Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: on the ropes (used idiomatically: yes)
By the time he reached Tyberton , which was only three miles from the camp , he was sweating , for the sun was shining fiercely out of a clear sky . It was near the end of August , and for the last few days it had been like high summer . He had reached Blakemere , which was only two miles further on , when he pondered if he should take another direction and make his way to the river , but the thought that even this far out there 'd be a number of people on the banks today , mostly youngsters , he guessed , swimming or playing the usual dangerous game of swinging out over the river on a rope attached to a tree branch , deterred him . He was n't very fond of the river Wye , for its rocky crevasses had claimed too many young lives even during the short time he had been there . Thinking of young lives , his mind jumped back to yesterday , when he had heard about young Harrington .
Idiom: under the sun (used idiomatically: no)
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun ?
Idiom: make waves (used idiomatically: no)
Thank God Someone 's Making Waves Dear Friend and Supporter Welcome to Greenpeace . By joining us you have become part of an international movement which is dedicated to protecting the natural world and which is committed to act in its defence .
Idiom: live wire (used idiomatically: yes)
Now , you 've got to get down to the real nitty gritty : how will the stage look , what about the sound system , who presses what buttons for the audio - visuals and when … ? This chapter is about details but , as usual , the same principles still apply : have your overall picture and your ultimate objective in mind and aim to make it easy for the presenter to present and audience to receive . Sticky tape and live wires When people walk into an auditorium , one thing ought to happen and another ought not : their attention should be grabbed and held but at the same time they should n't fall flat on their faces because you 've failed to gaffer down a loose wire . This is hands - on conference presentation , a case of ‘ have staple gun , will travel’ .
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You 're looking a bit peaky . A change of scene would do you good . Even a large ship like this can become claustrophobic if you do n't get away once in a while,’ said Lindsey . ‘ Well , I 'm glad to hear someone else agrees . I 've been trying to talk some sense into her.’
Idiom: come to grief (used idiomatically: yes)
The final fence is usually an inviting , straightforward obstacle but it can still cause problems . Being uncomplicated , the riders tend not to take much notice of it and in their minds , they have already finished . This is often far from the case and many a combination has come to grief at the very last fence . Treat it with respect . remember that the horse is perhaps feeling a little weary and that his concentration may wander as he returns to the welcome sight of home .
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
Danes ' bid to prevent pollution of oceans By Amanda Brown Daily Post Correspondent THE Government is to fight a move to introduce a permanent international ban on the dumping of radioactive waste at sea . The dispute comes at the opening today of the London Dumping Convention . Britain has the support of other nuclear states including the US , Japan and France in opposing a Danish proposal to turn the current 10-year - old moratorium on sea dumping of radioactive waste into a permanent ban .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
Taylor said : ‘ Of course the players must now go back to their clubs and do their jobs , while all I have to focus on is our next match . Leisure ‘ But because when we join up it will be on the back of a full weekend 's fixtures of FA Cup matches — and by that time they will have played 15 games for their clubs — I 've just asked them to keep a little compartment in their minds about England . ‘ Because when we do join up on the Monday , I do n't want them to be going into the game cold . ‘ And to keep that feeling together I will try and make arrangements that we can all team up for a leisure day.’
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: yes)
RIVALS : Sridevi ( above ) turned down her Hollywood chance , so she could score over Madhuri Dixit ( left ) REJECTED : Spielberg offered Sridevi a role Prince is going public Apache gets in on the act SHEEL KOHLI
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
Could you tell me how to hack a game ? Depends what you mean by ‘ hack’ . If you mean ‘ pirate’ , you can get lost , but if you want to analyse programs in order to get reset pokes , for example , you 'll need to learn machine code first . Write to Brian Strain with any specific probs . ZZAP !
Idiom: on the stump (used idiomatically: yes)
But when they take their first flight into the outside world , their losses begin . In the sky above , bat hawks circle , hover and pounce . On a tree - stump beside one cave - mouth , a raccoon sits swatting them down with its paw , munching the little bodies and discarding the skinny wings onto a growing pile on the ground beside it . As the sun sinks , the young bats stream from the cave - mouth like smoke and set off on the first stage of their long journey south . Ten million bats are born each summer in Bracken Cave , Texas .
