fly in the ointment

== English == === Etymology === A reference to Ecclesiastes 10:1 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doeth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.” === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈflaɪ ɪn ði ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈflaɪ ən ði ˈɔɪn(t)m(ə)nt/ Hyphenation: fly in the oint‧ment === Noun === fly in the ointment (plural flies in the ointment) (idiomatic) Something (especially a minor thing) which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant; a nuisance or problem; a disagreeable or unpleasant detail. Synonyms: (slang, vulgar) turd in the punchbowl, worm in the apple, fly in the buttermilk ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== ghost at the feast, spectre at the feast Thesaurus:spoilsport === References === === Further reading === fly in the ointment on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “a fly in the ointment, phrase” under “fly, n.1”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1897. “a fly in the ointment, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.