an easy touch






an easy touch

someone who is easily manipulated

a person or task easily handled – informal

A touch was mid 19th-century criminal slang for the act of getting money from a person, either by pickpocketing or by persuasion. Touch was later extended to refer to the person targeted in this way, and a soft touch was specifically a person from whom money could easily be obtained.

1998 - Times - Henman can be something of a soft touch. For every leading player who touts his potential, two from the basement would relish his name in the draw.


RELATED IDIOMS :


come easy to

present little difficulty to

1989 - Tony Parker - A Place Called Bird – College was a lot harder than High School. Book work didn't come easy to me there.




easy as ABC

Extremely easy or straightforward

From the 15th to the 17th century, a child's first spelling and reading book was commonly called an ABC and this led to the development of its metaphorical use - the basic elements or rudiments of something.




easy as falling off a log

very easy - informal

This expression was originally a mid 19th-century American one. But it is now in general use. It was used around the year 1880 by Mark Twain in the alternative form rolling off a log.




easy as pie

very easy – informal

Pie as a metaphor for something pleasant was originally late 19th-century US slang.




easy come easy go

used to indicate that something acquired without effort or difficulty may be lost or spent casually and without regret

Although recorded in this exact form only from the mid 19th century, easy come easy go had parallels in medieval French and in the English sayings light come light go (mid 16th century) and quickly come quickly go (mid 19th century).




easy does it

approach a task carefully and slowly – informal




easy meat

a person or animal overcome, outwitted or persuaded without difficulty – Informal




easy on the eye = easy on the ear

pleasant to look at {or listen to) – informal

Easy on the eye originated in the late 19th century as a US expression describing a pretty woman, a context in which it is still often used.




go easy on someone = be easy on someone

be less harsh on or critical of someone – informal




go easy on something = go easy with something

be sparing or cautious in your use or consumption of something – informal




have it easy

be free from difficulties, especially those normally associated with a particular situation or activity – informal




I am easy

said by someone when offered a choice to indicate that they have no particular preference – informal




of easy virtue

(of a woman) promiscuous

Easy in the sense of sexually compliant is found in Shakespeare's Cymbeline : Not a whit, Your lady being so easy.




take the easy way out

extricate yourself from a difficult situation by choosing a course of action offering the least effort, worry or inconvenience, even though a more honourable alternative exists.




take it easy

approach a task or activity gradually or carefully

relax




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