Papering over the cracks
Meaning
To hide problems or difficulties with superficial solutions instead of dealing with them properly.
Origin
Imagine a house with a glaring crack running down a wall. Instead of calling a structural engineer or patching it properly, someone simply hangs a new sheet of patterned wallpaper right over it. The room looks tidy for a while, but everyone knows the fundamental flaw hasn't gone anywhere; it's just hidden from immediate view, likely growing worse beneath the cheerful facade. This common domestic scenario, a quick fix that avoids real repair, gave birth to the idiom. Popularized in the 20th century, especially in British English, the phrase vividly illustrates the act of concealing problems rather than confronting and resolving their root causes, a superficial solution that rarely lasts.
Examples
- The government was accused of papering over the cracks in the economy by announcing temporary tax cuts.
- Instead of addressing the team's low morale, the manager tried papering over the cracks with free pizza, which did little to solve the underlying issues.