pie (redirected from sweet as pie)

be as American as apple pie

to be typically American. Country and western music is as American as apple pie.

See also: American, apple

be as easy as pie

to be very easy. Oh, come on! Even a child could do that, it's as easy as pie.

See also: easy

be as nice as pie (informal)

if someone is nice as pie, they are friendly to you when you are expecting them not to be. I came in this morning expecting him to be furious with me and he was nice as pie.

See also: nice

be in apple-pie order

to be very tidy and in good order. Wendy kept all her belongings in apple-pie order.

See also: order

be pie-eyed (old-fashioned)

to be drunk. After only two bottles of cider they were completely pie-eyed.

eat humble pie (British, American & Australian, American)

to be forced to admit that you are wrong and to say you are sorry. The producers of the advert had to eat humble pie and apologize for misrepresenting the facts.

See also: eat

have a finger in every pie

to be involved in and have influence over many different activities, often in a way that other people do not approve of. You can't make a decision on any kind of funding without consulting him - he has a finger in every pie.

See also: every, finger

have a finger in the pie

to be involved in a particular activity. When it comes to trade in the underdeveloped parts of the world, most Western countries want to have a finger in the pie.

See also: finger

pie in the sky

if an idea or plan is pie in the sky, it seems good but is not likely to be achieved. Those plans of his to set up his own business are just pie in the sky.

See also: sky

a slice of the cake (British, American & Australian, American)

a part of the money that is to be shared by everyone. The government has less money to spend on education this year, so primary schools will get a smaller slice of the cake than last year.

See also: cake, slice

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as American as apple pie

having qualities that are thought to be typical of the US or of the people of the US. Blue jeans are as American as apple pie.

See also: American, apple

(as) easy as pie

very easy. You make everything sound as easy as pie, George.

Usage notes: also used in the forms (as) easy as 1-2-3 or (as) easy as A, B, C very easy to understand and (as) easy as falling off a log very easy to do

See also: easy

a finger in every pie

involved in or influencing many different activities. You could say that this town wouldn't function without him, because he has a finger in every pie.

Usage notes: often used to show disapproval of someone whose influence or power is too great

See also: every, finger

pie in the sky

something good that is unlikely to happen. Our leaders need to offer more than pie in the sky when they talk about political and social issues.

See also: sky

a piece of the pie

a share in something. Each group needs money and is working hard for its own piece of the pie.

Etymology: based on the idea that something whole is like a pie (= a round, filled pastry) that can be divided

See also: piece