IdiomFood & Drink
English
Englisha pie-crust promise
Meaning: A promise that is easily broken.
Example: “His promise to call every day was a pie-crust promise.”
Origin: Pie crust is made to be broken. Jonathan Swift used the comparison in Polite Conversation (1738), and Mary Poppins says it in the 1934 novel: "Easily made, easily broken."
Equivalents in other languages
French: Une promesse de Gascon Literally: A Gascon's promise
More English idioms
- drag someone's name through the mud To damage someone's reputation publicly.
- get one's hooks into To get a firm hold or control over something or someone.
- as old as the hills Extremely old.
- behind closed doors In private or in secret.
- a low blow An unfair or cruel attack.
- it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye Rough play may seem harmless but can end in injury.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Courir sur le haricot To get badly on someone's nerves.
- Tienes menos luces que un barco pirata You're really not the brightest.
- Eres más lento que el caballo del malo You're painfully slow — the villain's horse never catches the hero.
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