paper over

English

Etymology

Suggesting the use of wallpaper to cover defects on a wall.

Verb

paper over (third-person singular simple present papers over, present participle papering over, simple past and past participle papered over)

1. (transitive, figurative) To superficially hide or disguise (a problem or a defect) without addressing it; to provide a veneer of normality or success.

   Synonyms: cover up; gloss over; whitewash

   • 2014, Patric Chovanec, at Bloomberg, China's Runaway Train is Running Out of Track‎^[1]:

     Runaway lending continues, bad debts mount even higher, and the need for more cash to paper over losses becomes that much more acute.

   • 2016, Wesley Widmaier, Economic Ideas in Political Time, →ISBN, page 151:

     While Volcker briefly submitted his resignation to Treasury Secretary Baker, a new vote would paper over immediate tensions – though Volcker's time as chair was numbered, going forward.

Translations

to superficially hide or disguise (a problem or a defect) without addressing it; to provide a veneer of normality or success

• Russian: замять (ru) (zamjatʹ) (дело (ru) (delo))
• Spanish: empapelar (es) m, disipar (es)

See also

• under the carpet
• under the rug

Anagrams

• reapprove