fly in the buttermilk
- idiom
- Archaic
:
un defecto
- His late arrival was the only fly in the buttermilk on an otherwise smooth day.
Examples
-
There always seems to be a fly in the buttermilk when we plan our vacations.
-
Despite winning the award, her cold was a fly in the buttermilk during the celebration.
-
There's always a fly in the buttermilk when we plan family vacations!
-
Finding a fly in the buttermilk ruined the party atmosphere.
-
The unexpected rain was a fly in the buttermilk for our outdoor picnic.
-
Her minor mistake was just a fly in the buttermilk in an otherwise successful presentation.
-
The broken chair was a fly in the buttermilk during an otherwise enjoyable family reunion.
Synonyms
150
3.4
A fault that makes something less useful or valuable
35
4.8
An unexpected problem that is not obvious at first
6
6.7
A problem in a relationship or situation that looks perfect
3
6.9
A small problem that spoils an otherwise good situation
Antonyms
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The image of a small insect in a food item conveys directly that a tiny defect can spoil an otherwise pleasant whole, so a learner who knows 'fly', 'in', 'the' and 'buttermilk' can infer the figurative meaning. This is a straightforward metaphorical extension (similar to 'a fly in the ointment') that is cross-linguistically accessible, making the expression compositionally transparent.
Etymology
The phrase fly in the buttermilk comes from the picture of a little fly falling into a bowl of white buttermilk and making it dirty and not good to eat. That's why it now means 'a small problem that spoils an otherwise pleasant situation'.