What Does Easy Pickings Mean?
When we look at these words separately their meanings apart actually help us understand the meaning of the idiom.
Easy, as it is used in this phrase is an adjective. It means to do and achieve something with little effort without difficulty.
Pickins is a noun which means money or things that are available to be taken.
Easy Pickings or Easy Pickins
They mean the same.
Easy Pickings Idiom Origin
This phrase dates back to the late 16th century when thieves and “pickpocketers” would identify and target people and places they thought would be easy to steal from.
Easy Pickins Meaning
This phrase is often used to describe people who are easy to convince, sway or influence. As well, it can refer to things that are easy to steal or acquire easily.
You are Easy Pickings Meaning
You are easy to convince.
Easy Pickings in a Sentence
- We were at the bar last night and the girls were easy pickings.
- We are playing a team from the South division, the goals will be easy pickings.
Easy Pickings Examples
- We were shopping for bargains and it was easy pickings.
- We were looking for dates and it was easy pickings.
- The victims were easy pickings for the thieves.
Easy Pickings Synonyms
- Easy as pie
- Piece of cake
- Sucker
- cinch
- chump
- fool
- stooge
- victim
- vulnerable
- easy
- simple
- a snap.
More Synonyms 👉 Easy Pickings Related Phrasal Verbs
Pushover
a pushover is a phrase we use to describe someone who is easily manipulated into doing something.
- The new guy is such a pushover, it will be easy pickings to get him to do things.
Easy victim
when we use this phrase in the context of easy pickings it is to describe someone who is easily taken advantage of.
- The police said she was an easy victim and that she will continue to be easy pickings until she gets new locks on her doors.
Nothing to it
When we use this phrase it means that something we do is very easy and require little effort.
- There is nothing to finding a new job, right now the jobs are easy pickings.
No sweat
an activity or task that requires little to no effort.
- Finding a new cell phone bargain was easy pickings, and setting the phone up was no sweat.
Hands down
We use this phrase to describe something that is effortless, no trouble and without question to do.
- Without question, I would say choosing a car was easy pickings and the hands-down choice was the Nissan.
More Synonyms 👉 Easy Pickings Related Idioms
Slim Pickings
means that there are few to little choices.
Piece of Cake
we use this phrase to describe a situation that is easy to do without a challenge.
Sitting duck
is used to describe someone or something that is easy to manipulate or target.
Slick as a whistle
refers to something that is done quickly and skillfully.
Just like that
is a phrase we use to describe something that is easily and suddenly.
A breeze
something that is very easy to do or achieve.
Easy as pie
we use this phrase to describe a task or process that is very easy to complete.
Dialog
Bart: Hey Earl, how the heck have you been?
Earl: Bart, mate! I’ve been great.
Bart: Hey, I heard you lost your job?
Earl: Yeah, they shut the factory and the jobs are slim pickings.
Bart: Yeah, but it is easy pickings to find employees if you are a business looking.
Earl That’s true. Speaking of easy pickings, how is the love life?
Bart: Well, actually pretty good. I have been steady with a girl for a while. You?
Earl: Single and enjoying it. It is pretty easy pickings, so I can’t complain.
