Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: easier said than done (used idiomatically: yes)
Isobel began to feel that her life had been the wrong way round , that Africa had been no training at all , with its comparatively easy , impersonal requirement of Christian love , for these savagely difficult demands for daughterly love . Praying was ten times as hard as it had ever been in Africa , so was steering clear of hatred , a problem Isobel had never encountered before . She told herself that she must confine herself to anger only , but it was easier said than done . Standing at last in Woodborough parish church — dedicated to St Paul — watching her mother 's coffin being lowered on to trestles below the chancel steps , Isobel was so riven with thankfulness she could hardly keep upright . Her dedication would now be complete , an offering made from a full heart and an intimate knowledge of mental pain .
Idiom: for a song (used idiomatically: yes)
Dance Sam Carlisle THERE 'S always a place for smoochy love songs — and they do n't come any smoochier than those of new soul contender Trey Lorenz . The young gun from South Carolina was discovered by Mariah Carey in a New York recording studio . Lorenz appeared on both her million-selling albums and dueted on her Number One single , I 'll Be There .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
Sales in excess of this figure begin to produce a profit . 15 . Break - even charts are useful for their indication of the effects of marginal changes in sales volume or costs on profit figures . They are also useful for converting profit targets into production targets or sales targets . The major criticism of such charts is that they assume linear relationships between costs and output , and sales]and revenue , whereas this is not always true .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
One owner discovered another routine . If he put down sheets of newspaper in the kitchen to keep the floor clean on wet days , one of his cats would back up to the far wall and then launch herself as fast as she could at the papers . The moment she hit one of the papers , she braked and went into a long skid , sliding right across the kitchen floor to the other wall , which she thumped into , still standing on her ' magic carpet ' . After this she would return to the far wall and wait for the papers to be put back into place , so she could repeat the game . Another owner discovered that if he put a line of coins on his sideboard his cat would knock them down one by one .
Idiom: the ayes have it (used idiomatically: yes)
Those against . No . The ayes have it . Then you turn your attention away in a minute and the rotten devils do Chairman , I I move that the report of the social services committee regarding the future of the county council 's old persons homes be noted .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: no)
A way in through the stage door ACTORS Russell Hunter and Una Maclean raise the curtain on an open day at two of Edinburgh 's theatres this Saturday , the Royal Lyceum and the Traverse . It is an opportunity to meet actors and find out what goes on behind the scenes with backstage tours , costume and make - up workshops , play - readings , and activities for children . On from 11am-5pm , the event is free . Regal setting to hear Carreras
Idiom: go west (used idiomatically: no)
Tranmere Rovers 5 , West Ham United 2 . SHELL-SHOCKED West Ham missed the chance to steal second place from Division One promotion rivals Tranmere last night after being shot down by Rovers ' ace marksman John Aldridge . Tranmere Rovers went nap in front of their biggest gate of the season to inflict a heavy defeat on promotion chasing West Ham . Prenton Park 's biggest crowd of the season saw the Republic of Ireland international grab a hat-trick and take his tally for the season to 17 goals , as Rovers struck twice at the death to clinch the points . Clive Allen gave West Ham some hope with a 79th-minute goal , his 14th of the season , but then Aldridge inspired the Merseysiders in a grandstand finish .
Idiom: put paid to (used idiomatically: yes)
Finally he hooks his belt onto the Doom Diver Catapult and braces himself for sudden acceleration . The catapult is powered by a huge piece of stretchy sinew and the height the Goblin reaches is largely dependent on how far back the Doom Diver can force the catapult . It has been known for Goblins to get so ambitious that the entire catapult springs from its mounts and hits the Goblin splat in the face , putting paid to the whole device . When he just ca n't stretch the catapult any further , the Goblin emits a frantic whoop and lets go . With a loud twang the Doom Diver is propelled high into the air , his exulted cries and excited squeaks gradually dimming as he becomes a tiny speck above the Goblin army .
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: yes)
Many tests develop a system of numerical scoring which makes it possible to make precise comparisons between the scores obtained by different individuals . This is done by taking the distribution of scores for children in the standardisation sample of a given age , and imposing on this a numerical scale which has clearly defined characteristics . The new scale will assign an arbitrary mean score to those children with average scores , and children performing above and below the mean will be assigned higher and lower scores on the new scale . Any new children in the original population ( from which the standardisation sample was selected ) can then be tested and , on the basis of their age and test performance , they can be given a test score which reflects their performance relative to the standardisation sample . This gives rise to a number of advantages for the teacher or therapist .
Idiom: on the trot (used idiomatically: yes)
I want that . Ooh pardon me . That 's three bloody cards on the trot I 've picked up which I 'm . Seven . Four five six seven eight .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
Lillehammer ~ Ishockeylubb has played a few games there , but the two most important hockey tournaments played in the arena is the 1994~Olympics ( famed for Peter ~ Forsberg 's goal in the deciding penalty shootout of the final game ) and the 1999~World ~ Ice ~ Hockey ~ Championships .
Idiom: go for the jugular (used idiomatically: no)
It 's called Carpe Diem . Up above Loch Morar is the craggy hill top by the name of Sgurr Bhuide . Near the summit on a steep , south-facing crag Going for the Jugular , which climbs the left-hand crack up the steep buttress on the left . The grade is E5 6b and is described ( by myself , oops ) as being ‘ totally brilliant ’ . The team was Rick Campbell and Gary Latter .
Idiom: cold feet (used idiomatically: no)
When they started their " mission " amongst the poor and destitute of the great cities of Britain they already had six children . Each of the children , especially the eldest , Bramwell , were involved with the work from an early age . Booth 's awareness that " nobody gets a blessing when they have cold feet " meant that Bramwell was in charge of heating and supplying five centres where the poor could buy a cheap lunch by the time he was sixteen . Fifteen years later when William saw scores of homeless men sleeping on the streets it was Bramwell he commanded , " Go and do something " . the money and made sure his father 's ideas for the new organisation , named The Salvation Army , in 1878 , were implemented .
Idiom: leave well alone (used idiomatically: yes)
Kendra Sone looks at the early findings Social workers wanting to assess the progress of children in their care look closely at the child 's placement . If the carer is happy or the home satisfied and the child does n't complain , there is a temptation to leave well alone . But the school of thought which says ‘ if it 's not broken do n't fix it’ does little to take social work practice forward . Local authorities must be sure they are providing the right care for children , and with increasing pressure on budgets they must know the money is well spent .
Idiom: take it easy (used idiomatically: yes)
Phantom phatigue EXHAUSTED Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford has cut short his US concert tour performing the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber . Crawford , 50 , was advised to take it easy by his doctor . Cheers , tears for Kinnocks DAVID BRADSHAW
Idiom: under the microscope (used idiomatically: yes)
In the dressing room before kick - off , Ian wo n't need anyone to dangle pieces of raw meat in front of him and make him strain at the leash because he 'll be bursting to get stuck into the Turks more than anyone . If anything , he 'll need calming down — and the best way Taylor could achieve that would be to tell him , whatever happens against Turkey tonight , that he 'll be in the team for the next five games at least . Goalscorers are under the microscope more than anyone for England after the retirement of Gary Lineker and that reassurance of a definite period to prove himself would settle Ian . Keeping the lid on his bubbly personality has always been an important part of managing Ian Wright . On the team coach to away games when he was with Crystal Palace he could n't sit still for five minutes .
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: no)
GILL SWAIN IT WAS a big bang about seven thousand miles away that blew the socks off the end of Britain 's summer , weather experts have revealed . When Philippines volcano Mount Pinatubo exploded blowing out 20 million tonnes of hot ash into the air it was the signal for a cold , wet , miserable August for Northern Europe a year later , they say . That 's because the series of eruptions that killed 350 people in June 1992 left a 3,000-mile long cloud of ash and sulphur dioxide circling the earth . For weeks after the biggest blasts recorded this century the cloud caused spectacular sunsets in Australia .
