Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in a nutshell (used idiomatically: yes)
What wo n't be listed , of course , is Eurobeef 's correct age . No food producer who actually wants to sell his product is going to be daft enough to admit on the label that the meat contained therein predates the Gulf War , Princess Beatrice and the fall of the Berlin Wall . And all of this , in a nutshell , is why I worry about our leaders . Not because they try to sell us Maastricht as economic salvation , privatisation as good for the NHS and John Selwyn Gummer as a vibrant personality . But because they now genuinely appear to believe that we will swallow absolutely anything .
Idiom: all and sundry (used idiomatically: yes)
I am pleased that you have started publishing readers ' letters . Your correspondent Mr. Pike wrote to me before writing to you about his diesel tacho . I get a few letters of this sort from people who think the advert for the B.A.E.C. in your classified section , which says it ‘ exists to help electronics enthusiasts’ , is a general invitation to all and sundry to send their problems to me . I do help if I can , but I also point out to them that the help is to members of the ( and I send them details and a membership application form — but this rarely has any effect ; I do n't even get an acknowledgment as a rule ) . Your editorial pat on the back was well justified .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: no)
Oleg Sergueev ran clear and seemed certain to score . But the striker hit his first shot weakly at Andy Goram . The second from the rebound was blocked on the line by Trevor Steven , and before he had a chance to roll the ball home David Robertson lashed it away . It was a significant moment , because had the more gifted Muscovites taken control then , they may well have swamped Rangers with their precise , but powerful play . Although Rangers were under the cosh for most of the first half , they went into the interval with the lead they refused to relinquish .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: no)
A hacking cough from the porch heralded the arrival of Nancy Little and the Doctor . Willie gave a short gasp . She was wearing trousers to church ! He watched the vicar 's face waiting for the thunderous ' thou shalt be cast into the eternal fires ' glare but he only smiled and shook her hand . He was surprised to see Miss Thorne behind them .
Idiom: lend a hand (used idiomatically: yes)
There really is n't anything good to say this time — not one thing’ . Stopped in his tracks . Ireland prop Nick Popplewell ( on floor ) is turned over and dispossessed by Laurent Cabannes as his captain Phil Danaher ( left ) tries to lend a hand . ‘ IT 'S been disappointing coming here for the last 20 years — so let 's not get carried away with this defeat’ . So spoke Irish manager Ken Reid as he tried to dismiss Ireland 's record defeat at the Parc des Princes .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: no)
Yeah . I bet you did n't buy a paper today either did you not ? No I 'll get one when I go down the road . Where 's the light bill ? I dunno . all the light bills .
Idiom: nuts and bolts (used idiomatically: yes)
The journey there was uneventful and we sat on a seat in the Market Place to eat our sandwiches . On the way back we were about two and a half miles from Fordingbridge when disaster struck . The nut and bolt holding my friend 's chain came off and there we were , two ten - year - olds , some fourteen miles from home with a useless bike . We could see the village of Ibsley off to our right so down a side road we trudged and found a cycle repairer — almost every village had one . There was one snag however — we had no money , a fact which really did worry me .
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
But selling Beatles records was the easy part , since EMI Records basically still did all the distribution work . The other divisions were a disaster area . The electronics and publishing projects never got off the ground . The Apple boutique closed down after only eight months , most of the clothing having simply vanished . The company 's investment decisions were ludicrous and its executives were about as efficient at management as the Board of General Motors would be at writing and performing a Number One single .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
' English . At least , that 's what I studied at Oxford . Please do n't side - track me , ' she said with brisk coolness , glancing down at the notebook in her hand , chewing the end of her pen , and perching on the edge of the desk . ' And you import stuff from all over ? ' Roman nodded slowly , reaching into the back pocket of his trousers for a small packet of cigars .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: yes)
Tiller was a stickler for cleanliness , so she was told to be strict in supervising their washing ( for some this was as novel an experience as appearing on stage ) . The pantomime continued for three months . It was a clockwork existence for the children , but the rapturous applause more than compensated for their tiredness at the end of the day . They were made to write home once a week , proudly enclosing copies of their glowing write - ups from the newspapers , hoping that a neighbour could be found to help out with any reading difficulties . As a final honour , normally reserved for either managers or principal performers , the troupe were allowed a benefit performance .
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: yes)
Er no there 's a covered building and he reallocate the men right away , quarter past seven in the morning . In your days did they have the building then ? Oh yes they , that was further in t that was further in the dock Whereabouts was that ? and that , that Pool Manager was n't employed , there 's a Pool Manager now but he only give the information to the National Dock Labour Board .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
DUKE OF AQUITAINE 1174 — 1183 ELEANOR apart , for the rest of the King 's subjects the Treaty of Montlouis meant , by and large , a return to the status quo as it was fifteen days before the outbreak of war . Loyal barons who had lost lands and castles had them restored . Most of Henry 's prisoners were freed without ransom and given their lands back .
