a millstone around/round somebody's neck

a millstone around (one's) neck

An extremely difficult or disadvantageous burden or hindrance. I wish I hadn't bought that house—the mortgage is a millstone around my neck. Given the advisor's laundry list of scandals, he's proving to be quite a millstone around the candidate's neck. Supply-chain problems can be a real millstone around your neck when you work in the manufacturing sector.

See also: around, millstone, neck

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

a millstone around/round somebody’s ˈneck

something which limits your freedom or makes you worry: My debts are a millstone round my neck.A millstone is a very large heavy flat stone used to crush grain to make flour. This phrase refers to an old form of punishing people by tying a heavy stone around their necks and dropping them into deep water to drown.

See also: around, millstone, neck, round

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