Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: work to rule (used idiomatically: yes)
But on the other hand , we were only working to rule , we were working by rules and regulations laid down from various Acts and negotiated er agreements . But erm certainly we were a lot worse off , cos we we were just earning a day rate , instead of any bonus you know we had no bonus at all . So yeah we all thought , we 'll work to rule a couple of weeks , things'll get sorted and we 'll all be back to normal . You said that the other t t two quarries were sort of l l l linked er with you . How did you how d how did it arise that there was this degree of cooperation ?
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: no)
The Liberal Democrats have claimed that over half a million bottle - fed babies in England and Wales may be at risk from mental retardation due to lead pollution of tap water . The party 's environment spokesman , Simon Hughes , has called on the government to take action to combat excess lead in drinking water . Launching the Poison in the Pipeline ? report , Hughes said that in 1991 one in four water - supply areas in England and Wales supplied water which contained lead more than five times above the level which the World Health Organization ( WHO ) deems to be harmful to health . He called on the government to set legal limits of lead in water in line with WHO guidelines , and to widen the number of households eligible for grants to replace lead piping . " The government and water companies should make removing lead from our tap water an urgent priority " , he declared .
Idiom: under the table (used idiomatically: yes)
Since 1945 , a great painter has illustrated the label of Mouton Rothschild every year : Masson , Dali , Miró , Braque , Cocteau , Laurencin , Motherwell , Warhol , and Baselitz , among others . Bacon is the second Briton , the other being Henry Moore . Francis Bacon , well known for his capacity to drink nearly everyone under the table , left his friend John Edward , a son of a publican , £ 10 million in his will , which was published last month Art Newspaper awards at the ‘ Discerning Eye’ At the ‘ Discerning Eye1992’ exhibition of contemporary art held in the Mall Galleries from 27 November to 6 December , The Art Newspaper was invited to single out four artists .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: yes)
Within ten days , a special prosecutor had been appointed to look into criminal misconduct . The finders of this bombshell were two Justice Department officials , Brad Reynolds and John Richardson , who had been sent to North 's office to look through papers relating to the shipments to Iran . This was their initiation into the NSC world of secrecy , and they entered into it with a will . Sitting at the table in North 's office , they communicated by passing notes to each other , even notes that merely inquired when they ought to meet up again . There was always someone at North 's desk , they explained ; it seemed safer that way .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
The wages of players would be a private matter between them and their clubs / unions , and the appearance of players in advertisements will benefit the game by increasing its profile . Also the defection of players of the quality of Jonathan Davies , Martin Offiah and David Young to rugby league would also be less likely . The present situation where players from different countries and unions are bound by different rules and standards is unsatisfactory to say the least . How can part - time British players compete against professional overseas players in terms of standards of fitness and attitude ? British ref shortcomings
Idiom: see eye to eye (used idiomatically: no)
16. after 'The Master' The echo of your voice , that stuns : To see , deeper than eyes With what rises — when we were sun , gold When we were mist , Atlantis , dreaming , continuous —
Idiom: grasp the nettle (used idiomatically: yes)
The importance of accountability relationships to economic success has been recognised by those writers who point to the rise of the Japanese version of ‘ collective’ capitalism . Is it time to rethink our conception of the company ? Investment business — grasping the nettle Investment business holds pitfalls for the unwary but it also offers a significant business opportunity Roy Kemp Accountants Consultancy & Training Co Over the past year so much time and energy has been devoted to considering the implications of the new audit regulatory regime that investment business has been given scant attention by commentators and the profession alike .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: no)
What , you coming to help , I 'm not doing it by myself , there 's the other pieces there look Oh Charlotte that 's naughty , go on pick them up now , please . I 'm not going to pick them up when you just throw them around like that . Charlotte please , pick the pieces up . No , no more pieces . There 's two more pieces on the table .
