fly in the ointment
Small ruinous flaw
A fly in the ointment is a small flaw that spoils something otherwise good or pleasant.
The phrase comes from a biblical passage about dead flies contaminating perfume.
A job offer might be perfect except for one fly in the ointment—the long commute.
The only fly in the ointment was the weather.
- spoilsportOne who dampens others' enjoyment
- snagUnforeseen complication
- complicationFactor that adds difficulty
- monkey wrenchTool with sliding jaw
- spanner in the worksDeliberate disruption to plans
blemish · obstacle · drawback · problem · hindrance · wrinkle · imperfection · defect · hitch · spoiler · impediment · spectre at the feast · wrench · difficulty · hiccup · bitter pill · dark cloud · glitch
- annoyancesannoyance, annoyances, irritations, irritation, nuisance
- chaos idiomsall hell breaks loose, pandemonium, madhouse, circus, bedlam
fly in the ointmentcherry on top
Final embellishment completing something
icing on the cake · crowning glory · finishing touch · jewel in the crown · pièce de résistance
fly in the ointmentsaving grace
Compensating good quality
silver bullet · magic bullet · remedy · antidote · solution
fly in the ointmentselling point
Attractive product feature
strong suit · trump card · asset · advantage · blessing