Idiom: drink like a fish (used idiomatically: yes)
She laughed and shook her head . ‘ A true Scotsman . He could drink like a fish and I could n't understand his coarse speech.’ ‘ And did Irvine leave anything?’ my master asked . ‘ Oh , no .
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's difficult , cos I know Adam does n't like the idea of employing secretaries he likes the idea to sort of to , to maximize by having somebody that does both . But I think there is a case for Well it 's blatantly taking the piss , let 's be honest , I mean , I ca n't muck around , I mean it 's blatantly taking the piss is n't it ? Yeah . I mean
Idiom: child's play (used idiomatically: no)
One of the reasons why play is so absorbing is that it is self - initiated , in a way that is not available to us in the process of combatting , enduring or avoiding the slings and arrows of day - to - day living . Paradoxically it provides this sense of freedom to choose , but the process of play activity is about limiting the choices . ( It is interesting that Piaget failed to recognise what Vygotsky ( 1933 , tr . 1976 ) observed about a young child 's play : that it is rule - bound . ) In a game the rules are socially constructed beforehand ; in creative drama they are negotiated , but this negotiation is often constrained by whatever the ‘ rules’ happen to be in the slice of life the creative drama is reflecting . I now want to suggest that play , games and drama have the same structural basis , that in bringing a sense of order to the randomness of day - to - day living , they nevertheless build on structures embedded in our real social interactions .
Idiom: push the envelope (used idiomatically: no)
This also gives you the chance of identifying precisely the command the caused the problem . Also see the box ' Trouble with Ctrl and Alt ' . 3 ) Pushing the envelope . Many users have unrealistic expectations of what the software will do . As a result they push it beyond its design — a bit like trying to fly a plane at twice the speed and height that it was designed for .
Idiom: at a loss for words (used idiomatically: yes)
Buzz never cheated to let Elinor win : she knew that Elinor would immediately sense this and feel humiliated . After an intensive rehabilitation programme of physiotherapy and speech therapy , Elinor appeared to have completely recovered from her stroke , although she could no longer think of three things at once , which Buzz said was a mercy for the people who had to live with her . Elinor was sometimes at a loss for the right word , or name , and then became impatient with herself ; she was often frustrated because she could n't move as swiftly as she did before . At times , she was downhearted and wondered whether she would ever write another book . ' When you want to write , you 'll write , ' Buzz would tell her then .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
The Telecommunications watchdog , Oftel , has ordered BT to cut its prices and installation charges considerably or face referral to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission . Petrol price increase from midnight Esso and Shell have announced petrol price rises to a record high of two pounds , forty - five for a gallon of four star from midnight with other companies expected to follow suit . Major to sign important treaties in Earth Summit The Prime Minister has announced that Britain will sign two important treaties at the Earth Summit in Rio .
Idiom: sweet nothings (used idiomatically: yes)
Something of the sort is being tried again at Waco . Perhaps the boffins in the boats at Scapa ought to swallow their compassion and get equally coercive with the whales . Instead of towing amplified sweet nothings ahead of the school , they might do better to sit astern with a few well - chosen selections from The Osmonds ' Greatest Hits , or Singalongamax . Well , would n't it work for you ?
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
What are you doing there ? He goes oh shut up , like that . And er , he yeah , yeah he told me he could play basket ball it must be right cos he 's got a nice chest and he went what ? Like that and he started laughing He said yeah , cos he said he 'd got , I , I do n't know what I said do n't say shut up like that and I do n't tell me to shut up like that ! Do I say that ?
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
He flicked the long tape measure from around his neck and eyed Willie . ‘ There 's not a lot of ‘ i m , his there?’ he remarked disappointedly . Willie craned his head over the counter and watched him measuring and cutting two rolls of grey and navy flannel . A roll of corduroy lay at the end of the counter . He reached out and touched it .
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
Do 's Select the right sized unit for the numbers you cater for . There are many sizes and shapes available but the main rule of thumb guide to size selection is : 6 shelf 40 - 80 people 10 shelf 80 - 140 people 20 shelf approx 200 people 20 double shelf approx 400 people Ensure that the oven is simple to use and is not a pilot 's cockpit Check for good materials and engineering
Idiom: two a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ All meals included in the tariff,’ said Mollie , grinning . ‘ And dinna get fashed,’ said Dr Reid . ‘ Lobsters are two a penny here . The boys spear them on the reef . When you 've been here six months you 'll nae want to see another lobster in your life.’
