grist for the mill
1
8.4
- idiom
- Informal
:
material para aprovechar
- grist for the mill in magazines
But it's all grist for the mill, you know, I think the person who experiences the most wins.
- But it's all grist for the mill, you know, I think the person who experiences the most wins.
- But, you know, everything is grist for the mill and what I learned in Israel, sort of, you know, it's it's all in the in the in the computer somewhere.
Examples
-
Data from a variety of sources offer grist for the mill.
Academic text (1992) -
"All of it is grist for the mill," Harry used to tell Lily.
Fiction book (1999) -
Art, science, history, current events—it's all grist for the mill.
Blog text (2) -
They are all grist for the mill in a new campaign, especially any that derive from the precursor campaign!
Blog text (14) -
Actually, PC controversies appear to be trickling down increasingly into numerous popular information and entertainment sources as grist for the mill of various ideologies.
Academic text (1995) -
This was grist for the mill in magazines dedicated wholly to true crime, but just as the narcotics evil threatened to creep into American cities and schoolyards, stories about drug addiction crept into niche publications as well.
Academic text (2015) -
The recent political scandal provided plenty of grist for the mill for the reporters covering the story.
-
Every new development in the trial is grist for the mill for commentators eager to analyze the details.
-
Her controversial comments about the movie became grist for the mill for gossip columns throughout the entertainment industry.
Synonyms
18
7.3
An unexpected extra benefit or profit
Something that helps someone and gives them an advantage
Facts or reasons you use to support a point
Antonyms
How Useful
158
2.3
- Informal
1
8.4
365
2.6
355
3.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression evokes the literal image of 'grist' (grain to be milled) and a 'mill' (a processor), so there is a clear metaphorical mapping — things fed into a mill become usable output, which corresponds to 'material that can be used to one's advantage.' However, this is a figurative extension rather than straightforward compositional meaning, and the pragmatic sense (especially the journalistic/gossipal nuance) is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase grist for the mill comes from old mills where grist, the grain people brought, was ground in the mill into useful flour. So, calling something grist for the mill means it is 'something that can be used', for example facts or gossip someone can turn into a story.