A fly in the ointment

[tonychanyt]

Ec 10:

1 Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;

The ointment was expensive. Dead flies spoiled it. That's the picture.

What did it convey?

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

The English language borrows this imagery and uses it as an idiom to mean:

• a minor problem in an otherwise good situation
• a small but irritating flaw
• an imperfection that diminishes the whole.

Example: "Our hospital is such an oasis of kindness and efficiency, but our orthopedic department is like a fly in the ointment."

It vividly illustrates how something small can have a disproportionately negative effect on a larger situation.