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A fly in the ointment

A fly in the ointment

Meaning

A small flaw that spoils the whole.

Examples

It was good to win the gold but not being able to attend the ceremony to collect it was the fly in the ointment.

Where did it originate?

The Bible.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
A fly in the ointment

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