genie (redirected from Genies)

let the genie out of the bottle (mainly American)

to allow something bad to happen which cannot then be stopped. With the Internet, we really let the genie out of the bottle. People now have unlimited access to all manner of material.

See also: bottle, let

put the genie back in the bottle (mainly American)

let the genie out of the bottle - to allow something bad to happen which cannot then be stopped. Now that these sorts of drugs are so widely available, it may be too late to put the genie back in the bottle.

See also: back, bottle

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the genie is out of the bottle

something has become known. Efforts to ban cloning cannot succeed — the genie is out of the bottle.

Usage notes: often used in the form put the genie back in the bottle: Once people got used to e-mail, it was impossible to put this genie back in the bottle.

Etymology: based on the story of a genie (= magic being) who was released from a bottle and then helps the person who let it out

See also: bottle