Keep your fingers away from the throat of the meatgrinder.
(informal) An activity with a high casualty or attrition rate, such as a military battle or an occupational or athletic activity.
The mountainous second day of the race was a real meatgrinder, with 20% of racers dropping out.
2015 February 11, Sydney Freedberg, 4,817 Targets: How Six Months Of Airstrikes Have Hurt ISIL (Or Not)[1]:
Last year’s lightning advances gave way to local stalemates and a meatgrinder battle for Kobani, where ISIL troops massing to attack the Kurds on the ground made themselves easy targets for the Americans in the air.
(informal) A process that is likely to be injurious in a non-physical way.
Senate confirmation hearings are a real meatgrinder, discouraging people from government service.
1980 April 19, Andrea Loewenstein, “Random Lust”, in Gay Community News, page 10:
A world all too ready to swallow Their Kind in its all consuming meat grinder.