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A "can of worms" is an issue with a number of complex aspects or opinions.
To "open a can of worms" means to encounter a topic that might be more than you wanted to get into. An example would be to ask someone how their day was, without knowing that the person had been assaulted and arrested earlier that day. Your innocent question might be leading to opening a can of worms rather than just producing the social niceties that you expected.
"To open a can of worms" usually means to bring a new set of distracting complications and difficulties to a discussion or a problem. As a "can of worms" is a wriggly mass of confusion, a topic may have many detailed and involved aspects, whether you realize them or not.
Avoiding the can may also be avoiding a problem that is better left alone, like the metaphor of Pandora's box, or the admonition to "let sleeping dogs lie."
Examples:
"The subject of appropriate bonuses turned out to be another can of worms."
"I would ask him if his car was fixed yet, but I don't want to open that can of worms."
It means by trying to solve one problem you will unintentionally create many more problems in doing so
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoIt means that you are getting into an area that you might not want to go... that it is not just a simple subject, and that there are deeper implications. I'm not sure where the phrase came from, but it is fairly well-known. Here is the dictionary.com site, for further reading: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/can%20of%20worms
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoTo "open up a can of worms" is a slang phrase that indicates that there will now be a lot of trouble for starting something that will not be easily resolved. Also implied is that it need not have been started.
Example: While at the company Christmas party, Frank flat out asked the President about rumors of layoffs - boy, did that open up a can of worms!
The origin of it comes from the fact that once a can of worms is open, they start coming out. And it is hard to get them all back in. Each time you get one back in, two more are slithering out.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoBack in the 1950's, bait stores would sell worms in cans. Most fisherman found these cans incredibly easy to open but very difficult to close. Therefore, once you opened it there was a good chance of worms escaping. It is basically a modern metaphor of Pandoras Box.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoI believe it comes from a conflation of the Greek myths of Pandora and Medusa. Opening Pandora's box would released all the evils in the world. Medusa's hair consited of snakes.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoRevive an old argument or conflict. Reintroduce an upsetting subject. Cause conflict or dischord. The same meaning for the phrase "airing old skeletons".
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Where does the expression screwed the pooch come from and what does it mean?
The origin of the expression is obscure. It means "ruined everything".
What is a rictus grin?
It is a grimace or smile usually regarding a pained and unnatural smile.
Where did the expression don't go into the light come from?
It came from the movie Poltergiest.
What is the origin of the idiom 'come again'?
Origin: The verb 'to come' has always meant to arrive or appear. In this 20th Century African-American expression, 'come' takes on the meaning of 'speak.'
What is a collective noun for worms?
The collective noun for worms is a clew of worms.
What is the meaning of can of worms in idiomatic expression?
to open up a can of worms means to bring even more problems to be dealt with than there were before. The can of worms is a new set of issues.
Where did the phrase 'open up a can of worms' derive from?
A complex unexpected problem or unsolvable dilemma, as in Tackling the budget cuts is sure to open a can of worms. This expression alludes to a container of bait used for fishing, which when opened reveals an inextricable tangle of worms. [1920s]
How do you use back to my place expression in Fable 2?
To use the "Come Back to my Place" expression, you must target the person of your choosing and open your expression menu. Then go to the "Flirt" section and choose "Come Back to my Place" expression.
Where did the expression fish out of water come from?
Their mouths lap open and their eyes freeze they jump about looking for the water.
What is the difference between a open sentence and an expression?
An expression has no equal sign but an open sentence does Ex:2+4=6 open sentence Ex:2x5 Expression
What tiyes of worms come in Buckwheat flower?
Meal worms.
What genre is worms open warfare 2?
Worms: Open Warfare 2 is an artillery game with the sub-genre of a strategy game.
What does the phase to open a can of worms mean?
The phrase "to open a can of worms" means that something that is unsettling or unpleasant comes from an event or situation. An example would be the following: As she investigated the room, it was as if she had just opened a can of worms.
Why dont worms come out in the sun?
Worms do not come out in the sun because if they do come out in the sun, their skin will dry out. And if worms skin drys out they cannot breath and will die. The reason they would not be able to breath is because worms observe oxygen from the moist on their skin.
Where do catobler worms come from?
What does Cato ler worms look like
Your father has open wounds and has worms. Is it good to have worms?
Normally no. Maggots are sometimes used to help treat wounds, but other worms are generally a bad sign. Some bad worms are heart worms, round worms, tape worms, pin worms, and hook worms.
Are centipedes or worms more common?
worms because when it rains the worms come out of soil and usually, centipedes dont
