robbing peter

[lepers]

why do people refer to robbing peter to pay paul as bad practice? its a bit of a bad analogy (if thats the right word) isn't it?

[shaneystar2]

Fable has it that the phrase alludes to the fact that on 17 Dec 1540 the abbey church of St Peter, Westminster, was advanced to the dignity of a cathedral by letters of patent...but ten years later was joined to the diocese of London, and many of its estates appropriated to the repairs of St Paul's Cathedral. But it was a common saying long before and was used by Wyclif about 1380: 'How should God approve that you rob Peter, and give this robbery to Paul in the name of Christ.
Creative accounting really !!

[lepers]

in terms of the phrase, its only bad as its a criminal act, as long as peter doesn't find out ure laughing, b in more trouble if u borrowed from him at a high rate of interest :o/ thats what annoys me about sayings they are generally a bit roobish

[chimney]

The way I see it is you borrow money off Paul for something or other and say to him "I'll pay you back next week" knowing full well that you won't have the money to give back to him, so when the deadline rolls around you go to Peter and ask to borrow money so you can pay Paul, knowing full well that you aren't the most reliable person to lend money to at that moment in time

[joko]

because you will still owe the money - only to paul instead of peter - and you know won't be able to pay paul back either - so you are finding a 'solution' that actually solves nothing. you are therefore not a very good business brain