ENGLISH
REFERENCE

Miller of Dee

idiom
Meaning

Someone who lives independently and unattached to others, especially for selfish reasons.


Origin

disputed origin

From the traditional English folk song Miller of Dee, in which the eponymous miller sings "I care for nobody, no not I, if nobody cares for me."

Examples
SIMPLE

He lives like a Miller of Dee and cares for no one.

CONTEXTUAL

She acts like a Miller of Dee, ignoring her family to focus only on her own comfort.

COMPLEX

The hermit lived as a true Miller of Dee, content in his isolation and indifferent to the concerns of the village below.

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    drown the miller

    To put too much water in something; overdilute.

  2. 02

    dusty miller

    A formulaic phrase for a miller, related to the dust generated in the milling process.

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