put lipstick on a pig

put lipstick on a pig

To make some superficial or cosmetic change to something so that it seems more attractive, appealing, or successful than it really is. The only things the new manager has come up with to save the restaurant have been to put lipstick on a pig, but slapping on a fresh coat of paint and making a few repairs will do nothing to address the underlying problems. It looks like they've just put lipstick on a pig for this new operating system. It's still just as buggy and unintuitive as the last one they released.
See also: lipstick, on, pig, put
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • lipstick
  • lipstick on a pig
  • nail polish on a hangnail
  • polish
  • bright shiny object
  • spiff up
  • spiffed up
  • pour cold water on
  • pour cold water on (something)
  • pour/throw cold water on something
References in periodicals archive
But, as the proverb says, 'You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.' The spectacle of the PNP chief playing Santa Claus to the orphaned children of drug raid victims, as if his clowning around could make up for the devastating loss at the core of their families, only left a galling taste in the mouth.
I wouldn't" Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani "I put lipstick on a pig ...
I wouldn't" Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani ""As for the so-called music they insist on playing to send you into a coma, welcome to torture for the ears and an assault on the soul" Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz, above, on health spas, which she hates I put lipstick on a pig ...
As President Obama once said, "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.''
I think one left to go," "You can put lipstick on a pig; it's still a pig," "Yes, we can!" and his famous response to Joe the Plumber, "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's better for everybody." Palin's doll makes statements like "You can actually see Russia from here, from an island in Alaska," "What is the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull?
He added: "Isn't it true the reason is, as was said across the Atlantic, that you can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day it's still a pig?" The Health Secretary and the Liberal Democrats also came under fire from a fiery intervention from Labour veteran Ronnie Campbell.
Sarah Palin when he said "you know, you can put lipstick on a pig; it's still a pig"; and attacks she makes against New York Times columnist Frank Rich."
Obama appeared on a popular late night talk show, and the host asked him if he had every actually tried to put lipstick on a pig.
''You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig.'' With a woman on the ticket, apparently all references to cosmetics -- or pork of the non-bridge variety, for that matter -- are forbidden.
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's comments that "you can put lipstick on a pig" were "offensive and disgraceful", his rival John McCain's campaign said yesterday.
"You can put lipstick on a pig," he said, "it's still a pig.
"I return to that old aphorism: You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.
Marsh told viewers that Megson might have made Sean Gregan his top summer signing but that 'you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig'.
"As Barack Obama said, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it will still be a pig."
On one side is a photo of US president Barack Obama with lipstick on his face with the words: "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig, and the USA will still be the USA."