E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Grad’grind (Thomas).
A man who measures everything with rule and compass, allows nothing for the weakness of human nature, and deals with men and women as a mathematician with his figures. He shows that summum jus is suprema injuria. (Dickens: Hard Times.)
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“The gradgrinds under value and disparage it.”—Church Review.
