paper thin

paper thin

1. Literally, having a thickness comparable to paper; exceptionally thin. Often hyphenated when used before a noun. This knife is so sharp that it can cut vegetables into paper-thin slices. The top layer is paper thin, so be careful not to tear it.
2. By extension, quite meager, inadequate, or feeble. John is always offering some paper-thin excuse as to why he's late. The promises the new president made in her campaign were exceptional, but so far her results have been paper thin.
See also: paper, thin
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • first hand
  • round robin
  • a round robin
  • eleventh hour
  • heads I win, tails you lose
  • black market
  • a light touch
  • wiggy
  • rust bucket
  • naughty but nice
References in periodicals archive
She moved to Oregon in 1989 and took a job doing layouts for the West Lane News, where "Paper Thin" ran for six years.
Everyday life behind whimsical cartoons
"Are you having a laugh, we have a paper thin squad already."
TOON TRENDS
And final Paper Thin is a slowburner worth the price of the album alone.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
We have two new families who moved into Beechwood recently because the new houses they looked at in the town were "too cramped with paper thin walls" -yet they would have had to pay thousands more for one of them.
Built to last... Your say
Scratch below the paper thin veneer at the top and there's plenty going on that we'll be thanking them for in a generation's time.
KIDS ARE GROWING PLACES
Meanwhile, Eamon O'Kane needed a paper thin 13-12 count-back verdict to advance at the expense of Brian Brosnan, who was twice ahead by one point in the final 30 seconds of the fourth and final round.
IT'S PURE POETRY FOR JOYCE
It's all going to put extra pressure on a sguad which is already paper thin
Letter: Move to Kirkby is best for Blues' future
I thought Liverpool deserved the headlines for the win rather than Chelsea because they lost.What last week's game showed was that Chelsea may have the most expensive squad in the country, but it's paper thin and passionless.
Liverpool failed to receive the credit they deserved for victory
With Ian Westwood and Michael Powell banished to the 2nd XI after failing to record a half-century in 14 innings between them, a batting order looking so strong on paper is instead proving paper thin.
Cricket: Batsmen need to find form
The characters remain paper thin, the plots are outlandish, yet routine, and there are plenty of unbelievable twists which you can see coming a mile off.
bonkbuster
We also have very little money compared to the top teams, hence we have a paper thin squad.
Letter: Blues sadly lacking; Time to strengthen squad
Mr John Varian, a hand surgeon at The Blackrock Clinic, said Ms Attracta Foy, then 64, whose skin was "tissue paper thin" because of her medication, had been been handled with all due care.
Patient got 'due care'
The "Saratoga chip" was invented when a customer at a posh resort in New York complained his fries were too thick and the disgruntled chef fried a batch of paper thin potatoes to a crisp as revenge.
Happy crisp-day
But reputations are only paper thin - it takes heart, soul and courage to turn men into legends.
Mail Sport opinion
It loses points for its paper thin plot and lack of any action.
reviews: Old trooper Su's a star; show SHOUT! Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham ***