drown the miller

drown the miller
   to be made bankrupt
   According to the Scottish proverb, 'o'er much water drowned the miller', from the days when most flour mills were powered by a leat and a flood might destroy the mill. Whence the derivative use, meaning to add too much water to a glass of whisky.

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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