a doddle

something easy

TRANSLATION

doddle = das Kinderspiel, etwas, was einem leicht gelingt

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

These Middle Eastern-style meatballs are a DODDLE to make and perfect for the barbecue.

(BBC News)

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Chess is a DODDLE compared to the ancient oriental game of Go that has had programmers and scientists scratching their heads.

(The Guardian)

Did you
know?

doddle (chiefly British)
noun

- a very easy task

(Oxford Dictionary)

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Doddle is a mainly British term for an activity or task that is easy to do. Whether or not something is a doddle is relative of course. Compared to the younger generation that grows up with smart phones permanently attached to the hand, today's older generations may find that configuring a ring tone is not necessarily a doddle.

The origin of the term doddle is unknown, but may derive from toddle, a verb and noun that describes how a young child moves with short unsteady steps while learning to walk. The noun form is commonly written as toddler.

In addition to toddle, there are several other potential typos you should watch out for:

- noddle = an outdated term for the head or mind (Use your noddle to avoid mistakes)

- coddle (1) = to treat someone in an overprotective way (He was coddled as a child)

- coddle (2) = cook an egg below the boiling point (Would you like your eggs scrambled, fried or coddled?)

- doodle (3) = to draw or sketch aimlessly (He has this annoying habit of always doodling during staff meetings)

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SYNONYMS

a breeze, a cakewalk, child's play, a cinch, duck soup, (as) easy as pie, a piece of cake, a snap

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"The lastest smartphones make photography a DODDLE."

More Word Quizzes: