口惠而实不至kǒu huì ér shí bù zhìbe generous with promises never fulfilled; make a promise and not keep it; more praise than pudding; pay lip service
❍ 田主是～，胥吏便乘机捞取油水； ……(叶圣陶《倪焕之》324) The landowners were generous with their promises but these were never fulfilled,while the local officials seized every opportunity of making what they could on the side; …/在已逐渐觉悟的民众不是能够以革命帽子戴了去盲目的冲动，在已有组织的民众，我们更不能用什么～的假面具去蒙骗他，……(《周恩来选集》上—5)A gradually awakening people cannot be pushed to act blindly in the name of revolution;still less can we be so hypocritical as to cheat an organized people with unrealistic promises. 口惠而实不至kǒu huì ér shí bù zhì惠：恩惠。只在口头上答应给他人好处，但实际上却不兑现。make a promise and not keep it, more praise than pudding, pay lip service |