- paper over
- transitive verb Date: 1910 1. to gloss over, explain away, or patch up (as major differences or disparities) especially in order to maintain a semblance of unity or agreement 2. hide, conceal
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
paper over
Look at other dictionaries:
paper over — ( ● paper * * * paper over [phrasal verb] paper (something) over or paper over (something) : to hide (something bad, such as differences or problems) They papered over their disagreements [=they pretended that they did not disagree] in order to… … Useful english dictionary
paper over — pa per o ver (p[=a] p[ e]r*[=o] v[ e]r), v. t. To ignore or conceal (a disagreement or dispute) so as to continue friendly or productive relations; as, to paper over differences. [PJC] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
paper over — (something) to solve a problem temporarily. They papered over their disagreements in order to end the meeting on a positive note. She has a solid record of bridging differences between groups, not just papering them over … New idioms dictionary
paper over — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms paper over : present tense I/you/we/they paper over he/she/it papers over present participle papering over past tense papered over past participle papered over 1) to try to hide a problem or disagreement… … English dictionary
paper over — PHRASAL VERB If people paper over a disagreement between them, they find a temporary solution to it in order to give the impression that things are going well. [V P n] ...his determination to paper over the cracks in his party and avoid… … English dictionary
paper over the cracks — If you paper over the cracks, you try to make something look or work better but only deal with superficial issues, not the real underlying problems … The small dictionary of idiomes
paper over something — paper over (something) to solve a problem temporarily. They papered over their disagreements in order to end the meeting on a positive note. She has a solid record of bridging differences between groups, not just papering them over … New idioms dictionary
paper over something — tv. to try to conceal something unpleasant; to try to cover up a misdeed. □ You can’t paper this over. It has to be dealt with now! CD This is a severe social problem. Don’t try to paper over it … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
paper over cracks — To say that someone is papering over the cracks means that they are concealing a problem rather than dealing with it effectively. The measures taken to reduce unemployment are just paper over the cracks … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
paper over the cracks — paper/smooth over the cracks to hide problems or faults, especially arguments between people, in order to make a situation seem better than it really is. The two party coalition has so far been successful in papering over the cracks. I m tired of … New idioms dictionary
