n. phr. , informal A careless, hasty job; an unsatisfactory piece of work. You didn't wash your hands. You just gave them a lick and a promise. The boys didn't cut the grass properly. All it got was a lick and a promise.
LICK AND A PROMISE
Meaning of LICK AND A PROMISE in English
American idioms English vocabulary. Английский словарь американских идиом. 2012