A “fly in the ointment” is a person or thing that spoils an otherwise positive, pleasant, or promising situation. Use it for a drawback that mars an otherwise favorable situation; do not use it merely for any unrelated problem with no contrast against an otherwise positive whole.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
A “fly in the ointment” is a person or thing that spoils an otherwise positive, pleasant, or promising situation.
Key details
Canonical Formfly in the ointment
Core Meaninga person or thing that spoils a situation that otherwise could have been positive or enjoyable
Further guidance
History Boundary
Current meaning is published without asserting unsupported inventor, coinage date, or absolute-first-use chronology.
Meaning
a person or thing that spoils a situation that otherwise could have been positive or enjoyable
Usage Boundary
Use it for a drawback that mars an otherwise favorable situation; do not use it merely for any unrelated problem with no contrast against an otherwise positive whole.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
A “silver bullet” is a simple solution expected to solve a difficult or complicated problem, often invoked when discussing whether one easy fix exists. The figurative phrase is about a supposedly simple remedy; do not treat the literal sense of a bullet made of silver as the same meaning.
A “change of heart” means changing your opinion or feelings about something. The guide establishes the present-day idiom and does not invent an exact coinage or first-use account.
“A Needle in a Haystack” means something that is extremely difficult or effectively impossible to find because the search area is so large. This guide focuses on the documented modern idiomatic meaning and does not claim an unsupported exact origin date.
“A piece of cake” is an informal way to describe something very easy to do. A well-known early printed citation appears in Ogden Nash’s 1930s collection The Primrose Path, but an early citation is not proof that Nash coined the expression.
“A slap on the wrist” is an informal idiom for a mild warning or punishment. It is usually figurative and can carry the implication that the consequence was light compared with what was expected or deserved. This guide does not attach an unsupported origin chronology.
The informal idiom “not have a snowball’s chance in hell” describes a situation with essentially no chance of success. This guide limits the page to the current form, register, and meaning supported by Cambridge and does not add an unsupported origin story.
“A taste of your own medicine” refers to treating someone in the same unpleasant way that they have treated others. Cambridge records both “dose” and “taste” in the established expression. This guide limits the page to current form and meaning and does not add an unsupported origin story.
