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The word for today is…
foible (noun) – 1. A minor weakness or failing of character.
2. The weaker section of a sword blade, from the middle to the tip.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : In the 1600s, English speakers borrowed the French word foible to refer to the weakest part of the sword or foil, that part being the portion between the middle and the pointed tip. Despite the superficial resemblance, foible does not come from foil. The French foible was an adjective meaning “weak.” (That French word, which is now obsolete, is derived from the same Old French term, feble, which gave us feeble.) The English foible soon came to be applied not only to weaknesses in blades but also to minor failings in character. It appeared in print with that use in the 17th century, and now the “character flaw” sense is considerably more popular than the original sword application.
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