[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
臭いものにはふたをする
“to cover foul-smelling things”
(to opt for short-term solutions, to [temporarily] push aside and ignore problems)
Offenses to the nose are likely to command immediate attention. But simply to put a lid over the smell is not to make the source of the problem go away. Thus the meaning of a stop-gap or temporary fix.
Sample text:
(Style: written/informal)
Ano hookoku de wa, konpontekina mondai ni genkyuu shiteinai. Yoosuruni “kusai mono ni wa fuda o suru” to yuu hooshin na n daroo ga, mondai ga shinkokuka suru no wa, tannaru jikan no mondai to ieru.
あの報告では、根本的な問題に言及していない。要するに『臭いものにはふたをする』という方針なんだろうが、問題が深刻化するのは、単なる時間の問題と言える。
That report completely glosses the fundamental issues. In short, they are talking the position of (temporarily) avoiding and ignoring the problem; but it’s merely a matter of time before the problem assumes serious proportions.
Japanese Idioms