Idiom: off the cuff (used idiomatically: yes)
Right , now you you 've already made it clear to us that about half the increase in development costs are due to increases in the costs of the equipment . The that is so erm how much in total and or proportionally was due to equipments themselves being more expensive than expected and how much because the U K share of costs was higher . Erm I s do n't think I can give you a precise answer to that question er off the cuff Mr Colgan , I think we 'd have to let you have a note on those figures hmm right , yeah but all these equipments would have been selected by by competition would they ? Yes indeed
Idiom: catch the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
All the more important , then , to stand protected from the like and ensure that all things — not excluding alcohol — conspire to bear visible witness to that ruddy hue sported by the English living in the Tropics.’ For some time it seems I 've been talking to myself . Nobody 's listening but I insist : ‘ This fairness of skin obliges them to shield themselves so that if they do catch the sun they avoid the obvious danger of peeling . Shedding their skin puts them in the same position as Jane Austen 's heroes , prematurely aged by the treacherous sun of the West Indies.’ The wind off the Channel is brisk and fierce and icy .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
Certain areas of the province are out of bounds to service families because it 's too risky . And their which are guarded round the clock . On day three of his reports from the province , John Kane tells the wife 's tale . Being a soldier 's wife here in Northern Ireland is definitely not glorious . The Gloucesters have brought with them over two hundred families and although they 're not confined to barracks there 's certain areas of the province which are definitely out of bounds .
Idiom: in someone's pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
ALUMINIUM Ting - ting ! ‘ What 's in your pocket , sir?’ Ping ! Metal .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
Obviously there are a number of issues which people will treat to a great degree , emotional or less extent , and while in some cases we would sympathize with the views of the people in the residence in the area , er the factory will be bringing employment and other benefits , economic benefits , to the area . Er . In the final analysis it really is up to the planning officers and the planning committee to decide whether the benefits which it will bring to the locality outweigh the objectors ' views . The picket by the twenty - three journalists sacked from Pergammon Press ten months ago continues . The National Union of Journalists has once again discussed the situation at their annual Delegate Conference .
Idiom: in black and white (used idiomatically: yes)
But this passage reveals other features of Montini 's nature . He was lucid about himself and knew perfectly well what was being said behind his back . With his keen sense of the complexity of situations , he refused to see the world or the Church in black - and - white terms . By professional training he had the diplomat 's sense of nuances . He listened to critics as well as to flatterers ( no court is complete without them ) , and was able to learn from them .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
They are great gossips , the men as much as the women , whispering behind raised hands , then bursting into sudden excesses of rage with wildly waving hands , flashing eyes , curled lips spitting torrents of invective . Then it is changed in a moment , and they are all sunny smiles and playful pats on the arm . A few determinedly modern young women eat snacks in the street , but no girl or woman in Spain dares wear trousers or skimpy bathing - suits . In the Franco era Spain is the least modern of all European countries . This may be partly due to its isolated geographical position , which has helped to give the country its intense feeling of national uniqueness , and its deep conservatism .
Idiom: bear fruit (used idiomatically: yes)
But the agenda set at Pittsburgh will shape , for better or worse , not just the US and European financial systems , but also the global financial system . Financial markets are too integrated – and will remain so , like it or not – for whatever rules are established not to profoundly affect emerging markets . China , Brazil , and Russia have offered ambitious proposals , which may bear fruit in 10 or 20 years , to make the International ~ Monetary ~ Fund ’s Special Drawing Rights a true international currency . But they have not said how they would reform financial systems and policies now . The first priority should be international banks .
