the easy option

the easy option

A less strenuous, less risky, or less difficult way of doing something; a means of doing something that avoids effort or difficulty. Even though my dad had always wanted to be a cartoonist, he took the easy option and got an office job so he'd have a secure income for the family.
See also: easy, option
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the ˌsoft/ˌeasy ˈoption

(often disapproving) an easier way of doing something; an easier course of action because it involves less effort, difficulty, etc: If you want to go for the soft option, you can get the qualification in three years rather than two. He decided to take the easy option and give them what they wanted.
See also: easy, option, soft
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • How does (something) grab you?
  • how does that grab you
  • how does...grab you?
  • be playing with fire
  • be spitting in the wind
  • be spitting in(to) the wind
  • be pissing in(to) the wind
  • spitting in the wind
  • teeter on the edge of (something)
  • be on the edge of (something)
References in periodicals archive
Gemma wrote on Instagram: "A lady recently joked with me that I'd had the easy option when it came to having Mia as I didn't experience 'proper labour.'
Gemma Atkinson defends C-Section after being told it's 'not proper labour'; The actress admitted she'd felt like she'd failed by having a cesarean delivery to bring baby Mia safely into the world
It was only last week that - surprise, surprise - the Head Shed has decided to take the easy option of writing off council tax debts for "those" that can't ...
Paying for all the non-payers
I took the easy option and downloaded it on Kindle.
THIS TOME IS WEIGHTY
The BBC directors after long deliberation have come to the conclusion that rather than address the excessive salaries and over-expensive expenditure culture that currently exists, they will take the easy option of charging the over-75s for the pleasure of receiving a load of repeats and mostly second-rate TV.
Keys to No 10 via TV licences
THE easy option was to take a breath and pick out a man.
FUTURE IS ALL BRIGHT
They have taken the easy option by selling to vulture funds.
Sinn Fein plan for bankers and fund managers to face hearing
She said: "The easy option is to simply tax drivers but that is not always the most effective method, nor does it help grow the economy.
'Spare motorists cost of clean air' NEWS IN BRIEF
It can't be all their fault, and these players need to look at themselves and think: "Am I actually here for the cause or am I taking the easy option?" The mentality needs to change to get back to where we want to be.
It's down to players now
I think the Government should have the courage to lay down a plan to take on my suggestion, instead of taking the easy option of "we'll have electric cars in 23 years' time".
Limit cars to one per household; Get in touch - tell us what you think Email: ecletters@walesonline.co.uk Twitter: @WalesOnline Facebook: facebook.com/WalesOnline Post: Media Wales, 6 Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1XR
WHILE she has been known to plump for the easy option of biker jacket and denim cut-offs, Alexa Chung is one of the few we can usually count on to plough her own festival fashion furrow.
dressed in the dark
Raking out the cracked grout and re-grouting is the easy option. See what happens.
GROUT OF LUCK IN BATHROOM
Mr Crook added: "With frames, you cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, even though this may be the easy option for frame manufacturers.
Frames for bridge challenge
Cautioning stakeholders and the people of the country to avoid looking for easy options or imitations to circumvent these problems, Mukherjee said "We should not indulge in the easy option of mindless imitation, for that can lead us to a garden of weeds.
India has intellectual prowess to find solutions to its problems: Mukherjee
In these days when loyalty of local papers is thin on the ground and the easy option is to switch on a computer, this is poor.
Where was Mandela? Views of the North
"But he said I might only get games in the Carling Cup, so I didn't take the easy option - I'm proud of what I have achieved.
EX-RED TATE'S NO REGRETS