English

Alternative forms

• grist to the mill (UK), grist to one's mill

Noun

grist for the mill ‎(uncountable)

1. (idiomatic, chiefly US) Something that is useful or that creates a favorable opportunity.
   • 2003, Peter Lefcourt, The deal : a novel of Hollywood:

     They were sitting across from each other at the bar as Lionel described his odyssey across the country in a Trailways bus, gathering material, as he put it. It was all grist for the mill, life real and raw out there west of New Jersey.

Usage notes

• Often found in the expression it's all grist for the mill and variations thereof.

Translations