The idiom "paint the lily" comes from Shakespeare's "King John" where a character uses "to gild refined gold, to paint the lily" to describe futile efforts to improve something already perfect. The term is used when people add excess embellishments to something good, in both minor and major situations, and in personal or professional contexts.

What is the origin of the idiom "paint the lily" and when to use it?

Définition et signification de « paint the lily » en anglais

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