a can of worms

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Date: Feb 07 2008
Category: Slang

Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“It’s a can of worms. Big, fat, juicy worms, but worms.”

- Actress Pamela Anderson on her third divorce. (US Magazine)

Next Step: Definition

Ask Ebaby! English Questions about this lesson

Quote

“It’s a can of worms. Big, fat, juicy worms, but worms.”

- Actress Pamela Anderson on her third divorce. (US Magazine)

Definition

a bad situation; a problem with an unknown outcome

Use

A can of worms is a big problem or something that could create a big problem. In America, there are no canned worms (at least, not at the grocery store, anyway). But, people open cans of worms all the time. That is to say, they make problems.

Pamela Anderson’s divorce is a can of worms, not only because divorces are always big problems, but also because she does not want to talk about it and she doesn’t want others to discuss it either. If there’s a topic you don’t want people to talk about, you could call it a can of worms.

Do you know what else comes in a linguistic can? Whoopass. When people say, “Don’t make me open a can of whoopass on you,” they mean “Don’t make me fight with you.” Whoopass comes from the verb, to whoop ass, which means to fight.

Do any slang terms come in a can in your language? What do you think English speakers should start canning next?

Examples

“He opened a can of worms today.”

“Let’s not talk about that. Don’t go opening a can of worms.”

Winners

Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

	something is so hard to deal with..like the worms in the can... by yuen88yuen
	a lot of big trouble by chelsea1905
	a source of unpredictable trouble and complexity by Panduola
	something really unpleasant, disgusting even by if_i_refuse
	She was refering to her failed marriage that made her life in haywire. by siouxie
	a big broblem you dont want to talk about by dearpesar
	i think can of worms means : a very problematic situation by doom
	It is something disgusting and unpleasing. by ElBeam
	difficult matters to deal with by Darlene
	It's a complicated or embarrassing matter. by jacob-iz
	it`s kind of similar to what we call in my country "Pndora`s box"...one may expect the situation to be sorted out after "opening the can full of surprises"; instead, there`s nothing but grossy worms, so that they come to add even more problems to the already complicated situation..."high quality worms" they may be, indeed, as Pamela humourously refers to them as "big, fat , juicy", but it`s nothing but a literary method to help her emphasise the dramatic situation she is in.By that she simply means "it`s getting even worse" by donnadonna
	A complex unexpected problem or unsolvable dilemma by Droomek
	the troublesome problem,unsolved problem by homyhoo
	complicated problem by trustmeok
	Situation which is troublesome and complex with problems and she hate to talk about it. by kaushalyats

Want to guess next week's slang?

Comments

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11:20 AM Oct 23 2009 \| Reply
Colibri Russian Federation	thanks, good lesson, will definitely use it. In Russian, actually, there is something similar but more darker like "let's not open coffin cover (when you don't want to speak about something from your life experience).

11:20 AM Oct 23 2009 | Reply

Colibri

Russian Federation

thanks, good lesson, will definitely use it. In Russian, actually, there is something similar but more darker like "let's not open coffin cover (when you don't want to speak about something from your life experience).

01:05 PM Feb 13 2008 \| Reply
lilmaro' Egypt	i still can’t get it :s

01:05 PM Feb 13 2008 | Reply

lilmaro'

Egypt

i still can’t get it :s

11:41 PM Feb 12 2008 \| Reply
shinasia Oman	woo0o0ow i have alot of worm can at class coz of some topics. heheheh thank u

11:41 PM Feb 12 2008 | Reply

shinasia

Oman

woo0o0ow i have alot of worm can at class coz of some topics.
heheheh
thank u

09:52 PM Feb 12 2008 \| Reply
sravanjampani India	good one, shall start using it”can of worms”

09:52 PM Feb 12 2008 | Reply

sravanjampani

India

good one, shall start using it”can of worms”

08:32 PM Feb 12 2008 \| Reply
alexzhang61 China	a can of worms,got it.

