PAY LIP SERVICE

If you pay lip service to something, you claim to support it but take no action; your support is insincere because it involves only words.

 Examples

 “It’s important that we do more than pay lip service to equal treatment of people’s cultures and histories.”

 “MPs of all parties have long paid lip service to pubs, but Parliament urgently needs to act in a meaningful way.”

 “The government pays lip service by saying creative subjects are important, but its policies demonstrate otherwise.”


 Photo credit: BarbaraALane


Updated Friday 06 March 2020