IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishmillstone around one's neck
Meaning: A burden or handicap, or a source of worry or concern.
Example: “The student loan has become a millstone around his neck.”
Origin: A millstone is a very heavy stone on which one grinds grain in a mill. If a millstone were tied around one's neck, it would be a great burden.
More English idioms
- put something on the back burner To decrease the amount of energy spent on some activity; to delay or postpone action on s…
- on the nose Exactly.
- on the tip of one's tongue Almost remembered; about to be said.
- pay someone back To respond to somebody's behavior with similar behavior.
- pay through the nose To pay a great amount; to pay too much.
- pick someone's brain To get information from someone, usually by questioning the person carefully and in great…
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- There needs a long time to know the world's pulse. Understanding society's true nature requires patient, sustained observation rather than h…
- Tread on a worm and it will turn. Even the meekest, most powerless creature will resist when pushed to its absolute limit o…
- When things get to the worst, they'll mend. Despair blinds us to recovery; suffering naturally exhausts itself and reverses.
Keep exploring