grist for the mill
Fodder for processing
Grist for the mill is raw material that can be put to use—originally grain brought to be ground, now anything that feeds a process or serves a purpose.
Scandals become grist for the mill of tabloid journalism; personal experiences become grist for a novelist's mill.
The phrase often implies making productive use of whatever comes along: Even his failures were grist for the mill.
- inputData received for processing
- materialPhysical matter; pertinent
- motiveReason for action
- fodderCoarse livestock nourishment
- substancePhysical material with mass
proverbial · resources · useful · experience · idiomatic · constructive · opportunity · silver lining · turning point · learning experience · advantageous · helpful · beneficial · catalyst · idea · ingredient · leverage · asset
grist for the millwaste
Unwanted discarded material
dead weight · dross · chaff · refuse · rubbish
grist for the millirrelevant
Not pertinent
beside the point · neither here nor there · immaterial · off-topic · noise