fly in the ointment

Meaning: An unpleasant element in an otherwise pleasant situation.

Language: English

Literally: (Already vivid in English)

Category: Animals

More idioms — Animals

• fly off the handle — To suddenly become very angry.
• fly the coop — To escape.
• get off one's high horse — To stop acting superior.
• get someone's goat — To irritate or annoy someone.
• go whole hog — To spare nothing; to do something with maximum enthusiasm.
• grin and bear it — To accept or endure a bad situation.

More English idioms

• horse around — To play a little roughly.
• horse of another color — A situation or plan which represents a change from what was expected or assumed.
• horse sense — Common sense (sentence 1) or shrewdness; cleverness (sentence 2).
• lame duck — A person who holds an office but has little real influence because he or she has not been…
• not look a gift horse in the mouth — To find fault with a gift or to refuse a gift, usually because one is suspicious of the g…
• look like the cat that swallowed the canary — To have a knowing and self-satisfied smile on one's face; to be pleased with oneself, oft…

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