Daily English Pod

I’m Jale, an English teacher and graduate in Applied Linguistics from Canada. From Monday to Friday, I share short, practical educational podcasts. On Saturdays, you’ll hear an engaging story, and on Sundays, we explore artistic topics. Like a real magazine, these podcasts cover current issues, culture, society, and history in clear, easy-to-understand English. If you’re interested in learning English and understanding the world around you, this podcast is for you. With me, you’ll not only practice English but also gain a broader perspective on the world.

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Daily English Pod

Open a can of worms

July 27, 2025 • Jale Qaraqan

Gmail address: https:/jaleqaraqan@gmail.com

For checking the transcript: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2379282

Open a can of worms

To start something that causes many unexpected and complicated problems.

Examples:

1- The Mobro barge opened a can of worms — no one wanted the garbage, and it became a global mess.

2- Asking about her ex opened a whole can of worms — she talked for an hour.

Hello and welcome to Daily English, as every weekend, we learn English through real stories. The full transcript is in the description. Today’s idiom is “open a can of worms.” And today’s story is about a town that tried to solve a garbage problem… and ended up with a very smelly disaster. What Happened? In 1987, a garbage barge named the Mobro 4000 left New York with over 3,000 tons of trash. The plan was simple: ship it to North Carolina to be buried in a landfill. But when it arrived, North Carolina said, “No thanks.” So the barge kept sailing — to Alabama, then Louisiana, then Mexico. Each place said no. Some thought the trash might be toxic. The barge even tried to dump it in Belize. Denied again. It traveled for 6,000 miles over five months, rejected by six countries and three U.S. states. TV crews followed it. It became world-famous. Eventually, it returned to New York — and the trash was burned. What started as a basic garbage run turned into an international embarrassment. They had opened a can of worms.

Our Idiom of the Day: Open a can of worms To open a can of worms means:
👉 To start something that causes many unexpected and complicated problems.

📌 Examples:

The Mobro barge opened a can of worms — no one wanted the garbage, and it became a global mess.
Asking about her ex opened a whole can of worms — she talked for an hour.
He tried to fix the leak himself, but opened a can of worms and flooded the kitchen.

💭 Question for You:

Have you ever done something that accidentally opened a can of worms?

Thanks for joining me on Daily English. Come back tomorrow for another strange true story — and another phrase that brings English to life.