“Promises and pie crust are made to be broken”
Entry in progress—B.P.
(Oxford English Dictionary)
piecrust, n.
In proverbial and allusive use, with reference to a promise that is easily or casually broken.
1681 Heraclitus Ridens 16 Aug. v/1 He makes no more of breaking Acts of Parliaments, than if they were like Promises and Pie-crust made to be broken.
1706 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus I. v. 9 Fair Promises avail but little, Like too rich Pye-crust, they’re so brittle.
1780 J. O’Keeffe Tony Lumpkin in Town i. 4 The Squire’s good at a promise, that’s certain; but what’s a promise? Pye-crust.
1869 Hazlitt’s Eng. Prov. 320 Promises are like pie-crust, made to be broken.
10 June 1922, Vermont Republican (Windsor, VT) pg. 4:
Promises and pie crust are made to be broken, but the printer gets more of the former than the latter.