on paper
86
4.6
- idiom
:
sobre el papel
- Everything had looked better on paper, especially the house: such a bargain, so near the campus.
- only on paper
- look good on paper
- exist only on paper
There doesn't seem to be much else on paper to separate these chips.
- There doesn't seem to be much else on paper to separate these chips.
- So I, I, I was, I was on paper bankrupt, yes.
- And I actually reached out to ACLU because on paper we have the same concerns.
- Like everything about him on paper shouldn't work.
- And you're just going to go, yeah, you look great on paper, but not this guy.
- I've learned that it it won't make sense on paper.
- So with Brian, he's a classic example of that, where on paper his life was amazing.
- So to the world, I guess on paper, it may look like you're still in the relationship.
- They sound interesting on paper but they really need some UAC testing.
- Because you, like, on paper, it take one week.
Examples
-
Sounds nice on paper, but notice the assumption.
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However, an appealing plan on paper proved difficult to implement.
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We know things look different on paper than they do on the screen.
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And it turns out on on paper, it's very simple.
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No, because on paper, within minutes you should be dead.
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I liked the way it looked on paper, so I kept it.
Fiction book (1999) -
On paper, this should work.
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It seemed good on paper.
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Layout flaws, they claim, are more easily spotted on paper than on a computer screen.
Academic text (2001) -
The proposal sounds fantastic on paper, but the logistics are complicated.
Synonyms
434
4.8
Something is true by the exact rules or facts, not by how people usually think
119
6.0
An idea that seems right but is not always true in real life
99
2.6
Someone writes it on paper or in a document instead of saying it
69
4.9
According to an idea or rule, but not always true in real life
1
7.1
In theory or for calculation, it is not actually real
Antonyms
How Theoretical
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'according to what is written or in theory' is directly derivable from combining 'on' (indicating location) with 'paper' (the written document), i.e. what is stated 'on the paper'. This metaphorical extension to 'in theory / as planned (but not necessarily in practice)' is common cross-linguistically and should be obvious to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
On paper may come from the simple idea of checking plans written on a sheet of paper: something can look perfect when written down but fail in real life. So, on paper means 'in theory' or 'according to what is written', even if it is not true in practice.