proverb · Words worth keeping
He robs Peter to pay Paul.
He robs Peter to pay Paul.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Solving one shortage by taking resources needed for another obligation may only move the problem. Check whether a proposed fix leaves a new unmet commitment elsewhere.
What the words are saying
Peter and Paul represent two different claims on the same resources. Paying one by taking from the other creates the appearance of progress while another person or purpose is left short. The proverb can apply to money, time or shared materials. It does not mean every change in priorities is wrong: resources may reasonably be reassigned through a clear agreement. The warning concerns a transfer that conceals or perpetuates a shortage rather than resolving it. Its useful question is what has been left without support and whether the people affected know and accept the change.
Everyday example
A team moves the equipment-repair budget into publicity, then realises that the event’s essential equipment is still unusable.
When to use it
Use it when a proposed solution merely transfers an unmet need to another person or task.
What it does not mean
Agreed reprioritisation can be sensible; distinguish a transparent change from disguising a continuing shortage.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1238 · Peter
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English