Idiom: dead and buried (used idiomatically: yes)
Rugby Union : Mapletoft turns the screw on Harlequins By Nick Cain Rugby29pts Harlequins20 RUGBY 'S League One ambitions looked dead and buried . They trailed 20–7 at half - time as Harlequins ran through their repertoire of slick back - line moves in preparation for their Cup final showdown with Bath . The only stumble in the Quins surge , which brought tries for Carling , Thompson and Pears , who also landed two penalties , came when Saunders , Rugby 's ace poacher , intercepted Halliday 's would - be scoring pass and held off Quins ' all - comers in a 90-metre sprint for the line .
Idiom: on the hop (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's different from running away ; it 's a conscious choice to put off dealing with something until conditions are more favourable to yourself and to other people involved . The standing back approach Someone phones you for a price for a project . They catch you on the hop . You do n't want to look silly and you 're excited at the prospect of the work , so in the heat of the moment you suggest an unrealistically low price . Would n't you have been wiser to call them back ?
Idiom: call the tune (used idiomatically: yes)
Par from this happening only in the realm of serious study or occult practices , we come across numerous examples in daily life . There is person A , who seems to be strangely in the power of person B , and though he is deriving no visible benefit from the relationship , can not break out of it . There are the lovers , where the apparently weaker one of the two seems to be the one calling the tune . There is the social acquaintance you do not feel comfortable being near , for it is as if she sucks something out of you and you come away feeling tired and dispirited . We do have a choice as to whether to make the connection or not , but , as I have said , unless one is aware of it forming at the time , the bond is likely to build up at the instinctive level .
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: no)
The Polos . Po yeah . And er , he , he got it so he 'd eat out of pocket , and exercise , you know , turn its head round and and in that side , you know . Oh So Sharp would turn , well that 's what he got him to do . Well she won all them races .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah . That 's what I thought . I mean it did n't have to be spot on . As long as it came back out to where it is now . Ah .
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
personal finance : investing in the EC OVER THERE AND OVERPRICED ? The boom in buying second homes in Europe has ended for the time being— the buyers wo n't be back until the UK economy recovers Robin Dunham In the prosperous 1980s many individuals found they were able to consider buying a second home in Europe , perhaps at first for holidays but later with retirement in view .
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
This exists primarily because of the government 's desire to finance a substantial part of its expenditure by cheap money rather than by taxation . When the federal government wants to give ‘ selective’ credits — at a cheap rate — to ‘ priority’industries , or for ‘ priority’purposes , it does not raise the taxes necessary to finance these credits : instead , it instructs the banks to give the credits . Similarly , when the government discovers that a large part of the loans raised from abroad has been used to make dinar loans to Yugoslav enterprises , and that the dinar service payments on the latter loans increasingly fall short of the amounts required to meet the interest and principal on these foreign debts , it instructs the National Bank to cover the difference by issuing new money . At a meeting of a committee of the Skupština in December 1986 , the Federal Secretary of Finance said : ‘ We must face our reality — that we have in this economy and in this country a very serious state of financial disorder … In this country debts are not paid ; in some cases not even is the interest paid.’
Idiom: out of order (used idiomatically: yes)
What on earth is the possibility of reaching agreement on much more substantial matters ? A are n't we supposed to believe this European union is won , that it 's all unanimous on the rest of it , there does n't seem to be much evidence of that , even when it comes to where the M E Ps should actually sit . How right you are Mr Deputy Speaker , of course I could n't go into this because it 's out of order but on the other hand I would simply say to the honourable gentleman if he looks at the basic policies , the basic flaw of the E C is it ca n't solve problems and all these new M E Ps we 're thinking of sending over I think we should bear in mind the problem , they 're going over to something where problems ca n't be solved . The ideal example of course the C A P , we 've had reform after reform but nothing happens . The final point Mr Deputy Speaker and of course the honourable gentleman knows this is absolutely right , expenditure at an all time high , mountains at an all time high and also of course the gap between consumer prices and world prices the highest ever recorded .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
He reached past her to pick up the papers , a faint smile curling his chiselled lips as he scanned the typewritten sheets . ‘ If you do n't mind , those are private.’ Fran held her hand out , annoyance in every line of her face as she glared coldly at him , but he seemed unperturbed . ‘ I fail to see how they can be private when they 're about me.’ He read to the bottom of the sheet , then turned the page , laughing softly as he read on .
Idiom: in bed with (used idiomatically: yes)
It was in buoyant mood that she was driven back to Merchiston Lodge , and she entered her employer 's bedchamber with a smile on her lips . ‘ There you are!’ ejaculated the old lady . She was looking exhilarated herself , sitting up in bed with a welter of papers before her , her pen laboriously scratching over a sheet of parchment . Hector , for once restricted to the floor , gave a yelp of greeting and came to frolic about Theda 's feet . ‘ You are come in excellent time , Theodosia!’