Idiom: come unstuck (used idiomatically: yes)
Brave mower men cut a dash for wet spring Cathy Gunn IN this season of New Year forecasts — which mostly come unstuck — they are praying for rain in 1993 in Stowmarket , Suffolk . A mild , wet spring would be just the ticket for Stowmarket - based lawnmower maker Atco Qualcast , whose management team has just bought the firm from cement group Blue Circle Industries . It would make the green shoots of new grass grow under their feet in a most comforting fashion .
Idiom: man and boy (used idiomatically: yes)
They are as follows : ( 1 ) In Dudley and Stephens there was a choice as to who was to die . It will be remembered that Dudley and Stephens was the case where three men and a cabin - boy were compelled to take to an open boat after the wreck of their yacht Mignonette . On the twentieth day after the wreck two of the men killed the boy for food ; four days later they were rescued . The two men were convicted of murder .
Idiom: cut and dried (used idiomatically: yes)
We 're about to run out of time . I would like to thank you for coming into the studio today , and I 'm sure we 'll receive a lot of letters from our listeners about what 's been said . You could find that this is just the beginning and that your plans are n't quite as cut and dried as they appear.’ ‘ Thank you , Miss Williams . I 'll be interested to hear any views from the community .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
I. J. Good Department of Statistics Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg Virginia ARIADNE We have to get this clear once and for all and it is the question of what Neil Armstrong said when he landed on the Moon . I have had many letters about the subject and the correct version appears to be , balancing many a quoted sentence against another , ‘ It 's one small step for man , one giant leap for mankind.’ What he should have said was , ‘ It 's one small step for a man,’ but he muffed his lines , as many an actor on a less impressive stage has done .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
Hows about jamming the BBC switchboards with complaints folks ? ? The attendance for their game against Tranmere was piss poor . Perhaps Gav could buy up all the tickets for the Leeds faithful ? — As long as he 's got a good limit on the old credit card : - ) ) ) Roger G From :
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
You 're putting the point about over - reading Shakespeare . You 'd find lots of academics erm at the Shakespeare Conference in Stratford who would agree with you that there is far too much over - reading of Shakespeare . I tend to think it 's rather hard to over - read Shakespeare , simply because of the experience of finding that my reading fell short on many occasions . It is very easy to read him wrong and to make mistakes , and there are , of course , occasions when he does offer a brutal simplicity , which it would be ridiculous to try and develop . I myself , for example , tend to be an old - fashioned Coleridge and psychologistic critic , you know , I look for motives in Shakespearean characters , in ways which Elsie Knights told us we should n't do , and I do this because I think Shakespeare encourages us to make inferences and to think about them in that way .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Fortunately , Donaldson had his own copy in his wallet , written on the back of a creased and much - used card . As he was reading - it out he became aware of a movement at the back of the room . He looked over the card as he delivered the oath , which he knew by heart , and saw the incongruous green of an army uniform through the glass of the doors . The court usher was out there talking to the officer , and Donaldson was about to return his attention to the card when he saw the usher deliberately turn and point at him . The army officer turned to look .
Idiom: smell blood (used idiomatically: yes)
Tallis gasped as she saw the bones of men and horses piled by the river and flung into the branches , grim remnants of those who had not won the day . Warriors crouched by the water , some drinking , some just staring . Tallis smelled blood and the more offensive stink of ordure . A horse skidded on ice , whinnying loudly as it fell to its side . It recovered , struggled to its feet and galloped away up the canyon , riderless , trappings flying .
Idiom: float someone's boat (used idiomatically: no)
Not every physical attraction is sexual and there is more to eros than sex . Eros is also the mysterious ‘ force’ on which songwriters seem to concentrate . Eros love is the chemistry that causes us to want to make physical contact — it is the butterflies in the tummy , the excitement that rises when we see or hear that special one and we want to say ‘ you flip my switches’ , or ‘ you float my boat’ . It is shown not only in the ‘ act of marriage’ , but in the giving of affection throughout the day . There is no need that ‘ hello / goodbye’ kisses , an arm around the shoulder , a good cuddle should diminish with the years .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
I felt the boots were rather narrow and inflexible . But after the initial blisters and a bit of breaking in , I 've been fairly impressed with these boots . A new Skywalk sole with an environmentally - friendly cleat pattern gives a good grip even on slippery rocks . And extra adhesion is given by the positive heel step , which is quite distinct . The one piece upper has kept my feet dry even when walking through peat bogs .
