Milling around

Posted by Bob on March 06, 2006

In Reply to: Milling around posted by Chris on March 06, 2006

: Milling around -- does anyone know the origin of this phrase? What does aimlessly hanging about have to do with grinding grain?

It's the circular motion. Milling is not random motion; it's moving in a circle, aimlessly. There's even a specific procedure to keep cattle from stampeding by "millng" them: getting them to move in a circle that calms them down.