cockroach problem
n. A problem that is bigger than it initially appears.
Examples
2000
Well, Terry, Procter & Gamble has a cockroach problem, and, you know, we know what that means; in other words, you've got one little piece of bad news, and there is always more, just like those little bugs.
—Andy Serwer, “In the Money,” CNN, June 08, 2000
2000 (earliest)
In the intermediate term, you know, we will get a tech correction one of these days. And when we do, there's not really any fundamental underpinnings for this very expensive price. So I would pause. Go ahead and watch it. And you know, if it came down dramatically from here, sure. I don't think it's going to be what we call a cockroach problem, that there's something broken in Legato's business model. But this isn't the right price to pay given the fundamentals.
—Nick Moore, “Tech Stock Analysis,” CNNfn, January 27, 2000
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