rɒb ˈpiːtər tə peɪ pɔːl
Money & Finance
neutral
advanced
- Literally:
- Taking money from one person to give to another
What does "rob peter to pay paul" mean?
To solve one problem by creating another
Examples
- Using your credit card to pay off another credit card is just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
- The government was accused of robbing Peter to pay Paul by cutting education for healthcare.
- Transferring staff between departments is just robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Origin
Dates to at least the 14th century. Connected to the rivalry between St. Peter's and St. Paul's Cathedrals in London.
How to use it
Used in financial and budgetary contexts.
Similar expressions
shuffle the deck chairs
shift the problem
Opposites
address the root cause
find new resources
Related idioms
- pay an arm and a leg
To pay an extremely high price
- make ends meet
To earn just enough money to cover basic expenses
- cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive
- money doesn't grow on trees
Money is not easily acquired; it must be earned
- break the bank
To cost too much money
- hit the jackpot
To achieve great success or win something valuable
Use it in a practice answer
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