Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
I think that 's good over board though yeah , she maybe does , but I think she 's trying to , to try and promote the fact that aids patients are harmless , because a lot of aids patients are very isolated , people do n't want to know them , they think you can catch it through shaking hands , drinking out the same cup and all that , and I think she 's trying to prove that look I 'm alright , so should you be , but she does go a bit over the top every time I look , turn round , she 's been visiting some aids patient said , definitely got
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
Indeed , having been brought up after the war and having heard of the plight of those poor people , one has never forgotten it in any case . Of course , that left me with a large question — how could people ignore what happened to the Jews ? How could people turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to the horrors that they suffered ? Having seen the Shias in the refugee camps in south Iran and in south - east Iraq , I can understand at last how it is possible to ignore such appalling things . The reason is that when the reality is so truly appalling , it transcends everyone 's imagination .
Idiom: fall between two stools (used idiomatically: yes)
Things just keep happening to him . Trotting confidently out of his burrow into a jungly , prehistoric world , he is rescued by bats from slimy , groping creatures , only to fall into cavernous waters and swim out to sea , from where he is plucked by a vulture - like bird whose hungry chicks he has ‘ fun’ avoiding before tumbling safely home . The text seems dully at variance with the fantasy of the illustrations and falls between two stools . Its undemanding vocabulary and flat rhythms seem suited to the very young , for whom it is unnecessarily long , yet a five year old , who would still delight in the pictures , would be disappointed by its lack of wit and thin story . Top three
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
Eric J Evans He was educated at the Royal Grammar School , Lancaster . Williamson worked in the family business , assuming personal control in 1875 . He quickly expanded the business , which was based on linoleum , a product whose mass - production potential as a cheap , effective floor covering he saw more rapidly than any . Cork linoleum was produced in Lancaster from 1887 and the firm rapidly became the largest of its type in Britain , with important overseas interests including a factory in Antwerp and major colonial markets .
Idiom: hit the road (used idiomatically: yes)
Forget the slick 1950s convertibles of ‘ Wild At Heart’ or Wim Wenders 's earlier work ; this film pays homage to the Trabant , East Germany 's contribution to the automobile Hall of Fame . With the borders down , Udo Struutz , a 43-year - old teacher from the industrial hell - hole of Bitterfeld , is able to realise a lifelong dream : retracing Goethe 's ‘ Italian Journey’ . With his loyal wife Rita and wild child Jacqueline , he loads up the family Trabi ( affectionately known as George ) and hits the road to the southern sun , leaving his bemused neighbours behind . For the past 20 years George ( the real star of this western - made film ) has been a cherished member of the Struutz family . Daughter Jacqueline was conceived on the back seat , and he was a witness at Udo and Rita 's wedding .
Idiom: man and boy (used idiomatically: yes)
Rob Steen talks to Pakistan 's first great batsman , HANIF MOHAMMAD IF THERE is now a certain swagger about the men — and boys — who wave the Pakistani flag , grit and jutting chins were once the order of the day . No - one gritted or jutted better than Hanif Mohammad . Time was when pace bowlers in Dacca and Hyderabad were about at thick on the ground as breweries ; when those renowned speed merchants Asif Iqbal and Majid Khan propelled the new ball at Headingley ; when the aim , above all , was to limit damage , not inflict it .
Idiom: laughing stock (used idiomatically: yes)
There was no other alternative . Desmond Fairchild flatly refused to go on in St Ives 's place , with or without the book . He said he would be a laughing - stock ; he had n't the legs for it . The girl who worked the front of house had already gone home and Rose had to take the money out of the safe and open up the box office to give the patrons their money back . Nothing as terrible had ever happened in all her years in the theatre .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: no)
LONDON – The recent European ~ Union summit was a disaster . Both Britain and Germany played the wrong game : British Prime ~ Minister David ~ Cameron isolated Britain from Europe , while German Chancellor Angela ~ Merkel isolated the eurozone from reality . Had Cameron brought an economic - growth agenda to the summit , he would have been fighting for something real , and would not have lacked allies . As it was , he fully accepted Merkel 's austerity agenda – which his own government is implementing independently – and chose to veto proposals for a new European treaty to protect the City of London .
