bother
n. uncountablen. a small problem or something that causes a little trouble. You can also use it to describe a person or situation that is slightly annoying.
n. a state of mild trouble, effort, or inconvenience. Often used in the singular with 'a bit of' to downplay the seriousness of a problem.
I had a bit of bother with my car this morning.
We had a spot of bother at the airport when the airline lost our luggage for a few hours.
The minor mechanical failure proved to be more of a bother than initially anticipated, requiring a full afternoon of tedious administrative work to resolve the insurance claim.
Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (“noise”), Irish bodhraim (“to deafen, annoy”).
Frequently used in the singular with 'a bit of' or 'a spot of' to indicate a minor problem.