can of worms

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

can of worms (plural cans of worms)

1. (idiomatic) A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems.

   If someone gets a promotion that might not be deserved, it could open up a whole can of worms with the other employees.

2. (idiomatic) A troublesome situation; an issue whose resolution is difficult or contentious but not necessarily complex.

   Questioning the decision would definitely open a can of worms.

3. (idiomatic) Any difficult or disgusting task, activity, topic of discussion or subject matter, which would be ideally avoided if at all possible.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see can,‎ worm.

Synonyms

• kettle of fish
• Pandora's box

Translations

a complex, troublesome situation

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 棘手的問題／棘手的问题 (jíshǒu de wèntí)

• Finnish: soppa (fi) (literally “soup”)
• French: sac de nœuds (fr) m (literally “a bag of knots”)
• German: Fass (de) n (literally “barrel”), Fass ohne Boden (de) n (literally “bottomless barrel”), Wespennest (de) n (literally “wasp's nest”)
• Japanese: ゴチャゴチャした状態 (gochagocha-shita jōtai), 困った事態 (komatta jitai)
• Maori: unuhanga taniwha
• Navajo: tʼóó chąąʼ
• Russian: клубо́к пробле́м m (klubók problém), весёленькая исто́рия (vesjólenʹkaja istórija) (ironic)
• Spanish: melón (es) m (literally “melon”) (colloquial; usu. preceded by the verb abrir)
• Welsh: tuniad o gynrhon

See also

• genie is out of the bottle