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In English, the phrase fly in the ointment is an idiomatic expression for a drawback, especially one that was not at first apparent, e.g. : ''We had a cookstove, beans, and plates; the fly in the ointment was the lack of a can opener.'' The likely source is a phrase in the ''King James Bible'':〔("A Fly in the Ointment" ), commentary at website of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco〕 :Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour. (Ecclesiastes ) For five centuries, 'a fly in the ointment' has meant a small defect that spoils something valuable or is a source of annoyance. The modern version thus suggests that something unpleasant may come or has come to light in a proposition or condition that is almost too pleasing; that there is something wrong hidden, unexpected somewhere. This idiom has been used in the title of some books: ''The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life'' by Joseph A. Schwarcz, ''The Fly In The Ointment'' by V.S. Pritchett and ''The Fly in the Ointment'' by Alice Thomas Ellis. In the film Die Hard, the main character John McClane (Bruce Willis) refers to himself as "Just a fly in the ointment, Hans. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass." ==Sources== * ''The Fly in the Ointment: 70 Fascinating Commentaries on the Science of Everyday Life'' by Joseph A. Schwarcz, Ecw Press, May 28, 2004. * ''2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings & Expressions from White Elephants to a Song and Dance'' by Charles Earle Funk (Galahad Book, New York, 1993 * ''Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins'' by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「fly in the ointment」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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