Idiom: second nature (used idiomatically: no)
4 Inhibition decreases . When you are not in harmony with your body , you learn to be less tactile , less physical — learning to ‘ reach out’ as a form of communication becomes second nature when you are used to exercising . 5 As the body tension is eased out by working out the body , muscles relax and a good sleep induced .
Idiom: in your face (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ How dare you?’ Her face had turned white . ‘ Still getting angry when someone throws some truth in your face?’ he jeered . He looked away and began twiddling with the curtain cord . Alyssia wished that it would somehow whip around his neck and strangle him on the spot .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
It is the oldest place of worship in Madeira and has recently been converted into a small museum . The terrace outside is a popular spot for watching the activity in the harbour below . From here there is a good view of the fortress of Nossa Senhora da Conceição which was built in the seventeenth century on the Loo Rock to protect ships in the harbour . It contained a chapel , magazine and barracks . Loo Rock no longer stands alone ; it is now incorporated in the harbour mole , and a road tunnel passes through it .
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
She could feel the plastic sticking to her tights as she sat down . She lay back against the seat , her eyes closed , trying desperately not to react to his indifference . It seemed that , every time she resolved not to let her wayward emotions get the better of her , he said something that had her responding to him like a fourteen - year - old star - struck teenager all over again . She was hardly aware of the car pulling up outside the house , or of going up to her bedroom , claiming that she was too exhausted to relax on the beach and enjoy the remainder of the sunshine . ‘ Sure all this has n't affected you more than you 're letting on?’
Idiom: on the hop (used idiomatically: yes)
They did an excellent job of lobbying . I was quite impressed by what they did . I 'm sure a lot of Councillors were gob - smacked , and what happened is that Councillors were caught on the hop . They had to make policy on the hoof and they reprieved that place . And I think that 's a wonderful example of people actually having power over the decisions .
Idiom: break the bank (used idiomatically: yes)
there buying disposable presents , like giving theatre vouchers and erm I do n't know what else , but she said disposable 's things that people can have some fun with Good idea is n't it ? Mm and what I 'm giving is just something nice in the spirit of Christmas , but it has n't broken my bank or my back Thing is the how these people go week after week after week looking for a bargain , I mean , Christm , I mean we picked up some bargains today , but how you can go week , I mean its ok , yes , why your but when your Christmas shopping you ca n't No , no you ca n't
Idiom: get stuck in (used idiomatically: no)
And with England winger Tony Daley ruled out after damaging knee ligaments in training and Dwight Yorke also unfit , Regis will attempt to burst the pain barrier . He revealed : ‘ I 'm suffering a bit of discomfort from an Achilles tendon and , ideally , should be resting . ‘ But if it 's for the good of the club , then I 'll pull on a shirt and get stuck in.’ I'M OFF Leeds swoop for angry Andy
Idiom: bottom drawer (used idiomatically: yes)
Thus I can know what is in the bottom drawer of my desk , or what I shall eat for breakfast tomorrow , by some form of inductive inference from what I have observed or am now observing . David Hume ( 1711–76 ) , the Scottish historian and philosopher , raised in a special way the question of whether this is really so ( Hume , 1955 , ch . 4.2 ) . He argued that I can not know that my diary is in the ( closed ) bottom drawer of my desk unless I have reason to believe that my experience makes that proposition probable ; we can suppose , perhaps , that my relevant experience is that I remember having put the diary there five minutes ago and that I do not remember having touched the drawer since , together with my general knowledge of the consistent behaviour of the experienced world . But I only have reason to believe that my experience makes that proposition probable if I have reason to believe quite generally that events which I have not observed are similar to events which I have observed . And Hume 's point is that it is impossible to have any reason for that last belief .
