Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: yes)
•Les Aves smashed the South Essex Specimen Group record with this terrific 3 lb 4 oz roach from the Hampshire Avon at Fordingbridge . Builder Les , from Aldershot , Hampshire , went in search of a big roach after banking a 27 lb 1 oz pike earlier in the season but his efforts had produced only chub until this capture . ‘ When I arrived at the river I was n't at all sure I was doing the right thing because the water temperature was 4.1 degrees Centigrade and the air temperature was 1.8 degrees,’ said Les . ‘ It was n't long before I had my first bite which was a 3 lb 7 oz chub . I had two more chub in quick succession to 2 lb 14 oz and then the last bite of the day produced this roach — what a fish!’
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Perhaps the alteration appears slight , no more than cosmetic , but it would make a considerable difference to defensive attitudes , especially in Britain , without undermining the spirit of the offside law . At the moment the defender organising the line in a flat defence finds it easy to catch an opponent offside . He knows that as long as everybody stays level with the leading attacker they can just step up when the ball is played and the linesman 's flag will be raised . Supposing , however , the defence has to cope with attackers pushing up just far enough to catch them on the turn and stay onside . Playing the offside game would become a riskier business , especially against forwards with the pace of Lineker or Rush , who would be given the benefit of the doubt which at present goes to defenders .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , beaming , grinning like a shark ; Melanie was reminded of the barren , professional , show - biz smiles on the faces of the toy acrobats . He bowed from the waist . He was got up in rusty finery , striped trousers and a dinner jacket with a white carnation in the button - hole and a clip - on bow tie . It was an imitation carnation . All the clothes were unused looking and old , as if kept for years in jars of formaldehyde .
Idiom: take a back seat (used idiomatically: yes)
But Selznick knew that he could not hand over the selection process to assistants . Though he delegated much of the work he always made the final selection choices . Today , with personnel management much more established , it is far easier for many managers to take a back seat and leave recruitment and selection to specialists and even outside consultants . Despite this , it pays to be involved with recruitment and selection . Your job is to obtain results through other people so choosing the right ones is vital .
Idiom: cook the books (used idiomatically: yes)
The Government has long been accused by politicians and academics of repeatedly changing the way the unemployment figures are counted to reduce the total . Earlier this year there were calls for a public inquiry into the Government 's use of statistics and constraints on research , from the social statistics section of the RSS , from the Association of Social Research Organisations and from the Social Research Association . This followed the publication of a book called Facing the Figures , by the Radical Statistics Health Group , and a television documentary , in the series ‘ Dispatches’ , which said the Government was ‘ cooking the books’ and misleading the public over issues such as unemployment , poverty and the health service . The idea for a national committee to act as an independent watchdog has been proposed behind the scenes by Sir David Cox , one of the world 's most eminent statisticians . Now Warden of Nuffield College , Oxford , he is a former president of the RSS and last year chaired a government committee on the spread of Aids .
Idiom: on the hoof (used idiomatically: yes)
These changes , coupled with increased marketing activity from producer and retailer alike , have caused the once mass food markets to fragment into a wide range of market segments , upon each of which are Positioned a whole variety of different foodstuffs . There are convenience segments , children 's segments , fresh food segments , health food and vegetarian segments , traditional segments , catering segments and so on . Food is consumed at home , in restaurants or burger bars ( etc ) , or eaten " on the hoof " from takeaways . These segments vary in volume and value from very large to very small . There are manufacturers , distributors and retailers geared up to supply them all , from multinational companies like Nestle to small healthfood firms manufacturing grain , nut and honey crunch bars .
Idiom: pull a rabbit out of a hat (used idiomatically: yes)
Or are they expected to be grateful that after the hamfisted handling of Sir David ( now Lord ) Wilson 's resignation , Hong Kong is to be the possible reward for a loser in the game of political musical chairs ? The po - faced statements issued by the Foreign Office that ' the matter is under careful consideration ' and the like are revealed as hot air . A rabbit has been pulled out of the political hat , and might be handed to Hong Kong . If so , let us hope that the magic stays with it . Lord WILLOUGHBY de BROKE London SW1
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
I 've had to sell it all . We're … we're pretty hard up . Things have been getting steadily worse — all our investments are down — and long before this last attack of Daddy 's , it was almost impossible to make both ends meet . Thank goodness he never knew . ' Breeze caught her sister 's hand .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
You expect her to crouch and try to put the robe on before she 's fully out of the water , or to turn her back to you , but instead there 's something like a sneer on her face as she stands up facing you and wraps the robe around herself with a kind of disdain . She has a good body , and that single vertical tuft of pubic hair you need if you 're a model or the possessor of a high - cut swimsuit . She puts her head back with a nervous , resigned sigh when you put the gun to her head but she does n't try anything as you cuff her hands behind her back . You tape her mouth then you walk her down to the kitchen and down into the cellar . As you pass through the hall you notice that Mr Azul is just where you left him .
