wineskin

new wine in old wineskins

A change or innovation applied or added to an established or longstanding organization, system, or method. The state's newly elected governor is trying to put new wine in old wineskins by revitalizing several different institutions and infrastructures with bold, progressive changes.
See also: new, old, wine, wineskin

you can't put new wine in(to) an old wineskin

proverb You cannot or should not try to force something new and different to be applied or added to an established, longstanding, outdated , or obsolete organization, system, or method. The state's newly elected governor is trying to make bold, progressive changes to the state's institutions, but she's quickly finding out that you can't put new wine in an old wineskin. Well, it's no wonder the program isn't working correctly—you're trying to run it on an operating system from 2001! You can't put new wine in an old wineskin. The company is wasting the talent of the young developers by forcing them to adhere to their old policies. You can't put new wine in an old wineskin, and such youthful talent eventually stagnates in such conditions.
See also: new, old, put, wine, wineskin

you can't put new wine in(to) old wineskins

proverb You cannot (or should not) try to force something new and different to be applied or added to an established, longstanding, outdated , or obsolete organization, system, or method. The state's newly elected governor is trying to make bold, progressive changes to the state's institutions, but she's quickly finding out that you can't put new wine in old wineskins. Well, it's no wonder the program isn't working correctly—you're trying to run it on an operating system from 2001! You can't put new wine in old wineskins. The company is wasting the talent of the young developers by forcing them to adhere to their old policies. You can't put new wine in old wineskins, and such youthful talent eventually stagnates in such conditions.
See also: new, old, put, wine, wineskin
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • new wine in old bottles
  • new wine in old wineskins
  • don't put new wine in(to) old bottles
  • You cannot put new wine in old bottles
  • you can't put new wine in(to) an old bottle
  • you can't put new wine in(to) old bottles
  • you can't put new wine in(to) old wineskins
  • you can't put new wine in(to) an old wineskin
  • do (something) the hard way
  • do something the hard way