Apple of Discord
Preserved but no longer current.
A cause of dispute; something to contend about. At the marriage of Thetis and Peleus, where all the gods and goddesses met together, Discord (Ens), who had not been invited, threw on the table a golden apple "for the most beautiful." Juno, Minerva, and Venus put m their separate claims; the point was referred to Paris (g.v ), who gave judgment in favour of Venus.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Apple of Discord” mean?
A cause of dispute; something to contend about. At the marriage of Thetis and Peleus, where all the gods and goddesses met together, Discord (Ens), who had not been invited, threw on the table a golden apple "for the most beautiful." Juno, Minerva, and Venus put m their separate claims; the point was referred to Paris (g.v ), who gave judgment in favour of Venus.
Is “Apple of Discord” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.