Idiom: go the distance (used idiomatically: no)
At the heart of the system are two inter-linked computers , one assessing the environment outside the car , the other checking the driver 's judgment according to the position of the pedals and information from sensors . In ‘ follow ’ mode the system matches the pace of the car in front , guided by cameras on the car roof and laser-operated radar to measure speed and distance . More advanced still is ‘ traffic jam ’ mode which maintains a safe speed and distance in stop-and-go traffic . As in ‘ follow ’ mode , all the driver has to do is steer . Audio warnings , such as ‘ distance too close ’ and ‘ excess speed ’ , tell of potentially hazardous situations which might not have been noticed .
Idiom: fly a kite (used idiomatically: yes)
Most kites are dependent on their bridles for performance but , there are exceptions . Some commercial Diamond shapes have a single connection direct to the spine . Box kites can be flown without a bridle as can the Malay or Cutter shapes with a ventral keel . These have direct line connections . Sometimes the fabric keel is replaced in outline by a pair of bridle lines , shorter at the front , longer at the rear .
Idiom: get a move on (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's not space for more ' an two of 'em in that there chest.’ ‘ What about Black Will?’ ‘ Waiting down below for us , I should n't wonder — wanting us to get a move on so ‘s ' e can keep ' is hand in at ' is old trade ! Funny is old Will — know what I mean?’ ‘ Funny ?
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
I could n't stop for long , not just before the show . But he did n't seem to be doing anything awful . That Fräulein Hubert was taking him around , introducing him to the group , and he was being — oh , well — you know , like Gesner , laughing , shaking hands , holding the women 's hands too long , you know the kind of thing . ' ' I know . ' ' Fräulein Hubert said , when they were getting them back on to the coach after the show , what a wonderful man he was .
Idiom: give someone pause (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Pity you dybbuks do n't do massage.’ ‘ Who says we don't?’ Which is why any passing busybodies who choose to peer into the rear seat of a parked London taxi are rewarded with a sight that may give them pause for thought . Much refreshed , and afloat in the deep tranquillity of calm after storm , Rainbow returns to her aunt 's hotel . She expects to find Minna and Becky sitting in a huff in the coffee lounge , keeping as great a distance as they can manage from their ridiculously costumed sisters and brother - in - law .
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
It was not very pleasant in the pocket . Mildred felt around in the bumping , musty darkness and discovered a whistle , a notebook with a rubber band round it , and a voluminous handkerchief . The next thing she knew , Miss Hardbroom had pulled her out of the pocket and plonked her unceremoniously into a high - sided glass jar . Through the glass she saw that she was on a shelf in the potion laboratory and the tall figure of her form - mistress was swirling out of the door . Mildred felt absolutely dreadful .
Idiom: pigs might fly (used idiomatically: yes)
When I 'm happy with them , I 'll do what 's necessary . ' She gave a disbelieving sniff . ' Pigs might fly . And I fail to see why someone with such an inventive , lively mind as yours can be so dog - in - the - manger about updating things in the office . It does n't make sense .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
Certainly , this seems to be the prevailing bet in the spin on global ~ warming . It is , again , worse than we thought , and , despite our failing models , we will gamble on knowing just what to do : cut CO2 emissions dramatically . But it is simply not correct that climate data are systematically worse than expected ; in many respects , they are spot on , or even better than expected . That we hear otherwise is an indication of the media ’s addiction to worst - case stories , but that makes a poor foundation for smart policies . The most obvious point about global ~ warming is that the planet is heating up .
Idiom: thick and fast (used idiomatically: yes)
Damien assumed a smug little smile . ‘ Maybe it was n't you who rode the winner but — yes , that 's it , the winner rode you.’ Kelly found her breath was coming thick and fast . There was a tight knot of anger in her stomach . Damien paused to savour the moment as fully as possible .
