robbing Peter to pay Paul
Shifting debt around
Robbing Peter to pay Paul is taking from one source to cover an obligation to another, solving nothing overall.
The phrase typically describes financial juggling—paying off one debt by incurring another, or borrowing from one account to cover a shortfall elsewhere: We're just robbing Peter to pay Paul at this point.
The expression dates to medieval times, possibly referencing the Abbey of St.
Peter and St.
Paul's Cathedral in London.
- shufflingRandomizing order of items
- shell gameStreet swindle with cups
- shell corporationLegally registered but inactive business
- musical chairsCompetitive seat-grabbing game
- misallocationImproper distribution of resources
transfer · creative accounting · band-aid solution · quick fix · reallocate · borrowing · redistribution · moral hazard · saying · divert · vicious cycle · juggling · unintended consequences · expression · trade-off · penny wise, pound foolish · false economy · smoke and mirrors
- greedgreed, avarice, covetousness, cupidity, materialism
robbing Peter to pay Paulwealth creation
Generating lasting financial gains
adding value · making ends meet · fiscal responsibility · balanced budget · balancing the books
robbing, robbed, robber, robbers, robbery, robberies, payable, repays, repayment