Fly in the ointment
Encyclopedia
In English
, the phrase fly in the ointment is an idiom
atic expression for a drawback, especially one that was not at first apparent, e.g.
The likely source is a phrase in the King James Bible:
For five centuries now 'a fly in the ointment' has meant a small defect that spoils something valuable or is a source of annoyance. The modern version thus suggests that something unpleasant may come or has come to light in a proposition or condition that is almost too pleasing; that there is something wrong hidden, unexpected somewhere.
This idiom has been used in the title of some books: The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life and The Fly in the Ointment by Alice Thomas Ellis.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, the phrase fly in the ointment is an idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
atic expression for a drawback, especially one that was not at first apparent, e.g.
- We had a cookstove, beans, and plates; the fly in the ointment was the lack of a can opener.
The likely source is a phrase in the King James Bible:
- Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour (EcclesiastesEcclesiastesThe Book of Ecclesiastes, called , is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth , introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal...
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For five centuries now 'a fly in the ointment' has meant a small defect that spoils something valuable or is a source of annoyance. The modern version thus suggests that something unpleasant may come or has come to light in a proposition or condition that is almost too pleasing; that there is something wrong hidden, unexpected somewhere.
This idiom has been used in the title of some books: The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life and The Fly in the Ointment by Alice Thomas Ellis.
Sources
- The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life by Joseph A. SchwarczJoseph A. SchwarczJoseph A. Schwarcz, known to his students, and many via his science popularization efforts as Dr. Joe, has a PhD in chemistry and is a professor at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He is the director of McGill's Office for Science & Society, which is dedicated to demystifying science for the...
, Ecw Press, May 28, 2004. - 2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings & Expressions from White Elephants to a Song and Dance by Charles Earle Funk (Galahad Book, New York, 1993
- Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).