[ti:Easy As Falling Off a Log] [ar:Bob Doughty] [al:WORDS AND THEIR STORIES] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]Go to 51voa.com for more... [00:09.86]Now, the VOA [00:11.81]Special English program [00:14.25]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. [00:17.19]Every people has its own way [00:20.67]of saying things, [00:21.96]its own special expressions. [00:24.95]Some of these expressions [00:27.59]are easy to understand. [00:29.63]The words create a picture [00:32.56]in your mind. [00:33.66]"As easy as falling off a log" [00:37.50]is one such expression. [00:40.14]It describes a job [00:42.08]that does not take much effort. [00:45.06]If you ever tried to walk [00:47.75]on a fallen tree log, [00:49.64]you understand [00:51.30]what the expression means. [00:53.53]It is easier to fall off [00:56.52]the log than to stay on it. [00:59.21]The expression is often used today. [01:02.99]For example, you might hear [01:06.19]a student say to her friend [01:08.18]that her spelling test was [01:11.01]"as easy as falling off a log." [01:14.74]There are several other expressions [01:18.23]that mean the same thing. [01:20.37]And their meaning is as easy [01:23.95]to understand as "falling off a log." [01:27.68]One is, "easy as pie". [01:31.89]Nothing is easier than [01:34.80]eating a piece of sweet, juicy pie. [01:38.93]Unless it is a "piece of cake." [01:42.51]"Piece of cake" is another expression [01:47.04]that means something [01:49.23]is extremely easy to do. [01:52.12]A friend might tell you that [01:54.91]his new job was a "piece of cake." [01:58.24]Another expression is [02:01.92]"as easy as shooting fish in a barrel." [02:06.30]It is hard to imagine why anyone [02:10.33]would want to shoot fish in a barrel. [02:13.52]But, clearly, fish in a barrel [02:17.15]would be much easier [02:18.74]to shoot than fish in a stream. [02:22.03]In fact, it would be as easy [02:25.62]as "falling off a log." [02:28.57]Sometimes, things that come to us easily, [02:33.30]also leave us just as easily. [02:36.79]In fact, there is an expression [02:39.92]¨C "easy come, easy go" [02:43.47]¨C that recognizes this. [02:45.81]You may win a lot of money [02:48.74]in a lottery, then spend it all [02:51.83]in a few days. [02:53.77]Easy come, easy go. [02:57.00]When life itself is easy, [03:00.04]when you have no cares or problems, [03:03.47]you are on "Easy Street." [03:06.71]Everyone wants to live [03:09.20]on that imaginary street. [03:11.49]Another "easy" expression [03:15.07]is to "go easy on a person". [03:18.45]It means to treat a person [03:22.04]kindly or gently, especially [03:25.07]in a situation where you might [03:27.51]be expected to be angry with him. [03:30.69]A wife might urge her husband [03:34.08]to "go easy on" their son, [03:36.97]because the boy did not [03:39.50]mean to wreck the car. [03:41.44]If it is necessary to borrow [03:45.23]some money to fix the car, [03:47.71]you should look for a friend [03:50.26]who is an "easy touch". [03:52.75]An "easy touch" or a "soft touch" [03:57.93]is someone who is kind and helpful. [04:01.16]He would easily agree [04:03.90]to lend you the money. [04:05.74]And one last expression, [04:08.97]one that means do not worry [04:11.91]or work too hard. [04:13.90]Try to keep away [04:16.24]from difficult situations. [04:18.43]"Take it easy" until we meet again. [04:23.36](MUSIC) [04:34.26]You have been listening to the [04:37.29]VOA Special English program [04:40.28]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. [04:42.67]I'm Bob Doughty.