Idiom: sitting duck (used idiomatically: yes)
FROM OUR ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT A MEETING of Israel 's war cabinet on January 23rd , the day after an Iraqi Scud missile hit a block of flats in Ramat Gan killing three people , ended in a rare and thunderous silence . Israelis , used to instant retaliation , do not like being sitting ducks . America 's Patriot anti - missile batteries , hastily airlifted to Israel from Germany after the first two Scud attacks , failed to stop a third attack but worked well the following night . Israel 's decision not to respond , at least for the moment , makes perfect sense .
Idiom: cheek by jowl (used idiomatically: yes)
There is , indeed , a much less rigid distinction between working and non - working hours , for with easier accessibility between home and workplace the farm worker tends to be involved in the job for as long as it demands , rather than working to any set hours . Similarly farmers are more prepared to be indulgent about their employees ' working hours as long as the necessary tasks are carried out efficiently . In general relationships between the farmer and his workers become more informal , more personal and — because of their living cheek - by jowl around the farm — more pervasive . Although there is a risk that life can become too self - contained and claustrophobic , farmers nevertheless find it easier to inspire some degree of personal loyalty among their workers and allow the class animosities of the occupational community to be vastly reduced . As we have already seen , this reduction in the social distance between farmers and farm workers is also aided by the impact of the newcomers to the village .
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
You have been casting them from that very first night when the gods sent you to haunt me!’ Theda laughed . ‘ Perhaps it is Lady Lavinia pulling strings.’ ‘ In hell ? You are jesting!’
Idiom: in the loop (used idiomatically: yes)
Mr Stewart is going to describe the battle of Evesham in full detail . ' ' Good . I simply ca n't understand how Simon de Montfort , with his experience , could allow himself to be trapped in a loop of the Avon . ' ' I trust all will be explained . How are things with you at the District Hospital ?
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
But this is all very recent . In my youth I could read Jules Verne and H. G. Wells who took their hero explorers to the moon and to the depths of the ocean , but the imaginary worlds of Rider Haggard and Conan Doyle were still located here on earth in unmapped corners of Africa and South America . In this context the first reactions of Europeans to the reality of the native inhabitants of the Americas is of particular interest , for here , in a very explicit sense , experience and fantasy were brought face to face . As it so happens , Columbus ' personal reactions can be reconstructed in some detail from documentary evidence . He first noted that the Caribs were ordinary human beings and not monsters .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
So really you would like me to forward plan this for twenty eight to thirty thousand and whatever that costs do you think you will be able to afford that ? Well let 's have a look at the cost of it , you know , what sort of life cover is that going to give me immediately ? Right well it will give you er I will go away and work these plans out but one that comes to mind is where there 's er a life cover but it 's a low level of life cover so you have more of an investment erm more of th more of your contributions goes towards the investment so that you get the bigger return in the ten years when you need it . Could you run that one by me again ? Right .
Idiom: piping hot (used idiomatically: yes)
It looked all right , although Loretta thought the china dish it came in was a bit unnecessary . Much cheered , she bit into the first forkful . The crust was piping hot , and the innards lukewarm . A microwave oven , Loretta guessed . She was on the verge of complaining to the barmaid , but decided that she was not all that hungry after all , and at least the chips were hot .
Idiom: pecking order (used idiomatically: yes)
Governing bodies will be all too aware of the danger that the image presented by their pupils may be negative rather than positive and do their best to see that high standards of behaviour are maintained in and out of school . FINANCE Governors need to be aware that sub - committees can develop a pecking order . This often happens when there is a finance and general purposes sub - committee . Finance sub - committees should be concerned with making sure that the school 's financial systems work well , and with monitoring the budget and the school 's financial management .
