Question of the Day #810

However, as Pazdur himself admitted, changing a well-established practice won’t be a cakewalk.

From the headline of this article at Fierce Biotech.

上記の文で、cakewalkの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "cakewalk" mean?

答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈米話〉簡単なこと［にできること］、楽勝

「楽勝」と言う意味があることから、この単語はしばしばスポーツ関連の記事に使用されます。  

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. a one-sided contest: an easy victory
2. an easy task

語源

英辞郎によると、

19世紀のアメリカ黒人たちの間で始まった歩き方を競う競技で、最も奇妙な歩き方をした者が賞品としてケーキをもらえたことから。

 

Etymology

According to NPR.com,

The cakewalk was a pre-Civil War dance originally performed by slaves on plantation grounds. The uniquely American dance was first known as the "prize walk"; the prize was an elaborately decorated cake. Hence, "prize walk" is the original source for the phrases "takes the cake" and "cakewalk."

 

Examples

• She expected the election to be a cakewalk.
• Reducing the state budget is not going to be a cakewalk.
• But unfortunately for Cincinnati, the Cotton Bowl was also a cakewalk for Alabama. — Laine Higgins, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2022
• The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water.
• A war might be launched without legitimacy, but its human and financial costs will be much more readily questioned, particularly if the war turns out not to be a cakewalk.

 

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