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: yes)
Such a decision would need to be clearly defined in terms of a line dividing what was acceptable from what was not . For those matters which fall above the line , there can be debate and compromise ; for those that do not there can not . ‘ Giving in’ to prevent ‘ giving more’ , which has been in reality the basis of much of British diplomacy in Europe , will need to be replaced by a position which says , ‘ Above the line anything goes ; below it we walk away.’ The brand of political union which is being proposed for Europe is particularly hard for Britain to accept . The fact is that there is a fundamental difference in the philosophy which lies behind the British Constitution and those of her Continental partners .
Idiom: steal the show (used idiomatically: yes)
Why Bo Stole the Show CLAREMONT , CALIFORNIA – As show trials go , the drama featuring Bo ~ Xilai , the once - swaggering , media - savvy former Chinese ~ Communist ~ Party ( CCP ) chief of Chongqing , veered anomalously into improvisation . Before the proceedings began , the conventional wisdom was that Bo 's trial had been carefully scripted and rehearsed to portray a forlorn and penitent sinner confessing his crimes and apologizing to the Party .
Idiom: out of the blue (used idiomatically: yes)
In the darkest hours of his captivity Serfaty considered suicide . ‘ I had lost the will to live , but did not have the means to end it.’ Then , out of the blue , a letter arrived in his cell . It was from an elderly woman in Austria . He described it as ‘ the light of life’ .
Idiom: hit a nerve (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You said your parents ‘ were’ a successful team,’he said . ‘ What happened?’ Rory flinched , the unexpected follow - up question hitting a nerve that was still raw even several years on . ‘ My mother died,’ she said softly , then looked away , knowing her eyes were blurring with tears . It had been such a traumatic , agonising time , even now she could n't talk about it without feeling pain .
Idiom: curry favour (used idiomatically: yes)
There is a danger that by remaining on the file the picture acquires a spurious aura of eternal truth . ‘ Very much inclined to sulk . Wants to be liked and likes to hang around and curry favour with teacher . Very much inclined to cheat . Rather lovable in spite of all’— was recorded at age 7 and still remained on the secondary school record at age 14 .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: no)
Jiang made no mention of party - political reform . The goal of reform , he said , was to build a " socialist democracy " and " absolutely not a Western , multiparty parliamentary system " . In pursuing reform , Jiang warned cadres to guard against both " left " and " right " tendencies . He exhorted delegates to fight corruption , bureaucracy and incompetence . On international relations Jiang said that China would continue to develop relations with foreign countries " in seeking a favourable international environment for its reform , opening up and modernization " and to " make contributions to world peace and development " .
Idiom: go places (used idiomatically: yes)
HELP ! scrawled in lipstick . The First Church of Christ the Spiritualist was , as its leading members were fond of saying , on the move . It was , literally , going places . Every single member of the congregation was haring through the bushes of Wimbledon Common in search of flying saucers . If ever there was a flight from the true religion , this was it .
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
He signs intelligent , sensitive pop people like The Beautiful South , William Bragg Esq , and , sniff , the late Housemartins . He borrowed money from his mother when the record company was in trouble right at the start . He does n't seem to be embarrassed by anything , except when you try to provoke him by telling him that surely he must thump his desk once in a while , or that although he says that a record company exists ‘ to guide your artists’ most of them must hate him at some point . Then you get this little wan smile . We shall call it the Go !
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: yes)
White as a sheet , and holding his arms out as rigid as a shelf . His lips moved , and some noises came out but I could n't make sense of them . It was like in films when people have a heart attack — they mumble something which seems very important to them but which no - one can understand . I looked at Oliver and he seemed to be in genuine distress . The flowers had dripped all down his trousers , his face was frighteningly lacking in colour , he was trembling , and his lips seemed to be sticking together as he tried to speak .
Idiom: stake a claim (used idiomatically: yes)
' There are no guarantees to happiness , Virgie , darling ! But Guy Sterne is one of the nicest men I know . If you want him , stake your claim . That 's my advice . ' David Chester chose that moment to demonstrate his lung capacity , and the confidences were abruptly ended .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
Sausages . Hors d'oeuvres . Salmon and you want salmon on rolls Salmon on biscuits ?
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
Waddle played a lovely through ball to bright I think , who was then hacked down . Waddle then scored an unstoppable free - kick . From then on Leeds showed some good attacking play but thankfully Bright is a donkey who gets caught off - side alot or we 'd have been in trouble ( Newsome and wetherall look dodgy to say the least ) . When we equalised I thought we would begin to walk it but almost immediately ( it seemed ) Wednesday were back in front . Second half began with Leeds on full throttle .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: no)
Stay the Course in North ~ Korea NEW ~ YORK – Barack ~ Obama 's election was historic on many levels . Between now and his inauguration on January 20 , he will need to hone his policies . Much of the early focus of the Obama administration will undoubtedly be on the economy and the war in Iraq .