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
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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.
'Tokhang' and its new tack
I wouldn't" Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani "I put lipstick on a pig ...
QUOTES OF THE DAY "The [...]
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 ...
THEY SAID WHAT?
As President Obama once said, "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.''
Any way Spencer slices it: $1.7 million
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.
Reforms under attack; Cameron says Government has listened
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."
Media Matters: Coulter Book Inaccurate
''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.
U.S. editorial excerpts -2-
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.
INTERNATIONAL: Lipstick sparks new war of words
"You can put lipstick on a pig," he said, "it's still a pig.
Lipstick on a pig comment offensive; The World Today
"I return to that old aphorism: You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.
All the president's enables: in the second year of Bush's second term, former officials and journalists are already writing the history of his administration. The story isn't pretty
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'.
Megson's Sky larks over pig dig
"As Barack Obama said, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it will still be a pig."
Drennan is under new pressure to quit post; MURPHY REPORT
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."
Slur on MP by 'nutters'
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