Idiom: dead wood (used idiomatically: yes)
In Rutland Forest he had ‘ dead and dry wood which can be collected in the demesne woods of the lord King with the hand alone , without any iron instrument . In Inglewood Forest he took : all dead wood standing and fallen , all dry wood and barren trees , stumps , twigs and bark ( of trees cut down ) , wood of alders and willows , and all cablish and branches … except in the hay of Plumpton . In the forests of Dean , Windsor , Cannock , Sherwood , Essex , Inglewood and Galtres the warden took the lop and top , and sometimes the bark , of oaks given by the king , or felled for his use . Some Forest wardens had the right to hunt certain animals and to take certain birds of prey used in hawking .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: no)
and I turned round ! I knew you had ! I thought I bet Ken will go down the road and I mean it was all white . Yeah .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: no)
Between 1972 and 1974 at least 500 dolphins ended up in meat markets in Kingstown , St Vincent . OTHER DELIBERATE KILLING OF DOLPHINS THE GUNNING DOWN OF DOLPHINS IN THE BLACK SEA Dolphins have been hunted in the Black Sea since the late nineteenth century , when Russian fishermen sought them for their meat and oil . By the mid 1930s , up to a quarter of a million dolphins were being killed each year by Turkish , Bulgarian , Romanian , and Russian hunters .
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
All the wastewater is neutralized in the site 's two wastewater stations and monitored round the clock by means of automated analytical equipment .
Idiom: take a bath (used idiomatically: no)
I suppose she was the sort who would normally have been commissioned , but , all credit to her , she opted for the ranks and she was certainly finding out how the other half lived . She often used to say she could n't believe how some people behaved , and the promiscuity and drinking shook her to the core . Once we had a girl who never , but never , took a bath , and after suffering her proximity for far too long we made a complaint to Miss Malley . She came along , wearing gloves , and tuned out the girl 's kitbag onto the floor . The contents were immediately consigned to the rubbish tip and the girl forcibly removed in the direction of the bath huts .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: no)
The twin guitars ebb and flow on top of a fervent rhythm behind lead singer Hunter Edwards — Dinosaur Jr courting Neil Young . A younger , more graceful Norman Blake , Edwards , fuelled on nothing more potent than youthful enthusiasm , powers his way through the set . Half caught through the mumble of the PA , stand our tracks are ' Anything Goes ' — kinda like ' Freakscene ' on methadone — and ' Somebody 's Loofah ' ( ? ) . They finish with a rather ham ' Ballad Of John And Yoko ' , a song better left to their contemporaries but we can forgive them one indiscretion . Hopefully , YTS permitting , the rest of the country can catch them on the forthcoming Teenage Fannies tour .
Idiom: behind closed doors (used idiomatically: yes)
In most cases , on most issues , nobody knows what the president has decided . Only his immediate advisers and staff know that . And where , where the president speaks publicly , then his orders are obviously much more likely to carry weight than if it 's simply behind , behind closed doors . The fourth factor is that there 's really no point in giving people orders or making up policies or decisions unless the people who receive the orders have the resources to carry them out . And in this case it was no big deal , a company of soldier you want a company of soldiers to go to Little Rock ?
Idiom: far and away (used idiomatically: yes)
With barely 800 inhabitants , Little Walsingham comprised almost a quarter of the population and a clear two - fifths of the value of North Greenhoe hundred , Norfolk ( Table 2.9 ) : four men in the £ 100 class shared 30 per cent of the town 's wealth , and ten at £ 40 — £ 99 owned a further 35 per cent . In the remainder of the hundred these two groups accounted for just under 30 per cent . For a town of this rank it seems almost incredible until we recall that Walsingham enjoyed a lucrative tourist trade as far and away the most popular resort of pilgrimage , the shrine alone deriving an income of £ 250 a year from the pious offerings of the faithful , compared with the meagre £ 36 to which that of St Thomas at Canterbury had by then shrunk . The insignificant proportion of men in the £ 3 — £ 9 range would appear on the face of things to betoken no handicraft beyond what would suffice to satisfy demand in a small hundred , while the many nils , amounting to very nearly one - third of the total , strongly suggests that many of the inhabitants of Walsingham were mendicants subsisting on the alms of the faithful . For towns of medium size a big stake in the woollen textile industry was the surest foundation of prosperity .
