dusty miller

plural dusty millers

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

   Hey, the dusty miller, / And his dusty coat! / He will win a shilling, / Ere he spend a groat. / Dusty was the coat, / Dusty was the colour; / Dusty was the kiss, / That I gat frae the miller.

   1829, Robert Chambers, The Scottish Songs, page 539

   1 more example

   The stereotypical image of the "dusty miller", as depicted in popular legend and some traditional literature, is a barrier, and milling is seen by younger people as low-status. There is an urgent need to change this perception through measures such as changing the designation to something like "grain and feed processing technician" and improving training provision and prospects."

   2005: Baitinger, A, CAB abstract of "Miller - a job with promotion and opportunities for the future!", Mühle + Mischfutter, (Vol. 142) (No. 8) 233-272

2. Any of several species of plants with leaves of a dusty appearance: Centaurea cineraria, Jacobaea maritima, Artemisia stelleriana, Spyridium parvifolium, and Silene coronaria, syn. Lychnis coronaria.