{"id":3701,"date":"2022-05-18T16:13:33","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T16:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=3701"},"modified":"2022-05-18T16:13:33","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T16:13:33","slug":"open-a-can-of-worms-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/open-a-can-of-worms-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Open a Can of Worms \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you looking for a way to tell someone that they are bringing up topics or subject matter best left alone? If so, you could use \u201copen a can of worms\u201d when referring to the issue or problem. This post unpacks the origin and meaning of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The expression \u201c<em>open a can of worms<\/em>\u201d means digging up old sore points or problems and issues from the past. It can also refer to issues that can complicate situations to the point where they become unmanageable. If you\u2019re opening a can of worms, the worms are problems and issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most of the time, these problems or issues would go by in life without a second thought. However, some people may choose to dig them up to cause trouble for you or others in a situation. In that case, they are \u201copening a can of worms.\u201d In most cases, you\u2019ll wish the can would stay closed.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhy did you have to go and open that can of worms? Now we\u2019re going to have to deal with the investors sending us emails all week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI asked her not to do it, but she did it anyway. She decided to open that can of worms, and now I\u2019m really in for it with her mother and father. She should have left it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you decided to open that can of worms and make it difficult for everyone? Fine, if that\u2019s how you want to play it, you can handle all the inquiries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know why Tim has to bring this up all the time. It\u2019s like he\u2019s trying to open a can of worms and bury our relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t open that can of worms, Larry. It will do nothing but make everyone upset and on edge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no need to open that can of worms around us. We don\u2019t want to hear about it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was the wrong thing to do, I told you to leave it alone. Now you\u2019re gone and opened a can of worms and things are never going to be the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3702\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Open-a-Can-of-Worms.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"221\" height=\"147\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3703\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Open-a-Can-of-Worms2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"157\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The origin of the expression \u201copen a can of worms\u201d comes from the 1950s. The saying appears in an article published by the Edwardsville Intelligencer in November, 1951.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe question of command for Middle East defense against Soviet Aggression is still regarded as \u2018a can of worms\u2019 at General Elsenhower\u2019s SHAPE headquarters here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The phrase is a writing clich\u00e9, but it also receives plenty of use in verbal communications to this day.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Open a Can of Worms Idiom Meaning | Origin\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0f7F4TLwaT4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to Open a Can of Worms<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Digging up graves.<\/li>\n<li>Throw a spanner in the works.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to Open a Can of Worms<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Leave it dead and buried.<\/li>\n<li>Keep it on the down low.<\/li>\n<li>Leave it alone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Open a can of worms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say Open a Can of Worms Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>The phrase has nothing to do with worms in a can. The can in the saying refers to a hidden problem, and the worms are the problem coming alive after someone brings them up. Using the phrase to describe visible problems or issues is incorrect.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase Open a Can of Worms<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the expression, \u201copen a can of worms,\u201d when you\u2019re trying to tell someone that what they are doing or saying will only make matters worse.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a way of telling someone that they should have let things be instead of creating a deeper issue out of a trivial problem. It\u2019s also useful for giving people a subtle warning that things might get worse for them if they continue on this path.<\/p>\n<p>The phrase suits social and professional use. You can use it at work to tell a colleague not to dig deeper into something. Or you can use it at home to tell your partner that they are making life difficult for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Are you looking for a way to tell someone that they are bringing up topics or subject matter best left alone? If so, you could use \u201copen a can of worms\u201d when referring to the issue or problem. This post unpacks the origin and meaning of this expression. Meaning The expression \u201copen a can of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3701"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3701"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3832,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3701\/revisions\/3832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}