Definition. A neutral-genie metaphor is an attempt to illustrate a possible formal problem via an informal analogies involving neutral genies who obey English definitions of terms inside their goal systems, and otherwise tend to behave as bounded expected utility optimizers unless otherwise specified. The genie is not assumed to have any goals other than those described in its stated goal system; it neither loves you nor hates you apart from that. In particular, a neutral genie does not care one way or another 'what you really meant' or 'what you had in mind' (unless we have otherwise constructed a Do What I Mean goal system for it, which will not be part of most metaphors).