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

• no such luck
• No sweat!
• no sweat
• nosy parker
• not a bit
• not about to
• not a chance
• not a dry eye
• not a dry eye in the house
• not a ghost of a chance
• not a hair out of place
• not all it is cracked up to be
• not all there
• not a pretty sight
• not a red cent
• not bad
• not bat an eye
• not bat an eyelash
• not bat an eyelid
• not be a barrel of laughs
• not be a bundle of laughs
• not be a happy camper
• not be all beer and skittles
• not be all fun and games
• not be all it's cracked up to be