grind to a halt

Meaning

Verb

• To come to a standstill, or cease to be productive or make progress, due to an obstacle.

Origin

• From windmills. To stop a windmill from turning too quickly, such as during a strong gust of wind, excess corn would be poured between the grinding stone (top stone) and the nether stone (bottom stone). The extra pressure would cause the stones to slow down or literally "grind to a halt", and thereby stop the windmill from turning.