cakewalk
The origin and history of cakewalk.
Etymology
Originally a strutting dance performed by African American communities in the 19th century, often in competitions where the winning couple was awarded a cake. Because top dancers made it look effortless, "cakewalk" came to mean anything easy.
Class of 1800
cakewalk first entered the language around 1800. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1800 →