What does ‘a fly in the ointment’ mean?
To “a fly in the ointment” means to a small flaw that spoils something good. From Ecclesiastes 10:1: 'Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.' Brewer's lists it as one of the biblical phrases familiar in English.
Origin
- From Ecclesiastes 10:1: 'Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.' Brewer's lists it as one of the biblical phrases familiar in English.
How to use it
- Used when an otherwise fine plan has one nagging drawback.
- Example: The trip was perfect — the only fly in the ointment was the weather.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.