Idiom: all and sundry (used idiomatically: yes)
This may seem an extraordinary employee profile , but the rewards can be extraordinary too Flavia Hawksley During the 1980s , as the economy boomed , banks dished out substantial loans to all and sundry and enthusiastic entrepreneurs launched an endless stream of new companies , the venture capital industry became firmly established . The stereotype of those behind it — the successful 80s yuppie who earned vast sums of money — soon earned the title ‘ vulture capitalist’ . Making investments was undoubtedly easier then , with potential customers filling the streets and high risk start - ups portrayed as brilliant opportunities for investors , with little thought of the potential losses .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
Mind you I do n't know I do n't know . what he says behind my back , I mean I tell you someone else who 's two faced , Marcus is two faced . Marcus is one of the most two faced people I know , he 's said some really nasty shit about me and I Has he ?
Idiom: neck and neck (used idiomatically: yes)
Powell , who is rated in the top fifteen in the country in his age group , used his size advantage to great effect in both matches , but it was particularly noticeable in the first set of the final , in which he powered his way into a 6–1 opening lead . Curtis then came back at him in the following set , to take a 4–2 lead , but the Nottingham player was swift to respond with a counter - attack , taking the next two games to square the set . Nerves were edgy as both players dropped their service games to remain neck and neck at 5–5 , but it was Powell who was able to break Curtis at the crucial moment to regain the lead . Powell 's first major national title was secured as he held his service to clinch the set 7–5 and the match 2–0 . The rewards for all the tremendous effort and excitement witnessed by the crowd — which included two international players of note in their day , former British National champion Chris Bradnam , and the LTA 's Manager of Men 's National Training , Bill Knight — were a silver commemorative trophy each , plus a week 's tennis holiday at Roger Taylor 's tennis camp in Portugal — with the exception of Adebisi .
Idiom: head south (used idiomatically: yes)
Ylva , a healthy female born in Finnskogen in Värmland , probably in 1988 , has a remarkably clean record for a wild wolf . She has hunted wild game , mainly roe deer and moose , and has had little impact on livestock . In 1989 , she headed south from her birthplace to settle in the forests east of the Värmland town of Arvika . In February 1990 , she was captured and fitted with a radio transmitter ( renewed in September this year ) , and since then she has provided researchers with more than 200 sightings , allowing them to plot an unusually detailed account of her daily movements . By night she travels widely throughout her territory — often approaching farmsteads and villages .
Idiom: to a turn (used idiomatically: yes)
It is difficult to miss the phallic connotations of the weapons the miller seems to make such a show of having about his person : — the diminution in scale to the " " joly poppere " " may already hint at the bawdy belittling the miller is to suffer . That the miller 's knives substitute for his sexual potency rather than reflect it is indicated by the superiority of the clerk 's performance in bed with his wife to anything he has managed for a long time : He has fathered two children , but , like Bayard , his sexual energy is now exhausted . As a result , when it comes to his turn to be on top of his wife again , he falls down backwards on to her ( 4281 ) , the wrong way around for sexual intercourse , as she sleeps with John after their night - time labours . There are many elements which establish a broad and strong line of continuity from the Miller 's Tale into and through the Reeve 's Tale . Contrastive , in a sense , is the Varsity match they play , pitting an Oxford fabliau against a Cambridge one , but common to both is the urbane and clerkly perspective in which the comedy of the tales is made explicit .
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: yes)
But the company reacted clumsily to the unexpected strength of union resistance . A strike , declared on October 25th , has pushed losses to an estimated $ 1 m a week . In the last three months of 1990 , the Tribune Company recorded its first quarterly loss since going public in 1983 . Most disturbing is the fact that the company spent an entire year preparing for the strike , convinced that it had to end overmanning and weaken the unions ' grip on production if the newspaper , despite a circulation of 1.1 m , were ever to become a money - maker . The Tribune Company had already won a similar battle in Chicago in 1985 and seemed confident that it could repeat this profitable victory in New York .
