Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: point the finger (used idiomatically: yes)
Other sections of the press reflected the same feeling , as when The Spectator entertained the view that ' roads like the Bayswater Road are as unsafe as Naples ' , or The Observer lamented how ' the ' gentlemanly '' highway - man ' had ' degenerated into a coarse , brutal ruffian ' . Charles Dickens had something similar on his mind when , in an embittered flogging essay of 1860 , he accused ' The Ruffian ' of making London 's streets as perilous as a ' solitary mountain - spur of the Abruzzi ' . During an earlier panic about garotting robberies and stabbing incidents in 1856,The Times had enjoyed the good fortune actually to discover some real foreigners to blame for the outrages , pointing the accusing finger at ' men who have been discharged from the foreign legions ' . The use of the knife , identified as an un - English custom , was the most worrying sign . ' Happily , ' we were told , ' this specific change in the character of London crime'could be dealt with ' in a very summary manner indeed ' .
Idiom: full tilt (used idiomatically: yes)
Hey you!’ , he yelled . The figure stopped , turned towards , him and snarled something before moving off again at the same queer , shambling gait . Martin moved after it , slowly at first , but then faster and faster until he was running full tilt after the intruder . He stumbled over graves and bumped into headstones — but he did n't stop . The figure was always just ahead of him , crouched low but quick and stealthy .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
On the other hand , spiritualism was testable , or seemed so : without any background of dogma , it aimed to provide evidence for the survival of loved ones . The phenomena were very varied , and usually rather exciting . Generally darkness , or weak lighting , was necessary ; then tables rocked , objects moved , lights were seen and things sometimes felt , and messages were rapped out . The messages were often banal , but sometimes gave surprising information about a participant which the medium would not have been expected to know . There were affinities with prayer meetings , with professional ' magicians ' or ' conjurors ' , and with scientific entertainment using the mysterious forces of magnetism or electricity .
Idiom: get stuck into (used idiomatically: yes)
Pass the word If by any chance you DID manage to miss out on last months ' issue , fear not ! To get stuck into Part Two you do n't have to have completed the first instalment , but you DO need to have the password . On loading this , the second part , just type ‘ PICKET’ when prompted and you 'll be away ( if you 've got school in the morning , do n't stay up all knight playing it ! ) . I 'm Mandy !
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
Jury systems , and the segmentation of the legal system into spheres which are in no obvious sense class - based , are given due significance in this view ( Thompson , 1975 ) . The successful struggle of labour movements in various liberal democracies to transform the practice or contract and labour law is not ignored , as in instrumentalist models . However , arbiter theorists have no faith in the long - run neutrality of the courts . Concessions which judges make to workers at one moment in the class struggle may be removed at another . The relative autonomy of law has to be constantly maintained by successful working - class mobilization into politics and the labour movement .
Idiom: in no uncertain terms (used idiomatically: yes)
He had been a man in authority in his own country , and used to the arrogant assertion of power … and the unquestioning obedience of each and every man who was of lesser rank than him . He had taken an instant dislike to both Bodie and Doyle , not only because they had bungled the surveillance job on the van containing his potential assassins , but because they dressed casually , more suited to a Sunday afternoon jog than the serious business of the Secret Service . He had found them scruffy , and had said so in no uncertain terms . The Coroner was irritated with the proceedings , and with the transparent fact that not all the information that was held by the men in the court - room had been made available to him . He said aloud , ‘ rom all the somewhat diffuse information , indeed , from the paucity of information —’ he glanced at Cowley as he said this , ‘ that has been made available to me , one thing does remain clear .
Idiom: go to the wall (used idiomatically: no)
It 's no joke , because they occupy a dingy cell in war torn Beirut in Someone Who 'll Watch Over Me at London 's Vaudeville theatre . But the trio — brilliantly played by Alec McCowen , Stephen Rea and James McDaniel — also share a lot of laughs . It is what helps keep them sane , chained to a wall not knowing if they are going to live or die . But the humour can not hide the heartache the unlikely companions feel locked away from their loved ones as they cope with their plight in their different ways . McCowen 's middle class Brit worries about his mum and attempts to keep his stiff upper lip from trembling by reliving tennis star Virginia Wade 's Wimbledon triumph .
Idiom: every man jack (used idiomatically: yes)
And what , I casually wonder , if they get sick of just teasing ? ‘ Well,’ snaps Richard , happy to flip back into non - analytical filth - talk autodrive , ‘ then we 'll fuck 'em all . We 'll work our way through the whole fuckin ' audience , shaft every man - jack of them’ . do you like Mondays ? Happy daze are n't here again , for the new album is a crucial one for the lads once hailed as Factory 's finest .
