E-Z P-Z PLEASE-Z ME-Z
If you (like me) have noticed the growing trendiness lately of the term “easy peasy,” you (like me) may have wondered where this seemingly recent phrase originated….so I decided to check into it. Turns out that it’s not all that recent. I was in fact please-zeed to learn that its first known appearance was in the January 17, 1953 edition of my hometown newspaper, The Cincinnati Enquirer: in a review of the 1952 film BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER, journalist Ellis Radcliffe wrote “The flight is such an easy-peasy affair for the air travelers….”
It should come as no surprise to my regular readers to hear that this gave me an idea for a ‘songs’ post — specifically. a post about songs with the word EASY in the title. Lucky for you, I remember several such songs from the Golden Age of Popular Music, and they are decidedly….
Listening to a great vocalist sing a great song by a great composer — now that’s what I call….
It is said that When you gotta go, you gotta go — but why not go as we came?
The Observation Post 
equipsblog 9:56 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
EZ 4 U 2 say….. I thought with all of the Zzzing around-it was going to be a Zombie thing.
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mistermuse 11:03 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I’m not really into zombies, although I often feel like one due to not getting enough sleep. Fortunately I’m most wide awake first thing in the morning, which is when I came up with this post.
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equipsblog 11:04 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink
Two groans up.
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willedare 10:07 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
One of my favorite co-workers — our invaluable and always helpful computer guru Scott —used to say “easy peasy” sometimes when I would present yet another problem to him for help… And your song selections are delicious. Starting the day with Ella Fitzgerald singing Cole Porter is sublime. THANK YOU!
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mistermuse 11:18 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
My pleasure, Will. Where would we be….
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ladysighs 10:48 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I clicked on each of the videos and got them to play at the same time.
That made it sorta easy to listen to and get on to the next blog on my reading list. Gotta keep moving.
(not that I don’t enjoy spending time on your blog …… ) 🙂
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mistermuse 11:47 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I fear you are taking multi-tasking to a ‘whoa’ new level if you don’t ease up , Edith….though I empathize with having so many blogs to follow that it’s sometimes necessary to take shortcuts to keep up (which is why I don’t have time to comment on other bloggers’ posts as often or as much as I’d like).
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ladysighs 12:09 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink
I’ve gotten into trouble with some of my comments. lol 😦
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Rivergirl 11:06 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
My husband has an old uncle who says easy peasy Japaneasy all the time. Have no idea where that came from, and all attempts at stealing him toward political correctness are ignored.
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mistermuse 11:56 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I came across “easy peasy Japaneasy” when I was researching the origin of “easy peasy.” According to Wikipedia, it’s nothing but an extended, childish form of “easy peasy”….though I agree it’s not PC.
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Rivergirl 11:57 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink
It’s cringe worthy, but he’s been saying it for nigh on ninety years… so it’s here to stay.
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rawgod 11:23 am on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
Probably not related, but back in the early Sixties a group of people decided to use a new look at ig-pay atin-lay. I have no idea where the idea came from, but in mixed company (adults, teachers, kids from rival cliques) we started using pe-az-ig leazatin. Could that and easy peasy have common roots? Anything is possible.
Good songs.
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mistermuse 12:21 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I seem to remember hearing pig Latin in a few movies from the 1930s-early 40s. I too don’t know where it originated, but I’m guessing it was a teen age fad back in those days.
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magickmermaid 1:36 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
An easy-peasy post to like! All great songs. I always liked Mario Lanza’s song Be My Love.
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mistermuse 3:07 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
If you liked Mario’s version, perhaps that will go double for this version:
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magickmermaid 3:39 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I like this one as well! So romantic!
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obbverse 4:54 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
All 3 = easy to Like. Easy peasy has been in the family lexicon since waaay before I became mummys treasured little darling. (of course, that’s easy for me to say. Mom would probably have phrased it differently!)
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mistermuse 6:43 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
I first heard someone actually say it about a year ago, though I probably heard OF it before. In any case, I’m even hearing it on TV occasionally now. Why? I don’t have an easy peasy answer.
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JosieHolford 10:16 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
You always find the best tunes!
Thank-you.
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JosieHolford 10:24 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
Loved the Al Bowlby so much I had to play it three times!
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mistermuse 11:15 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink
If you love Al Bowlly, may I recommend this blog, which is all about him:
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/107450380
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Wistful Nostalgic 11:16 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
Great song choices mistermuse. Al Bowlly also recorded Easy To Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9rUx3wbt1Q
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mistermuse 1:47 am on April 2, 2021 Permalink |
Thanks for your comment and link. EASY TO LOVE is such a great song that, according to Jimmy Stewart (who was complimented for his singing of it in the 1936 film BORN TO DANCE), anybody could sing it. He was of course just being modest, but he did sing it well. I like Bowlly’s rendition, but to be honest, I like Ella’s version (in my post) more.
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annieasksyou 11:37 pm on April 1, 2021 Permalink |
Easy peasy—what the hell…
I can’t get enough of Ell—a.
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mistermuse 1:51 am on April 2, 2021 Permalink |
Likewise. Ella was, and still is, the First Lady of Song.
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Yeah, Another Blogger 12:03 pm on April 2, 2021 Permalink |
Hello there. Ella’s songbook albums are so great. I never get tired of them.
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mistermuse 12:26 pm on April 2, 2021 Permalink |
I have four of them (Irving Berlin, Porter, Gershwin, and Rodgers & Hart) in my collection. If there are more, I missed out.
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josephurban 11:46 am on April 3, 2021 Permalink |
Thanks for clearing things up. I thought “easy pees-he” was the mantra for those of us who had prostate operations.
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mistermuse 12:40 pm on April 3, 2021 Permalink |
My wife tried to do such an operation on me when I was in the prostrate position on her nice clean sheets with mud on my shoes. I don’t know what this world is coming to when a guy can’t even take a nap after working hard in the yard digging up dirt ’til I hurt.
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Elizabeth 12:57 pm on April 3, 2021 Permalink |
“Summertime and the living is easy.” Not yet of course. I had never heard that phrase before I had grandkids. I have no idea where they picked it up.
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mistermuse 1:50 pm on April 3, 2021 Permalink |
It’s of course a lyric in the song SUMMERTIME by Gershwin (from Porgy And Bess). I couldn’t use it in this post because the word EASY isn’t in the song title. I can’t imagine where your grandkids picked it up, but I’m glad they did!
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Mr. Ohh's Sideways View 5:12 pm on April 5, 2021 Permalink |
Now these were easy to hear and love. You can never go wrong with Ella and Billie
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Spread Laughter Today
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