Dishonesty
The Scots term Mill-bitch was used for a bag hung near the millstones into which a dishonest miller would slip a handful of meal now and then. The 'Mill-ring' is the space between the millstones and the wooden frame. This space inevitably collected meal and was enlarged by unscrupulous millers to increase the amount that accumulated to their benefit. The term 'Ring the mill' was used in common discourse to mean a 'cheat'.
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