Idiom: man and boy (used idiomatically: yes)
In 1813–15 he was midshipman , quartermaster , and acting master in the Moselle ( 16 guns ) in the West Indies and off the coast of the United States . Captain John Moberley of the Royal Navy said of him , ‘ keeps a good reckoning , is attentive and promises to make a good officer’ . Nothing is known about his employment from 1815 to 1830 , when Messrs C. , H. , and G. Enderby proposed an Antarctic sealing voyage , and appointed him master of the brig Tula ( 150 tons ) , which was not a good sea boat , with the cutter Lively and twenty - nine men and boys in all . The two ships left the river Thames on 10 July 1830 and returned in January 1833 . Biscoe called at the Falkland Islands for refreshment , searched in vain for the ‘ Aurora Islands’ , and in 17–31 December 1830 examined the South Sandwich Islands as best he could .
Idiom: in your face (used idiomatically: no)
That 's not true.’ ‘ I do n't mean to impute mean or vulgar opinions to you , Alison . But I saw judgement in your face , and it shattered me , precisely because I know I must seem to deserve the very worst that anyone could imagine . And it was n't just anyone , it was you . That made it almost unbearable .
Idiom: get the boot (used idiomatically: yes)
They 're still getting a go at college are n't they ? Mm . Yeah if we do get the boot it 'll be the next few months . What about our college course ? Have they said anything ?
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
' Baby girl it was . She went cross - eyed . My next - door neighbour Elsie Dobson told me Clara Orchard took the baby out in the fog and the child got a terrible cough . Whoopin ' cough it turned out ter be . Nasty that complaint can be , let me tell yer .
Idiom: up for grabs (used idiomatically: yes)
LIPSMACKIN’ FUN THAT 'S A REAL TEAR JERKER MAKE up with Macaulay Culkin and you could be checking out his first screen kiss . In another marvellous Mirror give - away , worth £ 8,500 , we have 100 videos of his smash - hit movie My Girl up for grabs . Columbia Tristar Home Video have just released My Girl on rental and we have 100 copies to be won as well as super soundtrack CDs from My Girl . Eleven - year - old Macaulay gets his first on - screen smacker from child co - star Anna Chlumsky .
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
When I opened my eyes again , all ~ of ~ a ~ sudden an unknown lady was standing right in front of me .
Idiom: without fail (used idiomatically: yes)
He enclosed a sample of cloth with his letter to prove his words and demonstrate that he was n't being unduly extravagant . Really he was inaugurating a procedure that would become permanent , providing itemised details of his budget , first of all to his parents and later only to his brother . Once a week without fail a breakdown of his expenses would arrive . We are intimately acquainted with the state of this painter 's worn - out trousers , decaying coats , leaking boots , the money spent on his teeth , his food , his rooms , more so in fact than with any other artist . Here he is , at the outset , reporting from Brussels : ‘ You must not imagine that I live richly here , for my chief food is dry bread and some potatoes or chestnuts which people here sell on the street corner , but by having a somewhat better room and by occasionally taking a somewhat better meal in a restaurant whenever I can afford it , I shall get on very well … .
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I told Tremayne there 'll be trouble if he gives you any of my rides.’ ‘ Ah.’ ‘ He has the effing gall to say I suggested it myself and he knows bloody well I was taking the piss.’ He glared at me . ‘ I do n't understand what Fiona sees in you .
Idiom: brass neck (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 'll kill the sod ! I 'll tear his nasty sneaky eyes out , so I will ! The brass neck of the guy!’ Karen took the hair drier . Drips were running down her neck .
