soft background

The context that exists beyond tangible, hard details, often involving insights into culture and interpersonal dynamics.

"She'd been so focused on acquiring the property and overhauling the vineyard's operations that the soft background of the relationship between the caterer and the tasting room manager hadn't crossed her mind."

rum situation

A really shitty situation that is so bad it burns your soul like a shot of foul nasty rum. Eventually it will lead to rum blindness.

Kids: our dad died and left us with all kinds of unresolved feelings and also left us in a struggle to gain control of his company.

Step-dad: it's a rum situation

Chiefly British