Idiom: the grass is always greener (used idiomatically: yes)
Once again , it is believed that the disciples were the source of the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 . There is an eyewitness comment about the grass being green . This may seem insignificant as , in Britain , the grass is almost always green . This is not so in Palestine where , in high summer , the grass can be more yellow in colour . It is surprising that no crowd reaction to the miracle is given .
Idiom: touch wood (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh , hello Doug , yeah I wonder why you 're so jolly in the morning . I mean , when I get up in the morning , it takes me four hours before I come to , you 're always so jolly . Well , I think you know , I 'm a naturally optimistic sort of person , and I , I 'm not er , sort of blowing my own trumpet here , I , I , I erm , look on life with a great deal of optimism , er touch wood , I 've been fairly lucky in my life . I 've got a job that I love doing , and er , I also take the view that if I came and did this programme and moaned away at everybody , and er , moaned away about everything , nobody would ring me up , and nobody would listen . So , you know , I , I do n't want to be too jolly , because er , er that , that , that 's er , as bad as being morbid , is n't it and miserable , but I try and strike er , a happy balance .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
The formulation of the criticism recalls Hölderlin 's Hyperion , but its intensity arises from Nietzsche 's own experience . And yet , for all his reservations , Nietzsche continued to devote time and energy to orthodox classical scholarship ; and he was still prepared for an academic career , albeit with the special aims appropriate to one so sceptical of the established order . He wrote to Rohde in 1868 , encouraging his friend to follow suit : " we must do it simply because we can not do anything else … [but] … for our part let us see to it that young philologists are brought up with the necessary scepticism , free from pedantry and the over - valuation of their profession , and behave as genuine promoters of humanistic studies . Soyons de notre siècle , as the French say — a stance that no one forgets more easily than the trained philologist . " Accordingly , when the call to Basle came in 1869 , he accepted .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
Simpson was born in Leith on the outskirts of Edinburgh in 1906 and became prominent with St Bernards in the 2nd Division of the Scottish League . Kettering persuaded him to come South and he helped them win the Southern League ( Eastern ) Championship in 1927–28 and 1928–29 . St Bernards had placed a fee on this transfer should he go to a Football League club so Palace had to settle with them and with Kettering , but his eminent place in the club 's history assures us that if Palace had had to pay a dozen clubs , it would have been money well spent . Peter Simpson has become famed as a Palace goalscorer . Indeed he was that — but he was much more .
Idiom: go the whole hog (used idiomatically: yes)
Next day all mines and ports closed , Michelin and Peugeot workers struck and the non - union work force at Citroën occupied the plant . CGT secretary Séguy announced that he was not concerned with such ‘ vacuous ideas as workers’ control , reform of society and other inventions ' . Rather , ‘ going the whole hog means a general rise in wages , guaranteed employment , an earlier retirement age , reduction in working hours without loss of pay , and defence and extension of such trade union rights in the factory’ . But the CGT technicians ' section came out in support of the students for workers ' control . By 21 May 10 million workers were on strike .
Idiom: grind to a halt (used idiomatically: yes)
If this diversity in ethos cuts across any diversity in the objective conditions in which teachers find themselves , as it seems to , then there is reason to doubt the idea that decline in these conditions is the cause of teacher demoralization . It may be harder to keep seeing change as ‘ challenge’ rather than‘threat’when the going gets tough , but whether you can or not may say more about the way difficulties are met and the emotional repercussions they generate than about their very existence . There is a story about an old man who was called in by a factory to fix their ancient boiler , which had ground to a halt . He wandered around for fifteen minutes examining the piping , whistling quietly to himself , stopping occasionally to put his ear to a joint , and then pulled a hammer out of his tool - bag and tapped smartly on one particular valve . Slowly the boiler began to rattle and , sure enough , it lumbered into life .
