Fly in the Ointment

What was said? “He’s such a fly in the ointment.”

Did someone really say that? Yes, in the side chat of a virtual meeting after someone stopped the light-hearted, pre-meeting banter with a “let’s get this meeting started already” comment.

What does it mean?   In essence, it refers to someone or something that spoils fun! It means an “irritant” and something that is annoying.

Origin: This dates back to the bible. A referene to Ecclesiastes 10:1:

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour:
so doeth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”

So, the literal translation is that a fly in the ointment may cause the ointment to smell and sour/go bad. For a long time, the phrase was used to refer to a true product defect that rendered the product unpleasant and losing value. The modern version of the expression is more generous in application and meaning – referring to people or predicaments as irritants who “spoil fun” such as the virtual team meeting example above!

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_in_the_ointment
• https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/a-fly-in-the-ointment
• https://a-z-animals.com/blog/fly-in-the-ointment-meaning-and-origin-revealed/