Pandora's Box
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A present which seems valuable, but which is in reality a curse; like that of Midas (#.v.), who found his very food became gold, and so uneatable.
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 “Pandora's Box” mean?
A present which seems valuable, but which is in reality a curse; like that of Midas (#.v.), who found his very food became gold, and so uneatable.
Is “Pandora's Box” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.