08:32 PM Feb 12 2008 | Reply

alexzhang61

China

a can of worms,got it.

03:57 AM Feb 12 2008 \| Reply
anvinme China	just now I readed these two Ameican slang. in my opinion, a can of worms means not to talk with someone who don’t like something.

03:57 AM Feb 12 2008 | Reply

anvinme

China

just now I readed these two Ameican slang. in my opinion, a can of worms means not to talk with someone who don’t like something.

10:51 PM Feb 11 2008 \| Reply
Dekler Kazakhstan	in russian we call it: don’t do from fly to elephant!

10:51 PM Feb 11 2008 | Reply

Dekler

Kazakhstan

in russian we call it:
don’t do from fly to elephant!

06:29 AM Feb 09 2008 \| Reply
jerry_z China	Don’t make me open a can of whoopass on you! haha_{I think a see what it’s mean}

06:29 AM Feb 09 2008 | Reply

jerry_z

China

Don’t make me open a can of whoopass on you! haha_{I think a see what it’s mean}

06:15 AM Feb 09 2008 \| Reply
daniomoreira Brazil	I think that is similar to what we call in Brazil “to step on jackfruit” or “put foot on jackfruit”. This mean, create a big problem or go in a big problem…

06:15 AM Feb 09 2008 | Reply

daniomoreira

Brazil

I think that is similar to what we call in Brazil “to step on jackfruit” or “put foot on jackfruit”. This mean, create a big problem or go in a big problem…

07:55 AM Feb 08 2008 \| Reply
nono_cute Iraq	lol so good , let’s open a can of worms!

07:55 AM Feb 08 2008 | Reply

nono_cute

Iraq

lol so good , let’s open a can of worms!

02:28 PM Feb 07 2008 \| Reply
sheeda Serbia and Montenegro	very usefull word ,there are some pepole got a can of worm to our life ,they try to make us a can of whoopass,

02:28 PM Feb 07 2008 | Reply

sheeda

Serbia and Montenegro

very usefull word ,there are some pepole got a can of worm to our life ,they try to make us a can of whoopass,

02:22 PM Feb 07 2008 \| Reply
tear_drop Poland	do you really use that in America ? I think it came from Pandora box from the Greek mythology, that makes a sense.

02:22 PM Feb 07 2008 | Reply

tear_drop

Poland

do you really use that in America ? I think it came from Pandora box from the Greek mythology, that makes a sense.

06:58 AM Feb 07 2008 \| Reply
wac France	Bonsoir slang cava? wech l7ob mazyan hhhhhh je t aime my name is khalid c mon msn holako_10@hotmail.fr ViVE moi ViVE Afrika ViVE L7ob = lf you Amis bye bye .

06:58 AM Feb 07 2008 | Reply

wac

France

Bonsoir slang cava? wech l7ob mazyan hhhhhh je t aime my name is khalid c mon msn holako_10@hotmail.fr ViVE moi ViVE Afrika ViVE L7ob = lf you Amis bye bye .

06:53 AM Feb 07 2008 \| Reply
qinglong23 China	it’s good.

06:53 AM Feb 07 2008 | Reply

qinglong23

China

it’s good.

06:52 AM Feb 07 2008 \| Reply
anda.a1 Netherlands	It could be a dificult discussion we try to avoid or something intriguing but offensive in the same time that we don’t want to feel but”life is life” ; so it happens sometimes that we open a can of worms.Something disgusting especilly when people talk about their ex-lovers,ex-husbands or ex-wifes as Pamela does.Nobody would like to experiense such a situation.

06:52 AM Feb 07 2008 | Reply

anda.a1

Netherlands

It could be a dificult discussion we try to avoid or something intriguing but offensive in the same time that we don’t want to feel but”life is life” ; so it happens sometimes that we open a can of worms.Something disgusting especilly when people talk about their ex-lovers,ex-husbands or ex-wifes as Pamela does.Nobody would like to experiense such a situation.