Question of the Day #1075

Genuine change or lipstick on a pig?

From the headline of this article at CNU.org.

  上記の文で、lipstick on a pigの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "lipstick on a pig" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

〈侮蔑的〉豚［ブタ］に口紅◆「豚のように醜いものを綺麗に見せようと努力しても無駄に終わるだけ」、「表面的にきれいにしても本質は変わらない」などの意味で用いられる。

   

Answer

According to The Free Dictionary:

Some superficial or cosmetic change to something so that it seems more attractive, appealing, or successful than it really is.

 

Examples

• "You put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig"
• God help us all if that woman becomes VP (and let's face it, she's really running for president as McCain has not just a foot but most of his body in the grave already). You can put lipstick on a pig, but she'll still be a piss-poor candidate.
• When Barack Obama told a crowd at a campaign event on Tuesday, “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” the McCain campaign swiftly took offense, claiming the analogy was directed at vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
• 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.
• This new operating system is just lipstick on a pig, if you ask me. It's still just as buggy and unintuitive as the last one they released.

   

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