Cinch

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /sɪntʃ/

Definitions

1. A task or situation that is very easy to do or accomplish ; a strap used to hold a saddle firmly on a horse
2. An activity requiring little effort to complete successfully ; a band or strap tightened around a horse's belly to secure a saddle in place
3. Something that can be done with little difficulty or effort ; a piece of equipment designed to fasten a saddle securely on a horse's back

Etymology: The word began as a piece of horse gear. In Spanish, "cincha" meant a belt or girth passed under a horse's belly to hold a saddle in place, and English borrowed it, through Occitan "cencha", from Latin "cincta", a derivative of "cingulum", a girdle or belt. "Cingle" is a doublet of the same Latin source, which entered English separately and kept the leather-strap sense more closely. The leap from strap to "easy task" is less certain. One proposal links it to a girth's tight grip, suggesting a card-game tactic: a secure hold that makes a win almost automatic. Another suggests the Spanish "cinco", five, referring to the five high-value spots in a trump suit. Neither can be confirmed, and a third idea, a link to a Chicago connector company, is too recent to explain an older usage.

Synonyms: piece of cake, easy task, breeze, snap, walkover

Antonyms: challenge, struggle, difficulty, hardship, ordeal