| 词汇 | the genie is out of the bottle |
| 释义 | Idiom the genie is out of the bottle something has become known.Efforts to ban cloning cannot succeed — the genie is out of the bottle. Usage notes: often used in the form put the genie back in the bottle: Once people got used to e-mail, it was impossible to put this genie back in the bottle. Etymology: based on the story of a genie (= magic being) who was released from a bottle and then helps the person who let it out the genie is out of the bottleA secret has been revealed. The genie is out of the bottle, Dave. Everyone knows you're leaving. the genie is out of the bottleIf the genie is out of the bottle, something has been done or created which cannot be changed or stopped, especially something which some people regret. Whatever we think about nuclear power, the genie is out of the bottle. Note: You can say that someone has let the genie out of the bottle. Having let the democracy genie out of the bottle, the president can't now reverse it. Note: You can also say that you cannot put the genie back in the bottle, meaning that you cannot go back to the state you were in before an important change happened. We cannot unlearn what we know. We cannot put the genie of knowledge back in the bottle. It's too late. The genie is out of the bottle, and can't be put back. Note: In Arabian mythology, a genie is a mischievous spirit with magical powers. This expression may refer to the story of Aladdin, who rubs a lamp and releases a genie from it. the ˌgenie is out of the ˈbottleused to say that an action has been taken that will cause a big and permanent change in people’s lives, especially one which might make a situation worse: Now that genetically modified foods are on our supermarket shelves, the genie is out of the bottle and cannot be put back in. |
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