new wine in an old bottle

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Matthew 9:17 of the King James Bible.[1]

Noun

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new wine in an old bottle (plural new wine in old bottles)

  1. (idiomatic) A significant change introduced to an entrenched system or method.
    • 2023 May 6, Marc Santora, Eric Schmitt, John Ismay, “Ukraine Claims It Shot Down Russia’s Most Sophisticated Missile for First Time”, in The New York Times[1], →ISSN:
      But Western analysts have remained skeptical, calling the missiles, modified versions of existing conventional munitions, “new wine in old bottles.”
  2. (idiomatic) A new thing passed off as old.

Usage notes

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See old wine in a new bottle.

Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ The Holy Bible, [] (King James Version), London: [] Robert Barker, [], 1611, →OCLC, Matthew 9:17:Neither doe men put new wine into old bottels: else the bottels breake, and the wine runneth out, and the bottels perish: but they put new wine into new bottels, and both are preserued.