Idiom: swings and roundabouts (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'd be out of the door quicker . You 'd be out of the door quicker . So it 's it is swings and roundabouts there . Yes . If you 're doing both then that 's your total income and if you did that in three weeks I would think you 'd be very happy with that .
Idiom: make light of (used idiomatically: yes)
the right of education to adjust to meet individual needs the right to have one 's contribution regarded on an equal basis with others ' . There is little point in making light of the enormity of the task ahead , but this should not discourage those teachers with the vision and determination to continue the fight for a structure that encourages integration . Young people with special needs in the further education context Richard Stowell
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
They suggest we support a reformed electoral college for the next round of selection , every transition towards the use of the register of Labour supporters for subsequent selection . I think we should say here and now that we support option one B , registered supporters as a compromise . I say this because I believe that those constitutional issues have to be decided once and for all at this year 's Party Conference . We should n't adopt stands that we try this now and try something else next time round , which I believe is what the C E C is recommending . Turning now to the C E C recommendation on the election of the Labour Party leader and deputy leader .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
The House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs carried out an inquiry into the branch during 1984–5 and concluded : ' We are satisfied , on the basis of the evidence which we have received , that the special branches of the police service in England and Wales do not justify public anxiety'(House of Commons , 1985 , p. x ; our emphasis ) . The minority of Labour members on the committee did not agree with this and issued their own minority report , but the most significant point about the conclusion is that the majority on the committee excluded at the outset the possibility of obtaining the evidence they would need to judge properly whether there was any abuse of power . They refused to examine particular complaints or cases , did not examine branch files and did not interview rank - and - file officers ; in other words , they did none of the things that would have had to be done to get at the truth . In Australia , Canada and the United States during the 1970s inquiries into the political police and internal - security agencies demonstrated clearly that reliance on interviews with chief constables and general assertions of good faith by all concerned would be inadequate . After 1986 parliamentary concern shifted towards the security service or MI5 , particularly because of allegations that it had been involved in attempts to smear elected politicians during the 1970s .
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: yes)
He did ! He did . He had a heart attack Saturday mo , what was it He 's in hospital . Saturday morning at work , he 's he 's , hospital .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
BUT WITH THE BURGEONING AUDIENCE UNDER GLASNOST GROWING TIRED OF IMITATION , THE MUSIC THERE IS NOW SEEKING OUT ITS OWN ROOTS . NICOLAI GRAKHOV , PRESIDENT OF THE ROCK CLUB IN BORIS YELTSIN 'S HOME - TOWN OF SVERDLOVSK , WAS A RECENT SPEAKER AT THE IRISH INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SEMINAR . HERE HE BRINGS YOU UP - TO- DATE ON ROCK IN THE COLLAPSING U.S.S.R. AND ASKS : ARE YOU READY FOR BIPHONIC MONGOLIAN THROAT SINGING ? IN TEN DIFFERENT STYLES ! ? ! IF YOU have ever sent , or would like to send , a letter or postcard to the Soviet Union , take into consideration when addressing it that you must first write the country , then the city , then the street and only finally the name of the person .
Idiom: all over the place (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Say no,’ I advised him . ‘ I bloody might . Critics always say his work 's ‘ austere’ or ‘ puritanical’because he likes bare raked stages and theatres with their brickwork sticking out all over the place and no props . as if my mum and the working class like that . They want comfortable seats , french windows and sweets.’
Idiom: song and dance (used idiomatically: yes)
But we are looking at charities from the institutional end of the business , not the private client end’ . But is this a case of all hype and no substance ? Pesh Framjee of Binder Hamlyn 's Charities Unit agrees that fund managers are making a song and dance about the changes , ‘ but let us say there is no smoke without fire and a lot of wet leaves going round’ . However , in the euphoric atmosphere fund managers have created , it can be easy both to exaggerate the changes and to miss their real significance . For a start , the introduction of the changes enshrined in the new Charities Act will be a slow process .