Idiom: hit and miss (used idiomatically: yes)
MacMillan has come a long way since 1963 but Hermanas can still grip when done as well as this . SWRB at Sadler 's Wells until January 6 ; this programme repeats on January 2 and 3 . Hit and miss from Frank . By M Grosvenor - Myer 3 Pantomimes . THERE is a first time for everything : Aladdin was the first panto I 'd been to and the first Frank Bruno has performed in .
Idiom: all over the place (used idiomatically: yes)
You can feel these things . How do the animals know ? They were running all over the place . You can just feel these things.’ Nevertheless , they do consult the I - Ching from time to time .
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: no)
The glee — and clear conscience — with which most people here avoid taxes if they can , is to do with their feeling of powerlessness in relation to government , and that is what fosters selfish competition . Gay immunity To dispel the myth that AIDS is a gay disease you argue ( The Politics of AIDs NI 169 ) that the disease has been around ‘ from the very beginning’ but that gays succumbed more quickly than straights . This you claim happens because gays have poorer immune systems through earlier exposure to diseases such as hepatitis . Here I get lost .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: no)
Heads and class teachers were particularly keen that the assistants should have a working knowledge of classroom practice and assistants and teachers wanted specific training , especially in relation to behaviour problems and first aid . Approximately half of the assistants also wished to attend an induction course on the general role of a welfare assistant . The welfare assistants ' duties were wide - ranging with face - to - face instruction ( under the teacher 's direction ) and general care and supervision taking up most time . Irrespective of the type of difficulties presented by the children , there was a substantial core of activities which more than 70 per cent of the assistants engaged in . This suggests that one priority is a general initial training supplemented by training in more specific skills relating to the presenting difficulties of the children being supported .
Idiom: six of the best (used idiomatically: no)
' I would rip him apart , limb from limb ' , say father of victim DEATH THREAT TO SEX FIEND Six of the best from Derry How can you pick three people from 12 , when everyone of them is excellent . You ca n't — you pick six instead , and that 's just how it was at the Delacroix in Derry .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
Although he had no dark hairs growing round his wrist - watch , Hugh Pargeter had , in his youth , the regular features and slightly curled hair of young men who model knitting patterns . He had gone into his father 's firm of solicitors where his looks endeared him to wives in divorce cases , although his extreme reluctance to take decisions prevented them obtaining the best results . As a rule he would wait for others — judges , opponents , even his wife — to decide matters of importance . If things turned out well he would quietly take the credit . If not , his brown eyes wore an expression as helpless and martyred as those of Saint Sebastian in the paintings Molly had always admired .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
The French power monopoly Electricite de France has signed a joint venture agreement for US cable television operators Tele - Communications Inc , Englewood , Colorado and Lenfest Communications Inc , Pottstown , Pennsylvania to buy a 29 % stake in Videopole , in which the electricity company has 51 % and Credit Agricole 20 % , to install and operate cable systems France - wide . ARTISOFT EXPECTS RESULTS AT ABOUT BREAK - EVEN POINT Tucson , Arizona - based Artisoft Inc warns that it expects its results for the third quarter to March 31 to be at break - even or slightly below — it expects to increase reserves and allowances , take one - time charges , and accelerate accruals by a pre - tax total of $ 1.5 m to $ 2 m , and it expects third quarter revenues to be below year - ago revenues of $ 20.3 m ; it blames a shift in the sales mix for the revenue shortfall —‘Given the current trend toward the LANtastic software only option , the company is cautious in its expectations over the next several quarters for recovery in revenues and earnings to the levels achieved in the first and second quarter of the fiscal year,’ the company said — it also offers it with adaptors . ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH RESPONDS TO COMPAQ PRICING Irvine , California - based Advanced Logic Research Inc has cut prices across its entire line of desktop products in response to Compaq Computer Corp 's price cuts last week : the reductions are intended to position key models with a higher feature set at prices 10 % to 20 % less than Compaq 's comparable models .
Idiom: off the shelf (used idiomatically: no)
Fresh sirloin steaks are 50p cheaper a pound ( £ 4.38 ) , and tomatoes are 49p for 2.5 kg ( instead of 77p ) . Also , Kellogg 's Crunchy Nut Cornflakes ( 750 g ) are £ 1.99 instead of £ 2.45 and baby beetroot is down to 79p from 99p . Off the Shelf WAITROSE has new long - life Presse Juices made with single - strength juice rather than the reconstituted concentrates others use . The range includes grapefruit , orange ( each 99p a litre ) , apple ( 89p a litre ) and tomato ( 69p a litre ) .
Idiom: on the house (used idiomatically: yes)
The mains water tap was found to be turned on , and I gradually became aware of warmth emanating from the living room fireplace . We knew then what had happened . Our neighbour , who had been given a key to check on our house while we had been away , had thoughtfully lit a fire to welcome us home . He had tried the water taps to make sure they were n't frozen , unaware that the water he ran off was only that in the pipes . On looking more closely , we discovered that in one corner of the house , where the Electricity Authority had been carrying out some repair work , the pipe insulation had n't been replaced .
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
The plans were proposed last autumn during a general session of UNESCO held in Paris . According to Hermitage director Mikhayl Piotrovskiy , rumours about the calamitous situation at the museum are somewhat exaggerated ; the Hermitage needs developing rather than saving . It goes without saying that the museum now needs hard currency in order to add to its collection . Current expenditure in this area is negligible in comparison with the amount which foreign museums of similar standing spend . One well publicised problem at the Hermitage is the shortage of space ; a number of experts claim that the museum can only put 7–8 % of its collection on display .
Idiom: in a nutshell (used idiomatically: yes)
Most full - blooded painters would agree with this I think!)’ Lucien Freud ‘ Standing by the Rags’ , 1988–9 This is the myth in a nutshell and its presence is invoked in the exhibition simply by the reminder that the paintings were executed with the nude model directly in front of the artist . In other works , the pictures represent a record of the highly eroticised and mythological meeting of the artist and his model . The exhibition text coyly notices : ‘ Some artists acknowledge that the close presence of the model brings an added tension to their work’ .
Idiom: on the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
JUDITH HARPER was homeless in Brent , North London . Brent council put her and her children in a ‘ bed and breakfast hotel ’ . They offered her a flat in the Stonebridge estate , Wembley , which she refused on health grounds . The council have a very strict rule that homeless people are only allowed one offer of a council house . They promptly referred her to a housing association which has found her a three-bedroomed house .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
If the family should choose the first method , for example , ensuring that a life - story book is provided , then the child has the option of an identity outside his or her adoptive family . If they choose to ignore the historical background of the child and feel that thus they will be better able to identify with him or her , then in times of crisis the child will have no solid racial and cultural identity and the family may not have the information to help the child in these crucial times . Some transracial adopters may prefer to isolate themselves from the cultural background and ethnic origin of their child because it is easier in the short run to escape conflicts . Then there are others who are satisfied with superficial information because they feel that if more is revealed then conflict could arise in the family . In cases where a child is born out of wedlock , these families may struggle with their conception of what a normal family should be and various moral issues .
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: no)
Mm and the warden was there in her dressing gown trying to get her up and she could n't get her up this morning , so she had to get help , one of the workmen came along and helped from the top terrible to say though it is , yeah , never mind , they get over it What did the shops used to be like cos you used to have to go to the Old Town did n't you ? Oh I do n't know but where , where it 's in , it 's Old Harlow it 's in Old Harlow , but further down , right further down by the Fire Station , he used to have a surgery down there
Idiom: to boot (used idiomatically: yes)
Only the smoke now , because the flames had been suffocated . Smoke that rippled and soared . He saw Kypov , a comedy clown with a soot - smeared face and the back of his uniform singed and brown from collar to knee - boot . There were no thoughts in his mind , no preconceptions , only the demand for information . Empty words .
Idiom: smart alec (used idiomatically: yes)
David Widgery was deeply immersed in student politics , and deeply suspicious of It . On one hand he disliked its American disdain for Marxism , on the other what he identified as an English druggy self - indulgence . Oz , he thought , might be Private Eye all over again only this time without the smart - alec Shrewsbury and Oxford public school boys putting down grammar school boys with ideas above their station . It would be no - nonsense Australians without class hang - ups . Neville had been to see Private Eye , and its staff had been courteous , but faintly aloof .
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
Alas , Agnes Baltsa is hopelessly miscast in DG 's new recording of Rossini 's frothiest comic opera . Her lack of authority is helped neither by a recorded balance that places her too far from the microphone throughout , nor by Claudio Abbado 's propensity for extremes of tempo . With this vital flaw , and with Ruggero Raimondi also failing to make much of an impact as the comically menacing Bey , the performance never gets off the ground . There is more to enjoy in Decca 's Barber of Seville — particularly Cecilia Bartoli 's fresh and delightful performance as Rosina . However , William Matteuzzi 's Almaviva is so weak that it requires a considerable stretch of the imagination to picture her preferring the young Count to the lecherous old Dr Bartolo ; and although the late Giuseppe Patane conducts the score with obvious affection , he has little flare for dramatic pacing .
Idiom: under the influence (used idiomatically: yes)
The legislative measures corresponding to this change had been the Reform Act of 1832 and the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 , which recognised that the price of bread could no longer be controlled in the interest of British grain producers . Another , and less welcome change was the restructuring of the traditional parochial system for the relief of poverty . In 1834 Parliament , largely under Benthamite influence , adopted the new Poor Law , which grouped workhouses for the indigent into regional Unions , and imposed harsh discipline designed to deter ' able - bodied vagabonds ' from exploiting the charitable instincts of the locality . Poor people 's hostility to this measure was redoubled by their realisation of its relationship to another , adopted two years earlier under Benthamite influence , namely the Anatomy Act . The ostensible purposes of this Act were to ensure that an adequate supply of bodies was available for dissection in the teaching hospitals and anatomy schools , whilst eliminating the nefarious activities of the body - snatchers , whose commerce had nourished the medical profession .
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
No wonder Jamie feared Damian Flint . My God , she thought , closing her eyes tightly , I fear him too . Then she told herself he had only got the better of her because she was , as he had so rightly said , suffering from shock and exhaustion . Rachel 's head began to ache and throb . Hot tears filled her eyes and she did not fight them , her face hidden by the darkness in the cabin .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
We walked further along till we came to a quiet part . Laura leaned on the balcony and rested her hands one either side of her . Over her shoulder the stars twinkled in the black sky . It was hard to say where the stars finished and her hair took over . The sounds of the party were faint here , and now and then a few bars of melody drifted toward us .
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
Ilsa was in the kitchen making coffee . She wore an elegant silk dress blooming with poppies in lilac and every shade of blue . Over the top she had a jacket of the palest blue , and a brooch of seed pearls like a bunch of grapes . She looked every inch a military wife until she laughed out loud at my expression . ' It 's very garden party , no ? ' she said .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
The fundamental considerations in taking a decision on loans are laid out in another Midland Bank booklet called ‘ How to Borrow Money’ by Margaret Dibben . RECOGNISING THE DANGER As a nation , we 're all in hock to the tune of over 24 billion — and that 's excluding mortgages on property . We 've all grown accustomed to using credit . There can be a danger point , however , when the use of credit gets out of control , and unfortunately , with all the variety of credit available , it is sometimes too easy to avoid recognising the danger until it is acute .
Idiom: on the bounce (used idiomatically: no)
Ron wears a kilt , a pair of orange Day - Glo tights , heavy green military boots , a pink macrame tank top and a yellow trenchcoat . He carries a Star Wars lunch - box in which he keeps old tube tickets , cigarettes , make - up and money . Abel plays with his overwhelming sound system ; on bounces a heavily tampered cover of ' Dancing Queen ' , cut intermittently with a Scottish rap . Ron Two , who is more effeminate than Ron One though less wildly dressed , stands on a table . He likes to sing along .
Idiom: for keeps (used idiomatically: yes)
She was , in any case , not sure how they were , or how they were for her . The situation was so dreadful , so nightmarish , their details did not matter , they just confronted her as an abomination which was capable of driving her mad . Once she had , after she had listened with a gentle face to Jack 's admission , his ultimatum , that Alison was different , Alison was ‘ for keeps’ , believed that nothing could be worse , that she had now experienced the worst . It was not so . She had been tortured by Alison 's presence in the house , by the sound of Alison and Jack laughing downstairs .
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
And Suella hates me anyway so She does n't hate you . Well we 're not the best of friends , she just takes the piss . So every time she says something . George is fucking sharp with me .
Idiom: with a vengeance (used idiomatically: yes)
I kept my schedule light : one cheque presentation , one dental appointment , one fitting for the Red Queen crown , and a last visit to Dr McKenzie before the panto rehearsals start on Monday . He said the scars from the bone - marrow harvest were healing nicely . The lumps , he noted , were returning with a slow vengeance and he confirmed that nonetheless I should be able to fulfil the requirements of a demanding panto season with no trouble . I had an unsettling experience on Thursday . I drove to the Birmingham Hippodrome in time for the 11 o'clock production meeting with the contestants .
Idiom: in the same breath (used idiomatically: yes)
It feeds off the passions of a small and economically dependent country and the emotional demands it places on the game . It searches for heroes in the knowledge that villains are thick on the ground . It wallows in the worst excesses of sentimentality and adopts a moral tone that condemns and condones misbehaviour in the same breath . Hampden Babylon is unmistakably Scottish in its love of football but like all love - affairs , Scotland 's relationship with the game has been stormy and impetuous . The book assumes that by now the reader is accustomed to disappointment and knows more about the tragedy of defeat than the drunken elixir of triumph .
Idiom: take someone's word for it (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ In fact , the last few times , if I 'm honest . I 've been covering myself up and praying James would n't notice . But you 'll just have to take my word for it . When we first got together it was so good between us . James never did anything for me that way , Chrissy , never once .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: no)
That 's them go in there . But the circular life is the start of natural history As the years turn towards migrating birds will give a clue to the success of the fledglings hatched earlier in the year . Bird in the bag , a hundred and nine take her out right ring plummer , time ? Time now , time is Ten , ten past two , what is it two at ten ?
Idiom: prop up the bar (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Just ask for a pink gin . And do n't forget the ice.’ Inside , Keith was propping up the bar and waving a £ 5 note at the landlady . He made room for Peter . ‘ Jesus,’ he said .