As easy as pie!

Yes, learning English is as easy as pie, if you put your mind to it and decide to practice little and often.
But what often causes problems of understanding is when native speaker use idioms. Like any language, English has a vast array of idioms and expressions that we like to drop into our speech in order to add colour, interest, drama or humour. And one such type of idiom is the as easy as pie variety which is structured as follows:

As + adjective + as + noun   

As +      easy    +  as +   pie

There are lots of these types of idioms and below is a selection of some of the most used. Try and pop one of them into your next discussion in English.

• As easy as pie  (probably started by as easy as eating pie)

Learning English is as easy as pie.  

• As light as a feather

This cardboard box is as light as a feather, it must be empty.

• As heavy as lead [led] (lead is a heavy metal)

This cardboard box is as heavy as lead! It must be full of books.

• As white as a sheet    (your face goes white because of fear or worry etc.)

Margaret turned as white as a sheet when she heard the bad news.

• As happy as Larry  (It seems that Larry was Larry Foley, an undefeated champion boxer in Australia in the 19th century!)

Paul was as happy as Larry when he got the promotion.

• As red as a beetroot (when your face turns red because of embarrassment, too much sun or heat)

Paula turned as red as a beetroot when everyone congratulated her on her performance.
I’m always as red as a beetroot when I come out of the gym.

• As poor as a church mouse

Thomas was as poor as a church mouse before he won the lottery.

• As crafty as a fox  or As cunning as a fox (a fox is a reddish coloured animal with a long bushy tail and pointy nose)

​The company owner is always finding ways to avoid paying his social contributions in full. He’s as crafty as a fox.
 

• As pretty as a picture

​The village we stayed in, in Scotland, was as pretty as a picture.
 

• As stubborn as a mule (a mule is an animal which is half horse, half donkey)

There’s no point trying to change Mark’s mind. He’s as stubborn as a mule.