Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: think twice (used idiomatically: yes)
That evening he came to my room , to see how I looked in my new nightdress . Told me to sit on his knee . That was normal , I did n't think twice about it . But what happened next was n't normal . I knew it must be wrong , because afterwards he made me promise not to tell anyone about it , not even Mamma .
Idiom: born and bred (used idiomatically: yes)
A test position was certain for the First Test in Strasbourg until he suffered a knee injury and his goal was denied . It was n't until France toured Australia in 1990 that he finally won his first cap . In doing so , McKenzie became the first born and bred Victorian to play test rugby since Edward ‘ Weary’ Dunlop , a legendary soldier and winner of a V.C. , in 1932 . ‘ To come from Melbourne and play rugby for Australia was something special . If I can do it , I 'm sure there are plenty of other talented players in Victoria who could do the same’ , he said .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
Why so triumphant ? Well , we were the oldest pair in the competition — both my partner and I are closer to the Queen 's telegram than the christening gown ; both nearer the bathchair than the pushchair ! There were 23 other pairs — all younger and all seeming to possess the speed of Linford Christie around the court — and , when my partner greeted me with the news that he had been undergoing physiotherapy for a dodgy back all week , I felt that our interest would be peripheral , to say the least . So , you ask , how was it done ? I think we took full advantage of the ‘ contempt factor’ .
Idiom: lose the plot (used idiomatically: no)
I stress the newspapers . He was altogether more interested , on the surface at any rate , in what he found there than in what he could observe of people and events around him . A draft letter to his publisher Katkov — the fair copy is lost — discusses the plot of the as yet unwritten Crime and Punishment . It states defensively : You 'll find in our newspapers many signs of a extraordinary mental instability leading to terrible deeds ( that theological student who killed a girl he had arranged to meet in a shed , and who was arrested a hour later eating his breakfast — and so on ) .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
With one hand she cleared away from under her the sharp stones of the unpaved road . She was clutching one in her hand ; its edge dug into her palm . She was glad she had the stone , when he came into the byre ; she was waiting for him as he had asked her to , she had made her way across the orchard in the fresh blue morning and let herself in through the wooden door by lifting it off its hinges , since the bolt had rusted fast long ago , and she had looked up at the full moon of the sky in the chimney hole at the centre of the round shelter 's roof , and with her stone which was sharp as a shearing knife with a bright , honed blade the marks of the whetstone were still visible in pale striations like scouring tracks — she scraped her name into one of the stones on the interior , as many others had done before her , in tall shapely capitals , the only letters she knew . Except that it was n't her name that she carved into the yielding stone , but her sister 's . She wrote ' ROSALBA ' , for indeed it was Rosalba who was there , holding the kitchen knife in her hand as Tommaso came through the door .
Idiom: on top of the world (used idiomatically: no)
Two days into the journey then met with torrential rain in northern Italy ; this was only to serve as a sign of things to come ; the icy roads and driving snow that faced them as they climbed the Alps ! After a full day of hard effort they rose above the clouds into the cold , crisp atmosphere . At the top of the Alps they were able to rest and enjoy the blue sky , the panoramic view and the sense of looking down from on top of the world . As Martin said , the scenery was ‘ Dead ace!’ By the time they reached France both bikes and cyclists were beginning to show signs of fatigue .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
For far too long we have given free publicity for such tourist spots as Edinburgh Castle . Glamis and Balmoral . Are there , we ask knowingly , plans to sell advertising on the backs of our bank - notes for a limited range of tasteful products such as fine textiles , whiskies , golf clubs and top people 's hotels ? Watch this space — or rather the space on the backs of those notes . Those Lines on the Lada were taken by some as less than kind to the Bank Car Scheme .
