mill (redirected from puts through the mill)

*through the mill

Fig. badly treated; abused and exhausted. (Fig. on a grain mill. *Typically: be ~; go ~; put someone ~; send someone ~.) This has been a rough day. I've really been through the mill. This old car is banged up, and it hardly runs. We really put it through the mill.

See also: through

grist for the mill and grist for someone's mill; grist to the mill

Fig. something useful or needed. Bob bases the novels he writes on his own experience, so everything that happens to him is grist for the mill. Ever since I started making patchwork quilts, every scrap of cloth I find is grist for the mill.

See also: grist

mill around and mill about

to wander or move around aimlessly within a small area. Everyone was milling around, looking for something to do. The students milled about between classes.

See also: around

mill cannot grind with water that is past

Prov. Do not waste the opportunities you now have.; Do not waste time wishing for what you had in the past. If you want to go abroad, do it now, while you're young and have the money. The mill cannot grind with water that is past.

See also: cannot, grind, past, water

run-of-the-mill

common or average; typical. The restaurant we went to was nothing special—just run-of-the mill. The service was good, but the food was run-of-the-mill or worse.

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(all) grist to the mill  (British, American & Australian) also grist for your mill (American)

something that you can use in order to help you to succeed As an actor, all experience is grist to the mill.

See also: grist

go through the mill

to experience a very difficult or unpleasant period in your life She really went through the mill with that son of hers.

See also: through

put somebody through the mill

to ask someone a lot of difficult questions in order to test them They really put me through the mill in my interview.

See also: put, through

run-of-the-mill

ordinary It's just a run-of-the-mill war film.