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
It was unlike Bill to change his training plans for anyone . Ten minutes later , the question in her mind was answered . As she brought Shine On out of his box , Bill and Winnie approached from across the yard . With them was a tall , dark - skinned man in an expensive suit that looked oddly out of place among the wheelbarrows and pitchforks of a small stable . ' Hold him there for a second , Kelly , ' said Bill .
Idiom: come to a head (used idiomatically: yes)
The 19-year - old singer from 2 Unlimited was left mentally wrecked and physically exhausted after a gruelling tour of South America . Anita , who with co - star Raymond Slijingaard is at No . 12 with The Magic Friend — the duo 's fourth smash hit in just seven months — reveals : ‘ Everything got too much for me and I could n't cope . ‘ It all came to a head while we were touring South America . It was there I suffered the nervous breakdown . ‘ I was terribly depressed , felt sad all the time and was incredibly homesick .
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
I think we could do it now that we know something more about space . Yes , we could probably make them , but they would be rather difficult . For one reason , space is almost a vacuum , so that molecules erm are few and far between , and one thing about chemistry it is really the science of not particularly molecules but molecules that react with one another , but here once one has got a molecule in space it does n't actually meet another one for a very long time , so even a molecule that is reactive and which may only last for maybe a microsecond in the laboratory , interstellar space it may last for a thousand years . So we find that there 's an intriguing chemistry going on in space that it would be very difficult for us to reproduce in the laboratory . But I think the ingenuity of chemists and scientists and physicists and astronomers is such that , yes , we could do it — if we knew what we were looking for and had the right ideas .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
For the occasion the gallery has been stocked with loans of Johns 's work in a full range of media from various museums as well as from two important private collections : those of Mr Castelli and Mr Johns . A catalogue with a celebratory essay by Judith Goldman has been prepared and the show is on view from 9 January until 6 February . Nancy Hoffman is celebrating twenty years in business at her gallery this month . From 9 January to 10 February she has invited many of the artists with which she has been closely associated during those years to show . Among them are Joseph Raffael , Don Eddy , John Okulick , Juan Gonzalez , Peter Plagens — the list is long .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
She admired that trait in his character — just as she admired so many others . They were skiing more slowly now , coming down the valley with Castell Rocamar like something out of a fairy - tale at its head . There were some trees below them , and when they reached them he slowed , she followed suit , and then he swished to a halt . She skidded on a little way , then side - slipped back towards him . ‘ You 're looking less peaky,’ he said as she came to a halt on the slope a few yards below .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
US District Court Judge William Hoeveler announced in Miami on March 14 that the trial on drugs - trafficking charges of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega and four co - defendants would begin on Jan. 28 , 1991 . He also ruled that Noriega 's lawyers must obtain the court 's approval before being given access to classified government documents connected with the case . Fire in New York social club A total of 87 people , many of them immigrants from central America , died in the early hours of March 25 when fire swept through the unlicensed Happy Land social club in a slum district of the Bronx , in New York City . Julio Gonzalez , a 36-year - old Cuban , was charged on March 26 on one count of arson and 87 counts of murder .
Idiom: fly a kite (used idiomatically: yes)
He just felt pleased when he thought about the kudos of pulling someone half his age or less . The curious truth about his erection was that he could never remember having a very full one . As far as his cock was concerned he felt somewhat in the position of a toddler trying to fly a kite . He 'd see it raise slightly , but he could n't quite get it up . Some of his male colleagues boasted about how they 'd felt with various women , raising an arm to show what they 'd been like .
Idiom: beg the question (used idiomatically: yes)
The outrage in India stemmed from the very same reasons . Former Chief Justice Bhagwati summed up the situation succinctly : ' The multinational has won and the people of India have lost . ' The judgement , rather settlement , had been effected with speed and secrecy , and begged several questions : Who the controversial compromise ? What prompted the court to transform what was an appeal against an interim relief order into a final settlement ? Who was the original claim of $ 3.5 billion dropped ?
