can of worms
A situation, action, or activity that has the potential to be or become very complicated, problematic, or detrimental, especially in a way that was unexpected or difficult to anticipate. Getting involved in the minor border conflict has become a can of worms for the country, with no end to the military engagement in sight. You can try reformatting your computer, but once you open that can of worms, you'll probably be working on it for days. Can we hold off on revising the schedule? That's a whole can of worms I don't have time for this week.
like opening (up) a can of worms
Likely to have complicated, wide-reaching, or unforeseeable results or side effects, especially problematic or negative ones. I worry that trying to alter the existing network setup could be like opening up a can of worms that we're not anticipating. I want to address the issue with the boss, but it's always like opening a can of worms bringing up stuff like that with him.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*can of worms
Fig. a very difficult issue or set of problems; an array of difficulties. (*Typically: be ~; Open ~.) This political scandal is a real can of worms. Let's not open that can of worms!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
can of worms
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]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
can of worms
n. an intertwined set of problems; an array of difficulties. (Often with open.) When you brought that up, you opened a whole new can of worms.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
can of worms
A complex or difficult problem.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
can of worms, it's a/like opening a
Introducing a complicated problem or unsolvable dilemma. The metaphor alludes to the live bait of fishermen. In a jar or other container, they form an inextricable tangle, wriggling and entwining themselves with one another. The term is American in origin, dating from the mid-twentieth century.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer