IdiomFood & Drink
English
Englishall grist to the mill
Meaning: Everything can be turned to use or advantage.
Example: “For a comedian, every bad date is grist to the mill.”
Origin: "Grist" is grain brought to be ground at a mill, and a miller could profit from all of it. The phrase is found from the 16th century.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Faire son miel de quelque chose Literally: To make one's honey from something
More English idioms
- have one's work cut out To face a difficult task.
- mum's the word Keep this secret; say nothing.
- hale and hearty Healthy and strong, especially in old age.
- find one's sea legs To get used to a boat's movement; to grow comfortable in a new situation.
- break a leg Good luck, said to a performer before going on stage.
- hey presto Said when something happens suddenly, as if by magic.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
- Unique New York. Three words that jam the 'y/n/k' sequence together — repeat it and it collapses into 'you…
- Pad kid poured curd pulled cod. Alternating repetition — the consonants swap at the start of every other word, which is w…
Keep exploring