Idiom: put paid to (used idiomatically: yes)
The very newspapers which subsequently pilloried our ‘ cowardice — or worse’ are constantly bemoaning the deaths of people who rashly attempt to rescue swimmers in distress , only to perish themselves as well . Dennis was thrashing about so vigorously that even a trained lifeguard would have had difficulty in retrieving him . To throw ourselves into those turbulent waters and then be unable to regain the punt would have put paid to any hope of rescuing Dennis . Of course it is easy to argue now , with the benefit of hindsight , that Dennis was doomed anyway , but it did n't appear like that at the time . When he first fell in , I remember shouting at him impatiently to stop fooling about .
Idiom: foot the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
For this showing two popular tunes of that year and narration by Michael Baguley bring back to life an era of wonderful charabancs , crammed with cheerful dark - eyed young ladies in cloche hats and young men in large caps . State subsidy PANORAMA ( BBC1 9.30pm ) asks : Should the taxpayer foot the bill for the thousands of single mothers who live alone but have several babies and expect the State to pay for them ? Kitting out THE controversial subjects of the issue of replica kits and stewarding at soccer matches are examined in Standing Room Only ( BBC2 6.55pm ) . Sales of replica kits are up a staggering 30pc this season as the designers hit the button in creative styles .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
NoS would provide a focus to weld together the splinter groups of the left into an unstoppable force which would sweep the Labour Party before it . The fragments would be reunited and the hated paunchy old men of the traditional Labour movement would be overthrown . At the same time the tables would be turned so that they could actually be used to help finance the project , along with the Right - On councils which had already thrown financial caution to the winds . The boring old unions would be pushed out by a new Rainbow Alliance of media - wise radicals , alert and campaigning on the big issues of racial and sexual discrimination , nuclear power , and protecting the environment . The new obsessions , which were already making their mark in national politics abroad with parties such as the Greens in Germany , would take over .
Idiom: hard cheese (used idiomatically: yes)
STEP 5 Butter a 20 cm ( 8 inch ) soufflé dish thickly , the sprinkle over the grated Gruyère cheese to coat the base and sides . TIP : use dried breadcrumbs instead of the cheese , or use another hard cheese . STEP 6 Pour the soufflé mixture carefully into the coated soufflé dish .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
The homes are Hustledown House in Stanley ; Gainford House , Chester - le - Street ; Palatine House , Durham City ; Ridgeway House , Station Town ; Dene House , Bishop Auckland ; Greenfields House , Newton Aycliffe and Hollyhurst and Baydale Lodge in Darlington . THE hopes of a campaigning church minister have been dashed after John Major failed to intervene in closure plans for eight old people 's homes . Rev Bill Harper , from Richmond , has championed the cause of the 260 pensioners in doomed homes but is disappointed the Prime Minister has not replied to his letter . Durham county councillors confirmed this week that the homes would close , blaming competition from private homes , vacant places , and investment needed on council homes . The homes are Hustledown House in Stanley ; Gainford House in Chester - le - Street ; Palatine House in Durham City ; Ridgeway House in Station Town , near Wingate ; Dene House in Bishop Auckland ; Greenfields House at Newton Aycliffe ; and Hollyhurst and Baydale Lodge in Darlington .
Idiom: do a bunk (used idiomatically: yes)
He prodded my middle to make his meaning unmistakable . " He 's in Paris . " " Done a bunk ? " he asked with gruff sympathy . " Not exactly . He does n't know .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: yes)
She leaned on the armrest , trying not to think of the time , and watched the grim scenery go by . Mostly the walls were dun brown , stained with smoke or water , and crumbling where wiring lash - ups and air and waste ducts had been hammered into place . The tunnel curved left and right , round corners , climbing and plunging without logic or warning , while the ceiling rose and , alarmingly , fell . Sometimes they flashed across other tunnels where vehicles were running . There did n't seem to be any traffic code or signalling system .