Idiom: follow in someone's footsteps (used idiomatically: yes)
SOUTHAMPTON 'S Neil Maddison last night offered former team - mate Alan Shearer a vote of thanks for sustaining his career . Maddison and Shearer arrived at the Dell from their native north - east at the same time and shared a house when they were virtual unknowns . Now the powerful midfielder is following in Shearer 's footsteps towards stardom . Maddison , 22 , has survived four knee operations and he said : ' I 've been through the worst time of my career — now , at last , I 'm getting the chance to show what I can do . ' The last time I went to see a specialist about my knee , I was ready to pack it in if he 'd told me I was facing another year out .
Idiom: bend someone's ear (used idiomatically: yes)
He wants Chelsea captain Andy Townsend , a long-term Graham target , at Highbury . Chris Parrott is ideally placed to speak with some authority on the club . Not only has he been a season ticket holder for 15 years , he 's also the landlord of The Gunners pub and is used to having his ear bent by supporters . Problems Mr Parrott , who has a Gunners tatoo on his right forearm , said : ‘ My Sunday League side has been doing better than Arsenal .
Idiom: stand the test of time (used idiomatically: yes)
The mill and workshops now form a large dwelling as well as holiday homes . Following its days of silk production , it was turned over to piano making , and became known as the Evans Piano Factory . Unlike the Piano making concern at Woodchester near Stroud , it failed to stand the test of time . This mill also has a famous past , related to its previous name of Sleepy Hollow . This originated from the story of Rip Van Winkle , which was filmed for the cinema at this site many years ago .
Idiom: rock the boat (used idiomatically: yes)
His presence has forced Labour to keep his opposite number Gerald Kaufman off the TV screens as much as possible . Making the most of a walk - on role at the start of the campaign , Margaret Thatcher made many Tory candidates realise how much they missed her strong presence on the political stage . She loyally endorsed Mr Major and — despite a few barbs about borrowing too much — confounded predictions that she would rock the boat . She left a hole in the campaign when she departed this week for a pre - arranged lecture tour in the United States . BAD : The gloomy presence of Norman Lamont overshadowed the first week of the campaign .
Idiom: hard cheese (used idiomatically: yes)
Garnish with fresh marjoram and serve hot or cold with salad leaves . Per serving : 467 calories , fat high , saturated medium , protein medium , fibre medium , sodium high If you have n't any Caerphilly , you can use any flavourful hard cheese instead . Hot French toasts 1 Heat three tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onion , carrot and one clove of crushed garlic for 3–5 minutes .
Idiom: odd one out (used idiomatically: yes)
Eight . So the odd one out there ? The odd one out there is erm That came to eight that came four add four is eight Eight .
Idiom: drop someone a line (used idiomatically: yes)
So that fellow Smallholders can each exchange their Smallholding and responsibilities with like minded anywhere in the country for little expense other than a registration fee , cost of food and petrol to get there . Interested ? Then get cracking , drop me a line with your suggestions . Horse remedies Dear Editor :
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: yes)
He did n't feel like eating , and even breathing had become a painful labour . He found his body shaking again . He had considered that he was having a heart attack ; that would explain the pains in his side and the hot and cold sweats tormenting him . The chatter of the machines was increasing . The sounds were becoming uncomfortable .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
The intense diffusion of power that characterizes the American national legislature is one of the principal difficulties facing every president . In other systems , parties facilitate the work of executive branches by concentrating power at the centre . party leaders , moreover , are provided with an array of rewards and sanctions that can be used to bring rank - and - file members into line . US parties are , by comparison , broken - backed organizations incapable of fulfilling the functions performed by parties elsewhere and providing relatively little assistance to a president trying to bring about public policy change . BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: no)
Poorly drained calcareous ground-water gleys , in hollows between the dunes , are locally extensive in areas having dune slacks , where deflation of the sand has reached the water-table . The raw dune elements are colonised by northern marram grass dune pasture ( Robertson , 1984 ) dominated by marram grass ( Ammophila arenaria ) , with eyebright-red fescue dune pasture on the more stable soils with incipient A horizon development . Occupying the zone behind the dune systems , on gently undulating to level land below 20 metres elevation , are freely drained , brown calcareous soils and calcareous regosols , where the water-table lies below soil profile depth . Erosion or accretion of sand by wind action is evident throughout and soil genesis is truncated by erosion or fossilised by deposition . The soils are relatively stable and have a dark grey-brown A horizon over light brownish grey or pale brown B horizons and white , shelly sand C horizons .
