The story
Coined by William Shakespeare in 1609 in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, act 1, scene 3: "Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads".
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
primrose path
Today it means: An easy and pleasant life; a self-indulgent or hedonistic life; such a life that leads to damnation. Full definition →