Can of worms?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="can">can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worms">worms</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="This">This</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="scandal">scandal</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worms">worms</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="REAL">REAL</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worms">worms</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="speech">speech</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="metaphor">metaphor</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="too">too</span> – <span word="likening">likening</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fallout">fallout</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="political">political</span> <span word="scandal">scandal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="control">control</span>.</p><p><span word="First">First</span>, <span word="definitions">definitions</span>. <span word="Can">Can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worm">worm</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> (<span word="The">The</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="originated">originated</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mid">mid</span>-<span word="twentieth">twentieth</span> <span word="century">century</span> - <span word="Random">Random</span> <span word="House">House</span> <span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Popular">Popular</span> <span word="Proverbs">Proverbs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Sayings">Sayings</span>), <span word="and">and</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idioms">idioms</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="vivid">vivid</span>, <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="simple">simple</span>, <span word="nimble">nimble</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="neat">neat</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="messy">messy</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="mismanage">mismanage</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="promptly">promptly</span> <span word="putting">putting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lid">lid</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="on">on</span>...</p><p><span word="All">All</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="crawling">crawling</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="about">about</span>. <span word="Ugh">Ugh</span>.</p><p><span word="OK">OK</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="picture">picture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="creepy">creepy</span> <span word="crawlies">crawlies</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="derived">derived</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fishermen">fishermen</span> <span word="using">using</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="bait">bait</span>. <span word="Going">Going</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="can">can</span> (<span word="or">or</span> <span word="jar">jar</span>) <span word="of">of</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="bait">bait</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="consisting">consisting</span> <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="maggots">maggots</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="earthworms">earthworms</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="settled">settled</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="can">can</span>, <span word="put">put</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hook">hook</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cast">cast</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pond">pond</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thus">thus</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="leisure">leisure</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="amusement">amusement</span> <span word="commences">commences</span>.</p><p><span word="Only">Only</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="forget">forget</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="can">can</span>. <span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="floor">floor</span>... <span word="Suppose">Suppose</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="amateur">amateur</span> (<span word="which">which</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="fun">fun</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="either">either</span>), <span word="this">this</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="ruin">ruin</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="handle">handle</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="situation">situation</span>. <span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="worms">worms</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="left">left</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="devices">devices</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="handle">handle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span>, <span word="be">be</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="amateur">amateur</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="pro">pro</span>.</p>
页:
[1]