gild the lily
Overdo the ornamentation
To gild the lily is to add unnecessary ornament to something already beautiful or complete—a form of excessive embellishment that actually diminishes rather than enhances.
The phrase comes from a misquotation of Shakespeare, who wrote "to gild refined gold, to paint the lily." The speech was perfect; adding that final anecdote just gilded the lily.
Add decorative elements
- overdoExceed reasonable limits
- overelaborateExcessively detailed or complex
- overkillUnnecessary additional effort
- redundantExceeding what's needed
superfluous · unnecessary · gratuitous · overdecorate · overstate · overembellish · too much · surplus
Ponder far too much
- fussAgitated, unnecessary concern
- nitpickFind petty faults
- tweakMinor adjustment
- polishSmooth by rubbing
overpolish · perfectionist · overrefine · second-guess · micromanage · obsess · tinker
embellish
Add decorative elements
- overdoExceed reasonable limits
- overelaborateExcessively detailed or complex
- overkillUnnecessary additional effort
redundant · superfluous · unnecessary · gratuitous · overdecorate · overstate · overembellish · too much · surplus · extravagance
overthink
Ponder far too much
polish · overpolish · perfectionist · overrefine · second-guess · micromanage · obsess · tinker
gild the lilykeep it simple
Favor straightforward approaches
less is more · understate · strip down · simplify · pare down
gild the lilyless is more
Restraint creates impact
leave well enough alone · hold back · rein it in · cut back · keep it simple
gild the lilykeep it simple
Favor straightforward approaches
strip down · simplify · bare bones · no frills · unadorned