no sweat

Image acquired from Wikimedia Commons and used with permission. Image attribution: Bibikoff.

Explanation:

Sweat is the water that comes out your body when you work or exercise. Sweat can be used as a noun or a verb. People sweat when they move heavy boxes or ride a bicycle uphill. I sweat when I'm alone with my girlfriend at night, but I can't really talk about that here! My point is that people sweat when they do some kind of physical activity (usually something difficult). When something is easy, a person doesn't sweat. There is no sweat at all.

Americans say, "no sweat" when something is easy to do, and the person can do it quickly. Saying no sweat is the same as saying no problem.

Example:

William: Hi Janet. The boss told me to move this copy machine down to the floor below us, but it doesn't have wheels, so I can't roll it anywhere.

Janet: I know who could move it for you, Strongo Muscleking. I'll call him over to us. Hey Strongo! We need some help. Could you please come over here?

Strongo: Yes. What can Strongo do for you?

William: Do you think you could move this copy machine to the floor below us?

Strongo: No sweat. Strongo has big muscles and great strength. Strongo can move your machine to the other floor very fast.

Strongo picks up the copy machine and starts to carry it down the stairs. William and Janet stand at the top of the stairs and watch him.

William: Wow! That guy works fast. He's already halfway down the stairs.

Janet: Uh oh. It looks like he's loosing his balance. He just slipped, and now he's falling!

William: Oh no! He's rolling down the stairs, and the copy machine is tumbling behind him!

Janet: This is terrible! He's rolling all the way to the bottom of the building! He's so far away now that I can't see him anymore!

William: I can still see him. He's at the bottom now, and I think he's O.K. Yeah, he's trying to get up now; he's standing up. Now, he's looking at the copy machine, and he's scratching his head.

Janet: I don't understand it. Why didn't he just use the elevator?

William: Well Janet, there is a simple answer to your question. Strongo has very big muscles, but a very small brain!

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