rob Peter to pay Paul

Cultural  

1. To harm one person in order to do good to another; by extension, to use money or resources set aside for one purpose for a different one.

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rob Peter to pay Paul Idioms  

1. Take from one to give to another, shift resources. For example, They took out a second mortgage on their house so they could buy a condo in Florida—they're robbing Peter to pay Paul. Although legend has it that this expression alludes to appropriating the estates of St. Peter's Church, in Westminster, London, to pay for the repairs of St. Paul's Cathedral in the 1800s, the saying first appeared in a work by John Wycliffe about 1382.

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Example Sentences

"Local authorities are in the invidious position of having to rob Peter to pay Paul," she said.

From BBC

Given low staffing levels across the department, leaders have said that adding to the unit would mean they’d “have to rob Peter to pay Paul.”

From Washington Times

The ripple effect will be significant as they rob Peter to pay Paul, perhaps moving Dee Gordon to second base but then leaving issues in the outfield.

From Seattle Times

“I have to rob Peter to pay Paul and someone will go unpaid.”

From Los Angeles Times

Without it, schools have to shift resources from higher grades to lower ones - in other words, rob Peter to pay Paul.

From Washington Times