Thread: "remains on paper"

"Проект остаётся на бумаге" means in Russian that implementation of a project/plan has not been started. Is there some idiomatic way to say this in English?
"The project remains on paper" was the first solution that suggested itself, but when I tried googling it, about 17 of the first 20 hits were from Indian sites, which was troubling, because (as my previous experience tells me) not all that is acceptable in Indian English is considered good in the rest of the English-speaking world.

Не уверена, что такая идиома существует вообще, но вроде "The project is still on paper" лучше звучит.

http://www.google.com/search?client=ope ... 8&oe=utf-8

Originally Posted by Ramil

http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en-GB&q=remains+on+paper+only&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

И что? Поиск по цитате без кавычек даёт множество результатов, вообще не относящихся к делу. А из остальных - многие опять-таки с индийских сайтов, из-за чего я и опасался использовать свой первый вариант. Что, в общем-то, только подтверждает мои опасения.

I'm not aware of any idiom like that. "The project is still on paper" sounds good in English and would probably be understood. ("Remains" seems slightly odd to me, though it's not an error.) "The project is not yet being implemented" would make it crystal clear.

Originally Posted by doninphxaz

"The project is not yet being implemented" would make it crystal clear.

Thanks. That's probably what I am going to settle on, although I would love to find an idiom.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Не уверена, что такая идиома существует вообще, но вроде "The project is still on paper" лучше звучит.

Может быть и так, но, согласно Гуглу, выражение "is still on paper" во многих случаях используется в смысле "существует только в бумажном варианте" (в смысле, ещё не вбито в компьютер). А мне бы хотелось избежать любой двусмысленности.

I still think that this idiom can be translated directly.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=ru&clie ... %D0%BA&lr=

It's not as old as may be some other idiom so the meaning is universal, I think. Moreover, I'm not even sure that this idiom is Russian to begin with.

'on paper' is very much a common English idiom, but it tends to be used to mean 'theoretically' rather than 'not yet realised'.

For example the sentence 'Manchester City are a good team on paper' means that they have good quality players who should be able to win games but for some reason they don't play well together.

The English idiom you are searching for is 'remains on the drawing board'.

That 'yet' thing is still unknown. It may be as well that this something will always remain on paper only. I.e. theoretically there is such thing (on paper), but there no such thing in reality (and will never be).

Right, but it's already been pointed out that "remains on paper" is perfectly fine grammatically and perfectly understandable. But it's not the idiomatic translation of Проект остаётся на бумаге. If you look at any of the results in that search, they are not talking about a tangible project, they are talking figuratively about abstract concepts: effort, communication, strategy, potential etc. "Remains on the drawing board" is a far more common and far clearer way of expressing an unrealised tangible project or plan.

Originally Posted by scotcher

'remains on the drawing board'.

But "remains on the drawing board" often has the implication that parts of the project might still be changed, as opposed to a finalized set of plans that merely have yet to be implemented.

"Still in the planning stages" is quite common. The "remains on paper" thing you're not going to find, at least not in the U.S.

There's a term for this specific to software: vaporware.

Originally Posted by doninphxaz

But "remains on the drawing board" often has the implication that parts of the project might still be changed, as opposed to a finalized set of plans that merely have yet to be implemented.

That was my understanding, too.
But anyway, I have found my soltuion already. Thanks for your suggestions, everyone

Originally Posted by doninphxaz

Originally Posted by scotcher

'remains on the drawing board'.

But "remains on the drawing board" often has the implication that parts of the project might still be changed, as opposed to a finalized set of plans that merely have yet to be implemented.

It can have that connotation, but I don't think it always does. It depends on the context.

If you don't want to leave the option open for possible changes you can use, "the project has been shelved."

Originally Posted by DDT

If you don't want to leave the option open for possible changes you can use, "the project has been shelved."

"The project has been shelved" means that the project will NOT be implemented. "The project is still on paper" or "The project has yet to be implemented" do not have that implication.