play once he got up there and started talking." - The idiom suggests that giving the presentation was easy and enjoyable for him.
• "Fixing the car was child’s play for the mechanic." - This sentence implies that fixing the car was an easy task for the mechanic.
• "The cooking skills required for this dish are beyond child’s play." - The idiom suggests that the cooking for this dish is too difficult and requires more skill than what a child could do.
• "She made her way through the maze with child’s play ease." - This sentence implies that navigating the maze was effortless for her. The usage of the idiom can vary depending on the context, such as whether it is used to describe an easy or difficult task. It can also be used in a positive or negative context, depending on the situation. For example, "Fixing the car was child’s play for him" implies that fixing the car was an enjoyable and effortless task, while "The cooking skills required for this dish are beyond child’s play" implies that the task is too difficult to do.

Roots and History

The idiom has been in use since at least the early 20th century. It originated from the idea of children playing and enjoying themselves without much difficulty, which was used to describe tasks that were simple or easy to do. Over time, the idiom has evolved to include a broader range of tasks, including some that require more skill than just child’s play.

Synonyms in English

• "a walk in the park",
• "a breeze",
• "piece of cake".

Synonyms in other languages

• In Spanish, the idiom is "conocer un camino sin pedir la dirección", which translates to "to know a road without asking for directions" (meaning it's easy and effortless).
• In French, the idiom is "faire quelque chose comme ça", which translates to "to do something like that" (meaning it's simple and straightforward).
• In German, the idiom is "alles wie Kinderspiel", which literally means "all of it like children's play".

Similar Idioms

• chapter and verse

• the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

• a burnt child dreads the fire