Idiom: heart and soul (used idiomatically: yes)
The manager 's problem tonight is to find a replacement for the injured Brian O'Neil , while looking for a wholehearted performance against a side whose manager , Simon Stainrod , is as relaxed as Brady is uncomfortable . ' Celtic have problems that wo n't be sorted out over 90 minutes at Dens Park and Dundee will not go into this game as the underdogs , ' said Stainrod . ' There is now a heart and a soul at this club . When I came here at first , the side were top of the First Division , but there was no apparent feeling for the game . Changing that attitude has brought about the biggest improvement in the team . '
Idiom: nothing doing (used idiomatically: no)
I must hurry’ was not a society but a means of making money . The first - generation immigrant , however zealously he or she tried to learn the techniques of the new life , lived in a self - imposed ghetto , drawing support from the old ways , the men of his kind , the memories of the old country which he had so readily abandoned . Not for nothing did smiling Irish eyes make the fortunes of the bohemian hacks who were just about to create the modern popular music business in the cities of the United States . Even the wealthy New York Jewish financiers , the Guggenheims , Kuhns , Sachs , Seligmanns and Lehmanns , who had all that money could buy in the United States , which was very nearly everything , were not yet Americans in the way in which the Wertheimsteins in Vienna considered themselves Austrian , the Bleichroeders in Berlin Prussians , even the international Rothschilds in London and Paris , English and French . They remained Germans as well as Americans .
Idiom: kill the goose that lays the golden egg (used idiomatically: yes)
The anguished princess , says Morton , told one friend : ' If this is the price of public life then it is a price I am no longer willing to pay . ' That friend said Diana had never sounded more depressed or hopelessly forlorn . One of her inner circle added : ' Even if they have not managed to kill the goose that had laid the golden eggs for the media , they have certainly succeeded in wounding her . ' It was during this time that Diana found the Queen to be an ally . Morton also claims that the princess attended a family meeting at Windsor Castle to discuss the state of her marriage .
Idiom: spend a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
She swallowed back the lump in her throat . He snorted in disbelief . ' You 're telling me that you spent every penny of your personal money to come over here and clear your late grandmother 's name ? ' ' Yes ! Now you see how important it is to me ! ' she cried passionately .
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
In the Far East substantial territory had been more or less peacefully wrested from the embattled Chinese Empire . This semi - colonial expansion took place without great enthusiasm in St Petersburg . The government was determined to avoid confrontation with any Great Power over peripheral areas where significant economic development was out of the question . St Petersburg 's major diplomatic goal had been to nullify the clauses of the Treaty of Paris which had disarmed Russia on the Black Sea . This was achieved when Russia was rewarded for the benevolent neutrality she had maintained while Prussia redrew the map of central Europe : in 1870 she was able to renounce the clauses without risking diplomatic isolation .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: no)
The range includes a decorative security light with a clear or frosted glass globe , a traditional lantern light in black or white , and a floodlight security kit with a powerful 500watt halogen bulb . All will welcome you or your guests , but startle intruders . All lamps have a built-in passive infra red sensor which react to invisible thermal radiation emitted by people or other sources of heat . Any movement detected by the sensor is signalled to the electronic switching circuit which automatically turns on the lights . Using a pre-set timer , the lights can be set to stay on for a period from 25 seconds to 12 minutes .
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: no)
There is still considerable debate about the role of tablets in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes . When they were introduced they offered an alternative to insulin for the patient not responding to diet alone . A study was later published which seemed to indicate that patients on tablets had a higher mortality from coronary heart disease than other groups not receiving oral therapy ( University Group Diabetes Program 1970 ) . A criticism of these data was that the groups were not comparable and that this difference could have accounted for the results rather than the effects of therapy . Later work from a retrospective study suggested that sulphonylurea therapy may reduce levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( Kennedy et al , 1978 ) .
Idiom: lift a finger (used idiomatically: yes)
Juliet was there . ‘ Do n't know why she 's bothering,’ muttered Hayley . ‘ She never lifted a finger to help me before . Still , if he 's gone — perhaps she 'd better come.’ With a smile of relief , Juliet left to continue observations .