The Chinese idiom 不可收拾 is formed through a classical four-character structure, combining the negative prefix 不可 ("cannot" or "un-") with the verb 收拾, which originally meant "to gather and put in order" but here carries the metaphorical sense of "to control, manage, or salvage a situation." Literally, it means "cannot be gathered up," but its idiomatic meaning describes a situation that has deteriorated to a point of chaos or disaster beyond any possibility of control or repair. The formation thus creates a vivid image of something so scattered or ruined that it is impossible to collect and restore, permanently cementing its figurative meaning of an irreversibly out-of-control state.