to giye someone to the miller
Preserved but no longer current.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to giye someone to the miller” mean?
To engage him in conversation till enough people have gathered round to set upon the victim with stones, dirt, garbage, and all the arms which haste supplied a mob with (see MILL).
Is “to giye someone to the miller” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.