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Of American-English origin, the colloquial expression easy street (also Easy street, Easy Street) designates a condition of carefreeness, of ease, usually one marked by financial security.
—Antonyms: queer street (also Queer street, Queer Street), designating an imaginary street where people in difficulties, now especially financial ones, are supposed to reside, and its rural counterpart Dicky’s meadow.
The expression easy street (also Easy street, Easy Street) also designates, in sporting contexts, a situation where winning will be easy. The following, for example, is from an account by Jamie Jackson of a soccer match between Manchester City and Feyenoord, published in The Guardian (London and Manchester, England) of Wednesday 27th November 2024 [page 43, column 1]:
City moved on to easy street seconds later.
These are, in chronological order, the earliest occurrences that I have found of the expression easy street (also Easy street, Easy Street):
1-: From Police Court Items, published in the St. Paul Daily Globe (Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) of Thursday 26th March 1885 [page 2, column 2]:
“It makes precious little difference,” soliloquized the fat bailiff yesterday as he mopped his alabaster dome of thought, “whether the object of a man’s love resides in a swell front on Easy street or in a cabin in Swede hollow. The passion is just the same, and if it is breaking rocky the man in homespun trousers will do as much scheming to knock out a rival as your fellows with an income and a college education.”
The sapient remarks of the bailiff had a direct bearing on the case of John Martenson who was in the bull pen on the charge of thumping L. W. Johnson. The latter’s castle is in Swede hollow, and his principal household goods consist in a buxom wife and several little tow-headed boys and girls. It was a cold day for Johnson when he took Martenson in for a boarder, for it is said that he has succeeded in well-nigh destroying the peace and happiness of the family. At any rate, Johnson has been leary of his meddling boarder for some time past, and when his wife applied for a divorce, a few days ago, he accused Martenson of being the cause of all his trouble. They got into a quarrel, during which Martenson pasted his host in the head. Johnson had him yanked, and they were all before Judge Burr yesterday. The accused was fined $20, and he promised to move away from the neighborhood.
2-: From United States Court, published in The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA) of Thursday 14th May 1885 [page 2, column 7]:
Tɪɴ Hᴏʀɴ Tɪᴘꜱ.—The Big Sixteen have adjourned, and some of the Tin Horn fraternity that have escaped a call are now resting on Easy street in a more settled frame of mind. Chief of Police Goodson has recovered from his recent severe indisposition. It was cruel of the Grand Jury to say that he had been summonsed.
3-: From The Evening Item (Richmond, Indiana, USA) of Monday 6th July 1885 [page 1, column 4]:
OUR FIRE LADDIES.
The Sunday papers from cities surrounding us teemed with accounts of fires, more or less severe, and showed that business was good with the various departments. At home our boys were all on duty, alert and watchful, waiting for any summons that might be sent in. Chief Thomas has got the ribbons, and the smooth working of the service is due as much to his watchfulness as to any other cause. The men are but seldom changed, and no one fears decapitation so long as he does his duty. This tends to make men live on Easy street, and they have no care except to take care of the apparatus and horses and jump when the joker sounds. Down at No. 1 engine-house Irv. Brown still plays checkers for the championship and discharges the duties of engineer. The old stand-bys, D. Miller, George Wilson and Hen Bush, stoke up and crack the whips over the horses and draw their pay “just as easy.” [&c.]
4-: From Covington, published in The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA) of Sunday 11th July 1886 [page 2, column 5]:
The Republican Executive Committee met last night […]. Mr. Schmidt announced to the committee that he would not make the race for Chancellor. He showed his good sense in this respect. It was the intention to nominate Mr. Schmidt for Circuit Court Judge and Finnell for Chancellor, but Mr. Finnell wanted to be on what he thought would be Easy street. Before August, however, he will be on Rough avenue.
5-: From the following advertisement, published in the Fort Scott Daily Tribune (Fort Scott, Kansas, USA) of Friday 22nd July 1887 [page 8, column 5]:
If you want to live on Easy street buy your wife a pair of shoes, at
Pʟᴀᴛᴛ’ꜱ.
6-: From Iowa State News, published in The Iowa Plain Dealer (Cresco, Iowa, USA) of Thursday 25th August 1887 [page 1, column 7]—reprinted from The What Cheer Patriot (What Cheer, Iowa, USA):
—Here, Easy street seems to be a nickname for a street along which are many places serving alcoholic drinks:
What Cheer Patriot: Ten saloon-keepers and boot-leggers of whiskey have fled the town since the prosecutions against the dives were begun a few weeks ago. Three are in jail and one under bonds. There is at present a terrible drouth raging in beer circles at What Cheer as well as the elements. “Easy street” is a thing of the past, and the keepers of its dens have gone to join the boodlers at Canadian summer resorts.
7-: From a letter to the Editor, dated Jackson, Michigan, Friday 10th June 1887, by ‘Innocence Abroad’, published in the Locomotive Firemen’s Magazine (Terre Haute, Indiana, USA) of September 1887 [page 547, column 2]—the Locomotive Firemen’s Magazine was the official organ of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, a mutual-benefit society for workers employed as firemen on steam locomotives:
—Here, Easy street may be a euphemistic reference to places serving alcoholic drinks or to prostitution:
I have wanted to hear from some of our members through the Magazine, but nothing appearing I will write a few lines to let the Brotherhood at large know that No. 240 is alive and well and in a prosperous condition. […] As you stroll up Main street you are liable to meet Bro. Mike Welihan, and if you inquire of him where [he] is going he will say, “Up on Easy street to see Miss Comfort.”
The earliest occurrence that I have found of the expression easy street (also Easy street, Easy Street) used in sporting contexts with reference to a situation where winning will be easy is from Base Ball Notes, published in The Boston Daily Globe (Boston, Massachusetts, USA) of Tuesday 9th July 1889 [page 4, column 5]:
We ought to crawl away from the Spiders now. We are in Easy street at home, and they are just starting on a long trip.
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