Paper over the cracks meaning

What does the saying 'Paper over the cracks' mean?

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.

Country: International English | Subject Area: Buildings & construction | Usage Type: Both or All Words Used

Contributor: Richard Flynn

All idioms have been editorially reviewed, and submitted idioms may have been edited for correctness and completeness.

« Previous: Pandora's box

Idiom eBooks from UsingEnglish.com

Download our curated lists of idioms in PDF format - perfect to use offline for reference or for use in class!

If you have a question about idioms, ask us about it in our Idioms Discussion Forum.

If you know of an idiom that you would like to be listed here, please use our online form to suggest an idiom.