FLY IN THE OINTMENT, FLY OFF THE HANDLE, FLY THE COOP: American English Idioms #75
FLY IN THE OINTMENT The fly in the ointment idiom refers to an unpleasant or unexpected element that spoils something. It is not always clear what this element is, but it can be seen as a major obstacle for some goal to be achieved. For example, if someone tried to paint their room with pink…