Idiom: pass the buck (used idiomatically: yes)
All information should be disseminated . an openness , frankness which prevents rumours occurring . honesty and a reduction in passing the buck common sense a redesigned department which ensured that all staff were in contact with each other— not hidden in offices or separate sections of the department .
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
Most popular books on dreaming include Kekule 's discovery of the benzene ring and Coleridge 's " Kubla Khan " as examples . Inspiration without effort is an attractive idea , and in recent history the psychedelic movement of the 1960s promised increased understanding with the use of drugs . The Romantic movement of the early nineteenth century also celebrated personal revelation , inspirational creation , and opium , like cannabis in the 1960s , was a fashionable drug ( freely available over the counter in all sorts of remedies ) . Samuel Taylor Coleridge had been reading Purchas 's His Pilgrimage after taking some opium : In Xamdu did Cublai Can build a stately palace , encompassing sixteene miles of plaine ground with a wall , wherein are fertile Meddowes , pleasant Springs , delightful Streames , and all sorts of beasts of chase and game , and in the middest thereof a sumptuous house of pleasure . Almost twenty years alter the incident Coleridge was persuaded by Byron to publish the poem , and he then made the sensational claim that he had been able to remember 200 to 300 lines of perfect poetry when he had awoken from a drug - induced sleep , and was busy writing them down when he was interrupted by someone from Porlock demanding to see him on business .
Idiom: put the cat among the pigeons (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I might have,’ he said , ‘ if I 'd thought of it . But even if I did , we 're still left with the same question : What are we going to do about it ? ‘ It 's put the cat among the pigeons,’ said Paul . ‘ It really has . You 're sure nothing to do with it?’
Idiom: cuckoo in the nest (used idiomatically: no)
Any cuckoo nestling that lost its hold , even momentarily , over its host would have died as a result . But each individual foster - parent is descended from a long line of ancestors many of whom never encountered a cuckoo in their lives . And those that did have a cuckoo in their nest could have succumbed to it and still lived to rear another brood next season . The point is that there is an asymmetry in the cost of failure . Genes for failure to resist enslavement by cuckoos can easily be passed down the generations of robins or dunnocks .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: yes)
The crisis of identity suggested by this violent displacement is reflected in the themes of the two novels . In Charles , the rural past plays a more traditional , but still surprising , part than in Busi 's novel . The story centres on Giorgio , a successful eye - surgeon working in Paris and his alter egos : his much younger brother Piero , who is caught up in the obscure ‘ manoeuvres’ going on in Sicily ( it will turn out that he has sabotaged an American helicopter and is on the run ) , and Charles , a 12-year - old boy who is at the centre of the whole story . There is a strong thriller element to the novel , particularly in the last part , in which Piero is tracked down by the agents of what is portrayed as something close to a police or military state in the underground corridors of the prison - like block of flats where Charles lives and the fugitive has been hiding . It is from this forbidding , inhuman Paris , projected into the not - too - distant future , that Giorgio returns to his childhood haunts in the Abruzzi .
Idiom: on the wagon (used idiomatically: yes)
There are two things to note about Ramsey Station ; first of all , its extension line , the harbour branch , had closed years before , and secondly , no engine was ever kept at the station overnight because the shed water supply had been disconnected . So I , and the only other lad in the dormitory , who was also a railway enthusiast , were surprised and stunned to hear , just as we were slipping off to sleep , the sound of wagons being shunted in the station . These wagons had a different coupling system over in the island ; the sound of I O M shunting is quite different from mainland shunting , you do n't get the clunk of the links on a loose - coupled wagon but a delayed clank as the ' chopper ' of one drops over the buffing plate of another . When you have listened to it many times as we had , you get to recognise the unique sound , it is absolutely unmistakable . At first , we could only hear the wagons and we thought that it could be someone hand - shunting , but at this time of night ?
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
We and we had some marvellous Christmas parties because we used to play all sorts of games . And I remember one game in particular it always stuck in me mind . Somebody used to sit on the carpet at one end of the room with a walking stick and a chalk mark in front of him and the contestants used to have to come up to him and try to rub the marking out and he used to rap the hands with his walking stick . I can remember that game ever so well . It must have been a bit painful .
Idiom: sleep rough (used idiomatically: no)
It drove right over them , pressing their heads about three feet into the sand . The guy said it did n't do either of them any serious damage , but they had really bad headaches afterwards . ’ People might think it 's odd that I have this rich , famous dad and still end up sleeping rough . Well , for one thing , he did n't know about it and I had made a conscious decision that if I was ever to be ( he nearly says’ become someone’ ) . No , I had decided that whatever I washoping to do , I was going to do on my own so if anyone was going to be proud of me they were going to be proud of me for legitimate reasons .
