shit sandwich

shit sandwich (plural shit sandwiches)

1. (slang, vulgar) Something highly undesirable made triflingly more palatable by attempting to surround it with more tolerable things.
   • 1997 April 17, David Wild, “'News Radio': Series creator Paul Simms talks about the highly likely cancellation of the NBC sitcom”, in Rolling Stone, retrieved 19 February 2017:

     People are starting to realize Thursday night is like a big double-decker shit sandwich with three good pieces of bread, and in between ... don't print that.

   • 2012 April 30, Fred R. Shapiro, “13 Crazy, Dirty Modern Proverbs”, in Daily Beast, retrieved 19 February 2017:

     Life is a shit sandwich: the more bread you have, the less shit you eat.

   • 2017 February 17, Kevin Drum, “K.T. McFarland Is Too Much to Swallow, So Robert Harward Turns Down NSA Position”, in Mother Jones, retrieved 19 February 2017:

     After Michael Flynn resigned/was fired as National Security Advisor, everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the top prospect to replace him turned out to be Retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward. . . . Harward pulled out, reportedly calling the offer a "shit sandwich."

• poop sandwich
• dirt sandwich
• booger sandwich

• nothing sandwich
• shit soup
• soup sandwich

• a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down