According to news reports Vladimir Putin expected his invasion and conquest of Ukraine to be a ‘cakewalk’. This is originally an American expression and since 1886 (at least) has meant something that is easy to do, a task that is easily accomplished.

But where does this, rather odd, expression come from? It’s first recorded in 1863 as part of African-American speech (the study of which is called ‘ebonics’— a combination of  ‘ebony’ and ‘phonics’).