Pandora's box

Pandora's box

Something that, when interfered or engaged with, leads to many problems. A reference to the story from Greek mythology in which Pandora opens a box containing all the possible things that can affect humanity negatively. It seems like we've opened Pandora's box with this topic today. We've been getting hundreds of messages from listeners from around the country who have been affected by it. Trying to fix the bug opened a Pandora's box of other issues with the computer.
See also: box
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

Pandora's box

A source of unforeseen trouble, as in Revising the tax code is opening a Pandora's box. This equivalent for the modern can of worms comes from the Greek legend in which Pandora, entrusted with a box containing the world's ills, is overcome by curiosity and opens it, thereby releasing them. [Late 1500s]
See also: box
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a Pandora's box

a process that once begun generates many complicated problems.
In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first mortal woman. One story recounts that she was created by Zeus and sent to earth with a box or jar of evils in revenge for the fact that Prometheus had disobediently given the gift of fire to the earth. She let all the evils out of the container to infect the earth; only hope remained to ease the lot of humankind. In another account, the box contained all the blessings of the gods which, with the exception of hope, escaped and were lost when the box was opened.
1997 Spectator Drummond's series…has opened a Pandora's box of complaints… about the tide of mediocrity engulfing the art.
See also: box
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

Pandora’s ˈbox

a source of great trouble and suffering, although this may not be obvious at the beginning: The publication of her diaries opened up a real Pandora’s box.In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. The gods sent her to earth with a box that she was forbidden to open, but she opened it and all the evils flew out of it into the world.
See also: box
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

Pandora's box

A receptacle of woes and evils. According to Greek legend, Pandora, the first woman on Earth, was given a jar (it became “box” in the phrase) that she was instructed never to open. Curiosity overcame her, however, and when she lifted the lid, all the evils of the world flew out, not unlike to Eve's eating the forbidden fruit. Someone who does something that leads to widespread disaster is said to have opened a Pandora's box.
See also: box
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • a Pandora's box
  • open (a) Pandora's box
  • open a Pandora's box
  • open Pandora's box
  • Pandora
  • sow dragon's teeth
  • Procrustean solution
  • cleanse the Augean stables of (something)
  • stable
  • cleanse
References in periodicals archive
"The substance taken in this case appears to have been called Pandora's Box. This is a synthetic chemical substance that gives the user a range of effects including paranoia, agitation, altered levels of consciousness and vomiting."
Man in hospital after taking legal high drug
Now, more than 30 years later, Katy's theatre company, Pandora's Box, has turned the childhood bedtime story into a play touring British theatres.
Secombe's Katy puts his bedtime story on UK stage; Harry's magical tale of a monster turned into a play by his daughter
Impeccably presented with rich animated cut scenes, plus some great voice acting, Pandora's Box is a fine addition to any DS owner's catalogue.
PROFESSOR LAYTON AND PANDORA'S BOX; GAMES & GADGETS
Now the professor and his sidekick Luke are back, this time unravelling the mystery of Pandora's Box through another devilish mix of conundrums, logic puzzles, optical illusions and devious trick questions.
Mystery deepens in series
Those films were: "Children of the Other Side" by Aydin Bulut, "Wrong Rosary" by Mahmut Fazil Coskun, "The Salt of Life" by Murat Duzgunoglu, "Black Dogs Barking" by Mehmet Bahadir Er and Maryna Gorbach, "My Only Sunshine" by Reha Erdem, "10 to 11" by Pelin Esmer, "Two Lines" by Selim Evci, "Milk" by Semih Kaplanoglu, "Conscience" by Erden Kiral, "Men on the Bridge" by Asli Ozge, "Ali's Eight Days" by Cemal San, "Mommo - the Bogeyman" by Atalay Tasdiken, "Pandora's Box" by Yesim Ustaoglu and "The Shadowless" by Umit Unal.
(CUL) 28TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL ENDS
QUENTIN SAYS: Richmond's Lib Dem-controlled council are opening Pandora's Box. If the system is to be completely fair, they'll have to charge a 1981 Mini Metro owner the same as a 56-plate Range Rover owner, because the non-catalytic converter Metro produces more CO2.
At your service
One of the downsides - they have opened another 'Pandora's box' which, according to scientists at Liverpool John Moores University, means one in 25 fathers could unknowingly be raising another man's child.
Birmingham Post Comment: DNA dangers
Moore's thorny creations--neither brutal nor sweet--suggest that there is always hope in Pandora's Box.
Sally Moore: Barbara Krakow Gallery
Shanley, who's best known as the Oscar-winning scribe of Moonstruck, has more on his mind than "Did he or didn't he?" Although the murky conflict anchors the play, Shanley uses it to open a Pandora's box of questions about blind faith--another brand of "don't ask, don't tell"--that has kept the Catholic hierarchy in gear for so long.
Double doubts: Cherry Jones and Linda Hunt star in East and West coast productions of Doubt, the acclaimed play about the shadows of priestly pedophilia
The dance special called Pandora's Box features pupils from five schools and they will be appearing at the Leofric Hotel on January 23.
Pupils putting on their dancing shoes
Mr Fischler made waves recently when a letter he wrote to Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen revealed the outgoing farm policy supremo to be a strong opponent of Turkish membership, which he claims would open a "geo-strategic Pandora's Box".
FISCHLER REITERATES FEARS ON TURKISH ACCESSION'S IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE
"Once the government cracked open this Pandora's box, it realized it had to take off the lid entirely," Paz says.
Bean counting: a Brazilian law could rid the world of the all-natural soybean
And once this Pandora's box has been opened, where will it end?
The meaning of words
Pandora's Box" is a violent, extremely erotic thriller with more twists and turns than Mulholland Drive.
Pandora's Box
An immediate Catholic backlash then ensued, followed by a right-wing Pandora's box that unleashed a host of ills resulting in parental/spouse notification, informed consent, licensing restrictions, and the dread Hyde Amendment denying Medicaid funding of abortions for the poor.
Targets of Hatred: Anti-Abortion Terrorism