duck soup
Low (idiomatic, somewhat dated)Informal, colloquial
Definition
Meaning
Something that is very easy to accomplish.
A task or situation requiring minimal effort; a trivial matter; something easily managed.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
This idiom is metaphorical and humorous, suggesting the task is as easily consumed or dealt with as the simple food 'duck soup'. It is often hyperbolic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The idiom originated in American English and is far more common and recognised there. In British English, it is understood but rarely used, often perceived as an Americanism.
Connotations
American: Playful, slightly old-fashioned slang. British: Quaint, borrowed American expression.
Frequency
Frequent in older American films and literature; very infrequent in contemporary UK speech or writing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be] + duck soup[be] + duck soup + for + [person][find/make] + [noun phrase] + duck soupVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “as easy as pie”
- “like shooting fish in a barrel”
- “a walk in the park”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; might be used informally to downplay the difficulty of a project: 'Integrating the new software will be duck soup for our team.'
Academic
Extremely rare; considered too informal for academic prose.
Everyday
Used in casual conversation to describe easy tasks: 'Fixing that leak? That's duck soup for a plumber.'
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A – not used as a verb.
American English
- N/A – not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A – not used as an adverb.
American English
- N/A – not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- N/A – not used as an adjective.
American English
- N/A – not used as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The puzzle was duck soup for the clever child.
- For an experienced driver, parking that car is duck soup.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a cartoon duck easily drinking a bowl of soup. If a duck can do it without hands, it must be very easy – it's duck soup!
Conceptual Metaphor
EASE OF ACTION IS EASE OF CONSUMPTION (a simple task is as easy as eating a simple food).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally as 'уткиный суп' – this is nonsense. The idiom has no direct equivalent. The concept is similar to 'раз плюнуть' (as easy as spitting) or 'проще простого' (simpler than simple).
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Incorrectly pluralising ('ducks soups').
- Using it as a verb ('I will duck soup this task').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'duck soup' be LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered somewhat dated and informal. It is more common in American English and often found in older films and books.
Not directly. It describes a task or situation. You can say a task is 'duck soup for a person', but you wouldn't call the person themselves 'duck soup'.
It is early 20th-century American slang. It likely plays on the idea that duck soup would be simple to make or consume. The 1933 Marx Brothers film 'Duck Soup' popularised the phrase.
Yes, British English more commonly uses 'a piece of cake' or 'child's play' to express the same idea of something being very easy.