Example: His question seemed to open a can of worms during the meeting.
Definition
"To open a can of worms" means to initiate a process or discussion that leads to many complicated problems or difficulties that were previously hidden or unconsidered. For example, in the phrase, 'His question seemed to open a can of worms during the meeting,' the question triggered unexpected issues.
Translations
abrir la caja de Pandora
een doos van Pandora openen
obrir la caixa dels trons
ouvrir la boîte de Pandore
die Büchse der Pandora öffnen
Etymology
The phrase "to open a can of worms" originates from the literal act of opening a container filled with live bait worms, which often wriggle out uncontrollably, symbolizing a situation that becomes messy or complicated unexpectedly. The exact origin date is uncertain, but it has been a popular idiom in English since the mid-20th century.
Learn to use this expression actively
"To open a can of worms" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 106 commonly used expressions.
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