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: no)
The Prime ~ Minister said that he did n't want to pre - empt the findings of the inquiry by making any policy changes before its recommendations were handed down .
Idiom: on the stump (used idiomatically: yes)
But all I find are a few rather stale cobs already fallen to the ground . I munch some elderberries for consolation , but overdo it , and that slight cloying sensation , of having sucked fruit - flavoured frog - spawn , wo n't go away . But there are clusters of miniature wood puffballs on the tree - stumps , and I find that chewing some of the white flesh takes the elder aftertang away . My route takes me up into the Chiltern foothills , and a labyrinth of green lanes . Long - tailed tits are dithering through the hedges , and the first chaffinch flocks gathering — though there is no beechmast either for them or me .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
Her father glanced down at her , but said nothing . Instead he kicked his horse on into a canter behind the hounds . Artemis followed suit and they headed away from the house up a long pull which led to a covert known as the King 's Bushes . As they rode , Artemis pushing Buttons on to keep pace with the free - striding chestnut , her father never spoke . Whenever she rode out with Jenkins , he always called to her what they were about to do , whether they were going to trot , or canter , jump or gallop .
Idiom: live wire (used idiomatically: no)
Frayed or cut wires , for instance , can destroy expensive property by fire or even kill through electrocution . We have arranged a special offer with one of the UK leading manufacturers for their new RCD adaptor . The INPUT SHOTECTOR works by monitoring the current flowing in the ‘ live ’ and ‘ neutral ’ wires and is activated by any leakage of current to earth — perhaps through you ! It senses the danger and almost instantaneously cuts off the power with a speed of reaction which can prevent a tragedy occurring . The Shotector simply plugs into any standard ‘ square ’ pin socket .
Idiom: on the make (used idiomatically: yes)
( D ) SUPPORTING EVIDENCE ( a ) Depending on the make of motor vehicle , normally there are two wipers fitted and both must work as regulation 34(1 ) of the above regulation insists that … an adequate view of the road in front of the near and offsides of the vehicle … is required . But this is the general position and in vehicles like Minis it could be argued that such a view can be obtained when only the wiper in front of the driver works , therefore each vehicle must be dealt with separately . ( b )
Idiom: come to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
Maternity provision is another controversial area , prompting a recent survey of more than 5,000 solicitors in England . ‘ This is a very unhappy area . Law firms have not come to grips with the issues,’ says Geraldine Cotton , chair of the 5,500-strong English Association of Women Solicitors . ‘ Firms look on maternity leave just as they would a skiing holiday . In fact , maternity is n't really recognised to exist in many practices .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: yes)
Pinochet also claimed no direct knowledge of events at Pisagua and there were widespread fears that the case would be handed over to military jurisdiction . However , human rights groups were reported to be confident that the evidence supplied by the mass graves would prove that the Army had committed " crimes against humanity " which were not covered by the 1978 amnesty law which pardoned officers accused of human rights violations . Aylwin , reflecting demands from the Catholic church and from left- and right - wing politicians for a full inquiry , stated on June 21 that , if the courts determined individual responsibilities for human rights abuses , one of the consequences would be " the retirement of those guilty of such responsibilities " . AMERICAS ECUADOR
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
When one does this , it is clear that not every child is equally equipped to cope with the particular purposes and tasks that occur in classrooms . In this context , the linguist 's proclamation of the functional equality of all varieties can be of little help . In addition , it is an assumption that precludes them , to a large extent , from beginning to get to grips with the language- based problems that learners might experience and providing teachers with useful insights into how linguistic factors might help or hinder a child 's progress at school . 3 . This brings us to the third phase , in which linguists have become more generally prepared to question the notion of linguistic equality and to accept that language differences might give rise to difficulties which are not due solely to the social and linguistic misconceptions of teachers .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
Between 1908 and 1913 , while Austria - Hungary sought to check the growth of Serbia , the most ambitious and assertive of the successor states , Russia lent her fellow Slavs diplomatic support . The conflict played a key role in exacerbating tension between the Dual Alliance of Austria and Germany , on the one side , and Russia and France on the other . In July 1914 , after Serbian nationalists had assassinated the Habsburg heir apparent , the Austrian government resolved to crush the Serbian menace once and for all . Fully confident of German support , Vienna issued Serbia an ultimatum which she could not fulfil , and declared war . Russia mobilized her army , Germany immediately followed suit , and the First World War ensued .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
The reader has to be led up the garden path . In Dying Happy , which is only 1500 words long , I used a man in a hospice as narrator . He 's telling the tale from his bed , all about the fact that he asked his wife if before the end he could see another woman from his past . There 's a fearful row , but eventually the woman does come . And then she and the wife discover they have a lot in common apart from this man .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
And she was supposed to be a witch right enough and the men from all round about here er had a meeting about it and they I think met at the barn of Dale . Where was that ? Dale 's the farm just over the hill . And they all had their flails with them . So they went to the Kildingy Well which was s supposed to have some kind of magical properties you see and er I do n't ken if it was a a holy well or exactly but it certainly was reputed to have some kind of properties that could cure supposed to cure any disease save the black death .
Idiom: to all intents and purposes (used idiomatically: yes)
At the moment , no - one knows what will happen after that . Dr Freeman , of the Eating Disorders Research Group at Edinburgh University , said severe weight loss results in women 's periods stopping and oestrogen levels going down . ' To all intents and purposes , they are like post - menopausal women . ' The Scottish Office has provided a £ 120,000 grant to examine a problem which Dr Freeman said has never been been studied systematically anywhere in the world . ' We want to find out in more detail how severe the bone loss is , what factors protect against it , and what factors make it worse . '
Idiom: get on someone's wick (used idiomatically: yes)
SLR are an insistent London rap ‘ posse’ , not to be confused with SL2 of ‘ On A Rubbish Tip’ fame . Key track ‘ Devil In Disguise’ sounds desperate to assert its macho bollocks . Ultimately , it just gets on your wick . C : Nope , it does n't light my candle !
Idiom: up in the air (used idiomatically: no)
The thing is maybe they could keep their extraordinary lifestyle to themselves that way rather than imposing it on other people Voice over The suggestion is still up in the air . The Ministry of Defence has replied to Lord ferrers saying they did n't like it and they want to keep the land clear to make it easier to sell . A teenager has told police she may have been the first victim of a man who 's attacked two women in recent months .
Idiom: on the ropes (used idiomatically: yes)
But he crouched . He would wait , he would wait to see what happened to Kurz . The German was hanging helpless on his rope . Half an hour passed ; nightfall blanked out the mist and spindrift . Charsky heard a voice float up : ' Are you all right ? '
Idiom: donkey work (used idiomatically: yes)
Grants should be available to all MPs — including under the RES list MPs — for the provision and the staffing of a local office . In constituencies covering wide areas and those in which socioeconomic deprivation could be held to create exceptional need for the intervention of an MP , more than one office , permanent or mobile , could be justified . Staffing could legitimately include personal assistants competent to undertake not just secretarial duties but also the preliminary screening of constituents ' problems , any necessary investigative donkey - work and the drafting of correspondence . These are the sort of facilities already enjoyed by MPs who can somehow or other find the money to pay for them : they should be fully at the disposal of those who ca n't . Towards a new style of politics
Idiom: in the driving seat (used idiomatically: no)
Simultaneously with doing the evening performances — two on Saturday , at five and eight — he was recording episodes of Beyond Our Ken and making the latest ‘ Carry On’ film — Carry On Constable- and it began to show with the way Pieces of Eight proceeded . The cult followers who came every night started getting a little disappointed — Ken was following the script which the tougher the regimen became more and more rigid . ‘ If he were tired,’ said Miss Fielding , ‘ he would put me in the driving seat — except that my part was n't written for that to happen . It seemed to me he was trying to turn an apple into an orange or an aeroplane into a horse.’ As she added : ‘ He was a genius and geniuses tend to be kind of childlike .
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
My income falls short of my expenditure by five ~ hundred pounds .
Idiom: hit the road (used idiomatically: yes)
More Of Melanie In the summer edition of the Amicus , I reviewed jazz singer Melanie O'Reilly in concert . Melanie and her trio are hitting the road again . You can catch them 8 December at the Old Athenaeum , Glasgow ( 041 - 227 - 5511 ) , 9 December at the Music Hall , Aberdeen ( 0224 - 641 - 122 ) and 10 December at the Queens Hall , Edinburgh ( 031 - 668 - 2019 ) . Tickets are available at each venue .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
Men could and did wear their hair to the shoulders , even wore flowers in it and beads round their necks — that got the pink gins spluttering . They wore flowered waistcoats , flowered shirts , velvet trousers . At least most wore trousers … Mick Jagger wore a dress at his Hyde Park concert and very pretty he looked too . By the Seventies the suit was dead , kept for weddings , funerals and job interviews .
Idiom: pull rank (used idiomatically: yes)
The light that fills the room curls like a wave and washes over us , signal for a quick change on Lil 's part . Now she 's back in her official regalia , in all its gleaming purple magnificence . But for once I have the wit to realise that this is not an attempt to pull rank on me , or exercise a power - play . Those seven heads , with their seven mouths and seven tongues , have other things in mind . What else to do but return the compliment ?