Volume XXVII

I. Piece of cake 🍰

One theory traces it back to cakewalks, which were dances created by enslaved Black Americans to parody the stiff ballroom moves of their white owners.

They exaggerated struts, bows, and turns, often mocking their enslavers without them realizing it. Plantation contests crowned the best performers with a literal cake as the prize.

The winning struts looked effortless, so over time “piece of cake” became shorthand for something easy.

Today it holds the same meaning but in a much lighter sense. Think getting your parallel park right on the first try or the Wordle on your second.

II. Six ways from Sunday 6️⃣

Birthed at the crossroads of two 19th-century classics: “from here to Sunday” (a long stretch) and “every which way” (all directions). Out of that mash-up, “six ways from Sunday” came to be.

The “six” was never about math—sometimes it was seven, sometimes nine. Point was, you’d covered all your bases thoroughly.

So next time your boss looks over your shoulder and questions a number on a report, just let him know you’ve crunched it six ways from Sunday.

III. Hard yards 🏉

Popularized in Australian rugby culture, putting in the hard yards means doing the grunt work to get something across the line. On the pitch, gaining yards up field often takes scrapping spirit — announcers would call these meters earned through brute force the “hard yards.”

From there, the phrase muscled its way into politics and business, where it now describes the unglamorous but essential work needed to hit a goal.

Think of it as a close cousin to doing the heavy lifting or grinding it out.

It’s also the long-standing nickname for Daniel Lieberman, who clocks his big 63 today — and in typical fashion, requested no gifts.

Keep on sending on. Forward to a friend.