window dressing

nice appearance, but no substance

TRANSLATION

window-dressing = die Augenwischerei window dressing (finan.) = die Bilanzverschönerung window-dressing = die Schau mere window-dressing = nur fürs Auge but also : window dressing = die Schaufensterdekoration; die Schaufenstergestaltung

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

The US authorities say they receive "diplomatic assurances" that those they transfer will not be tortured.

Stephen Grey, a journalist who has closely followed US policy, is not convinced that this amounts to anything more than WINDOW DRESSING for a highly controversial policy.

BBC News

Did you
know?

win-dow dress-ing
noun phrase

1.a. Decorative exhibition of retail merchandise in store windows.

1.b. Goods and trimmings used in such displays.

2. A means of improving appearances or creating a falsely favorable impression

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

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SYNONYMS

appearance, bluff, disguise, exterior, face, fake, false colors, false front, front, frontage, guise, mask, mere façade, phony, pretense, put-on, semblance, sham, show, veneer, window dressing

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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO A CONVERSATION TODAY
say something like:

"Some websites are just nice window dressing, with no real substance behind them"

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