c.1200, "at ease," from O.Fr.
aisie, pp. of
aisier "to put at ease," from
aise (see
ease). Sense of "not difficult to deal with" is c.1340; of conditions, "comfortable," c.1380. The concept of "not difficult" was expressed in O.E. and early M.E. by
eaþe (adv.),
ieþe (adj.), apparently common W.Gmc., but of disputed origin.
Easy-chair is from 1707;
easy-going is from 1649, originally of horses.
Easy Street first printed 1901 in "Peck's Red-Headed Boy."
Easy rider (1912) was U.S. black slang for "sexually satisfying lover." The
easy listening radio format is from 1965, defined by William Safire (in 1986) as, "the music of the 60's played in the 80's with the style of the 40's."