rob Peter to pay Paul
ROB PEE-tur to PAY PAWL
rɒb ˈpiːtər tə peɪ pɔːlListen
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Syllable breakdown
Dictionary meaning
solve one financial problem by creating another of equal magnitude; repay one debt by taking on a new debt of the same size, leaving the overall financial situation unchanged; the saying implies a futile cycle of borrowing from one obligation to meet another without reducing the overall burden; of uncertain but very ancient origin, it has been traced to medieval English ecclesiastical disputes over the redirection of funds between the churches of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in London
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