go through the mill
To experience the suffering or discipline necessary to bring one to a certain degree of knowledge or skill, or to a certain mental state.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“New recruits really go through the mill during their first month.”
“After going through the mill in medical school, she finally felt ready to handle any emergency in the hospital.”
“Having gone through the mill of intense professional training, the young musician possessed a technical mastery that far surpassed his peers.”
- 01
all dressed up and nowhere to go
Elaborately attired or otherwise fully prepared for an anticipated situation or activity which, nevertheless, fails to occur.
- 02
all systems go
Everything is ready.
- 03
as you go
While one is doing (something); as one progresses.
- 04
boldly go where no man has gone before
To break new ground.
- 05
come and go
To repeatedly appear and disappear; to be transient.
- 06
don't go there
Do not broach that topic.
- 07
easy come, easy go
Easily won and easily lost (usually said when resigned to a loss; something that comes in the same way, goes in the same way)
- 08
enough to go around
There is an adequate amount or supply of something for all of the people present or involved.
Last updated August 10, 2026