Idiom: play gooseberry (used idiomatically: no)
Then he gave a sudden short bark of laughter . ‘ Fine . I do n't mind you playing gooseberry at all.’ Did she imagine a faint degree of tension suddenly evaporating from Guy Sterne 's cool , enigmatic expression ? ‘ You wo n't regret it.’
Idiom: on the house (used idiomatically: no)
Among the first was the Midland Hotel at Derby Trijunct Station . Begun in 1840 , it was designed for the North Midland Railway by the station 's architect Francis Thompson . Built of fine red brick , it was modelled on a country house , set in its own grounds and boasting an ornamental fountain in the forecourt . The initial necessity for building railway stations on the out - skirts of towns caused other companies to adopt the country - house model , with the idea that passengers would spend the night there before beginning their journey or after arriving . It is precisely this sort of arrangement —'rooms had been taken there because they were to start by an early train on that line in the morning ' — that leads to a fraught dinner party for Clara Amedroz and the two rivals for her hand at the Great Northern Hotel , King 's Cross , in Anthony Trollope 's The Belton Estate ( 1865 ) .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
With school holidays in mind consider a visit to Van Hage 's garden centre at Great Amwell , near Ware in Hertfordshire , where the rest of the family can enjoy a great day out while you quietly lose yourself in one of the most impressive houseplant departments in the country . The centre , twice winner of awards from the Garden Centre Association , is packed with hundreds of different species — old and new , large and small . While most are displayed on benches , you 're just as likely to turn the corner on , say , a group of bathroom plants complete with bath , or shade - lovers in their very own north - facing living room . Houseplant health centre For those who happen to have a problem plant at home , or need some technical tips , there 's always advice on hand , plus a clinic on Saturday mornings .
Idiom: pissed off (used idiomatically: yes)
On the way down the corridor Martinho hissed in my ear , ‘ You want to get us all shot ? Let him think what he wants.’ He was mightily pissed off with me ; perhaps he wished he had just let them shoot me on the ground . I said , ‘ Martinho , I 'm sorry . I was thinking of both our heads .
Idiom: curry favour (used idiomatically: yes)
Then he knows that they fear him more than dishonour . What is so disheartening about what has been discovered in the Stasi files , however , is that people informed even when under no pressure to do so . They informed to curry favour and to build up credit against being informed on themselves , but also out of ambition , spite , jealousy and almost every other nasty motive found in human nature . MANY East Germans are now wondering whether opening the files has been the cleansing it was supposed to be . It has swept away the last remnants of the Stasi system , but in the process dirtied millions of Germans and the feelings their fellows have for them .
Idiom: go up in smoke (used idiomatically: yes)
What can I do?.’ ‘ Just send them a bill,’ replied the lawyer — and two days later the doctor got a bill from him . Mike 's joke goes up in smoke … Have you heard the one about the EastEnders stars who are forced to provide their own fags for smoking scenes ? It 's no joke , according to Mike Read who plays Frank Butcher in the Albert Square soap .
Idiom: go hand in hand (used idiomatically: yes)
The ‘ new cosmology’ promises to replace faith with proof . As Paul Davies has put it , ‘ science offers a surer path to God than religion.’ Putting science next to godliness goes hand in hand with rolling back the Copernican revolution and putting Man back at the centre of the universe , a reactionary project that makes the New Right look like tinkerers . The key is the ‘ anthropic principle’ , which draws attention to the fact that , as Hawking says , ‘ we see the universe the way it is because if it were different , we would n't be here to observe it.’ ‘ Strong’ formulations of the principle claim that the universe is the way it is in order for us to be here to observe it .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Just go down the plaza here , turn right into the old section of the building , and it 's a few doors down on the right . You ca n't miss it.’ As Ari and Nathan went through the shop , Roirbak remembered with mixed feelings that Zambia and Tammuz might still be in there , and then wondered if some evil part of him had been aware of that all along . Surreptitiously he stroked the security eye key to ‘ record’ for that room . Should make interesting viewing later , at least .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: no)
Employment THE GENERAL RULE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES As a general rule the liabilities associated with persons employed in a business being sold are normally governed by the Transfer of Undertakings ( Protection of Employment ) Regulations 1981 ( SI 1981/1794—the Transfer Regulations ) . The Transfer Regulations , which were enacted to give effect to the EC Acquired Rights Directive 77/187 , will usually apply to a business sale if the vendor 's business is transferred to the purchaser " as a going concern " . This is the position adopted in the standard sale agreement ( see Appendix III ) .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: no)
Joan kill the war you know I 'm gon na get tonight . Oh ! And Carolina , yeah , if you get up on a roll , Carolina , jump and across , Carolina come on me , oh watch how she groove , Carolina , come on me , oh watch out you get groove . Oh Carolina ! Your bump across to Carolina , your .
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
These were subject to acceptance by the people of those countries , who were consulted by referenda early in 1979 . The people of Wales conclusively rejected the proposals . In Scotland there was a majority in favour of devolution but it fell short of the 40 per cent of the electorate required by the statute . The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have substantially more independent systems of government , and do not send MPs to Westminster . In view of their small size , however , it does not seem appropriate to say anything more about them .
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
The Magna ~ Charta is the world ’s most visible statement of principles for the promotion and protection of university autonomy . Over the past two decades , nearly 700 institutions of higher ~ education on every continent have signed it . Nevertheless , there remains a nagging sense that universities are luxuries now that ordinary people are struggling to make ends meet . There has always been reason for concern . In the past , universities have been created in times of plenty , typically to encourage people to think beyond their immediate need for survival to more edifying spiritual or national goals .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh get stuffed , no way , no , no way Les the lesbian No , get lost Can you image him turning up , he 'd follow me round everywhere would n't he ? Yes , he would do
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Privacy’ is a word even less susceptible of exact meaning , though probably everyone could define something they considered to be private . In the present context the nearest to a definition might be the right to control who knows information about me . Someone has pointed out that this would require an ability to control the Royal Mail to ensure that letters did not get lost ! ‘ Right to know’ is an emotive phrase used in campaigns to widen access to information . But paradoxically the public right - to - know argument , which may be a pure power argument for involvement in decision making or an argument just to know what has been decided ( and why ) , may conflict fundamentally with the individual right to know argument which may say , ‘ I have a right to know information and decisions about me and to prevent anyone else from knowing’— the confidentiality argument ( or one of them ) .
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
He became deputy chairman of the merged business . Yesterday 's meeting , which saw the group change its name from Ferranti International Signal to Ferranti International , also approved changes in its articles designed to prevent it breaching borrowing powers as a result of the decimation of its equity base by the £ 215million write - off . Sir Derek came under fire from several shareholders . One asked why directors responsible for the ISC acquisition were still on the board . In reply , Sir Derek said that though he could not speak for other directors , ‘ my resignation has been available to the board from the day all this started .
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
They wo n't , I was thinking about it , probably not . And do n't pull that funny face ! I 'm not pulling a funny face ! You got netball today Clare ? Are you doing netball in erm , games ?
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
He buttoned his pants . ‘ Where did I leave my car?’ She was lying on the carpet , the lips of her cunt , soft and blunt , pushing up through a mound of black curls . She shrugged at him , and he looked away . She was still lying on the carpet five minutes later when he left the apartment .
Idiom: swim against the tide (used idiomatically: yes)
He repeated his worry this week about the changes to the unemployment and poverty registers and the apparent wish to change the basis of the retail price index . Professor Sir David Cox of Nuffield College , Oxford , an expert on — among other things — Aids statistics , no doubt had uppermost in his mind the Prime Ministerial axing of the Lifestyle Aids survey when he referred to increasing political pressure and lamented the sinking reputation of official statistics . And a former deputy head of the Office of Population , Censuses and Surveys , Mr Philip Redfern , trenchantly criticised his erstwhile colleagues for lacking the openness and courage to swim against the political tide . Faced with all this , Mr Hibbert 's speech was a masterpiece of sanitised complacency which looked pitifully inadequate as a response to such well - placed anxieties . The statistical service , said Mr Hibbert , was completely open about its methods .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: no)
It is possible to imagine a teacher — and there are a few rare ones — who reacts to this predicament with complete equanimity . ' OK ' , they say ' I 'm not doing a good enough job at the moment . I forgot the departmental meeting and I bawled out the wrong kid yesterday , there 's a stack of mail that I have n't even opened in my pigeon - hole , my marking is getting pretty cursory , and I have decided regretfully that I do n't have the energy to organize the third - year science field trip this year , nor the time to prepare properly for my A - level group . But',(said completely non - defensively)'there 's only so many hours in the day and some of them I need to listen to music and to be with my family . If you find me more time , or get an extra teacher in the department , I 'd love to be doing better .
Idiom: run the gauntlet (used idiomatically: yes)
' You are a novelty with your dark red hair and your grey eyes . See that they do not sparkle with anger and disappoint them . ' Maggie was still not in any condition to argue and she found herself following him to the dark little bar , almost running a gauntlet of greetings from the men standing around . She was n't sure if she should go in there . This looked like a very male occasion but she was greeted with smiles and urged indoors where Felipe found a seat for her after she had chosen her snack from the plates on the counter .
Idiom: bugger all (used idiomatically: yes)
Then they signed to Virgin and the Mighty Lemon Drops syndrome struck with a vengeance , ensuring that , up until‘Every Beat Of The Heart’ meandered chartwards , policemen would n't even speak to The Railway Children let alone arrest them . And really , in spite of the quartet 's realised commercial capabilities , this cunning reissue proves precisely why they were ignored for so long . The problem with ‘ Native Place’ is there is absolutely bugger all wrong with it . Dominated by Gary Newby 's Freemans catalogue vocals , there is n't a chord or a shimmering crescendo out of place . This is music that does n't fart , belch or sweat , a handful of songs which do n't so much live as exist , patiently .
Idiom: lie low (used idiomatically: yes)
she was Mac something no I , no I tell you , I tell you what that reminds me of , you know the little , I do n't know if you do , if you walk along the canal towards Berkhamstead , by a lock Oh yes , I . There 's a pub that 's very similar in constructions to that , that lies low beside the lock . It 's on just across the where , where the bridge . You cross where the little bridge goes , you 've got a little bridge like that .
Idiom: go through the motions (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course , in the 1960s or 1970s they were less likely to be called projects : they were ‘ schemes’ , or ‘ plans’ , all very redolent of the ‘ planning’ of the public sector , indeed of all economic life in those Wilsonian days . But people were healthily sceptical then , ‘ Oh God , do n't tell me it 's another mad scheme from accounts’ . Yet they went through the motions : bold summaries , joint papers , graphs , maps and a special binder with the scheme title typed on it . All , mostly , for nothing . There is a lot more urgency apparent in more recent projects .
Idiom: have a few (used idiomatically: yes)
Finished , the doctor laid the syringe on the nurse 's tray and turned to leave . ‘ Well , I should prefer you to leave your visiting until the patient is stronger,’ he told Curtis . ‘ But you 're here now , so you may have a few more minutes with him , until the drug I have just administered takes effect . Mister Grant has a long way to go before he will fully recover from his injuries . Rest and quiet are what he needs most , right now .