Idiom idiom
turd in the punchbowl
Meaning
Something that ruins or spoils everything else; a nuisance or problem; an unpleasant or disagreeable detail.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“His constant complaining is a real turd in the punchbowl.”
“The party was going well until he arrived and acted like a turd in the punchbowl, ruining the mood for everyone.”
“While the team celebrated their successful project launch, the sudden arrival of the audit notice acted as a turd in the punchbowl, casting a shadow over their achievement.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026