Idiom: take root (used idiomatically: yes)
For anyone used to the chaste purity of the Taj , it is here in the interior that the biggest surprises lie : inside , the capitals have turned almost into cabbages as they curve and curl in vegetable convulsions . They throw up stamens and tendrils past the stalactite murqanas and squinches , gripping and voluting towards the floral boss of the low inner dome . Even the pillars have taken root and become living things , blossoming into lotus filials at the base , cusping around the voussoirs of the arch , erupting out into little jharokha balconies at the top . The spirit is fecund , Bacchanalian , almost orgiastic . Like some elderly courtesan , the tomb tries to mask its imperfections beneath thick layers of make - up ; its excesses of ornament are worn like over - applied rouge .
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
Shortly before Gundovald 's death Guntram had recognized Childebert as reaching his majority : he was therefore fit to rule on his own . Throughout Childebert 's minority the power structure at the Austrasian court may well have favoured the likes of Boso , Rauching and Egidius . By 587 , however , Brunhild seems to have become the most influential figure at Childebert 's court , even though Guntram , when recognizing his nephew 's coming of age , had advised him not to visit his mother . From Rauching 's point of view , under Brunhild 's influence , Childebert was no longer a satisfactory master ; he was , therefore , to be removed and his sons elevated to the kingship in his place , in the hope that they would be more amenable . Despite this difference , the plot of 587 does help illuminate the crisis of two years before .
Idiom: easy as falling off a log (used idiomatically: yes)
Some people like to plan their trips in meticulous detail , but there 's a lot to be said for this ‘ open - book’ approach . For one thing , you do n't get frustrated when things do n't go to plan . Finding accommodation and getting to it proved as easy as falling off a log ; there were free - phone backpacker ads in the airport , we rang one of them and they had a ( free ) minibus waiting right there , which took all of us including bike . The hostel was fairly close to town and no - one could complain about the prices . What 's more , David who was the senior figure running this hostel , had his fingers in every tourist pie going and could get for us whatever we needed .
Idiom: take the mickey (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ But this is a nice spot . We do n't want to be associated with sunshine , sangria and sex . Mickey ‘ And people take the mickey when we tell them where we live . It 's very embarrassing.’ Neighbour Dave Ward added : ‘ I hate the programme , even though I suppose it has put us on the map.’
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
QPR have their own contender , Les Ferdinand , whose second minute opener may not be bettered all season . England No 2 Laurie McMenemy arrived late and missed the Corky and Ferdinand goals — but he saw Deane spurn a gift of an equaliser before finally striking with a header . Said Cork : ' If Graham Taylor is going to play the long ball , Deanesy is ideal . He 's quick , he has strength , two good feet and is excellent in the air . ' He 's not as aggressive as he might be but that could come , and he has more skill and speed than someone like John Fashanu , who plays an intimidating game .
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: yes)
And wh y'know we thought about this for a y'know a long time t and what we do want is a thin tier of bureaucracy . The one thing in the Labour document , and this is in the statement Labour made , I mean they 're actually talking about paid Councillors on on a Regional Authority , which is a y'know which is would be very unpopular with the public but erm . A developing developing regional democracy is erm is a difficult thing to get to get across and it 's one of those things that Liberal Democrats talk away for hours about at their Conferences . The Labour Party talk about the class war , presumably , or whatever . The Tories th the Tories talk about hating the Unions or whatever .
Idiom: to die for (used idiomatically: yes)
In liberal democracies around the world , this decision has generally been greeted with enthusiasm . But in one of those liberal democracies , Australia , the government recently said that it would legislate to block access to some Web sites . The prohibited material includes child pornography , bestiality , incest , graphic “ high impact ” images of violence , anything promoting or providing instruction on crime or violence , detailed descriptions of the use of proscribed drugs , and how - to information on suicide by Web sites supporting the right to die for the terminally or incurably ill . A readers ’ poll in the Sydney Morning Herald showed 96 % opposed to those proposed measures , and only 2 % in support . More readers voted in this poll than in any previous poll shown on the newspaper ’s Web site , and the result is the most one - sided .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
Nothing now , it seemed , could stand between him and the Huge Reward . That evening , as the sun sank over the marsh and the sea an odd group gathered in the dusk . Captain Pugwash , the Mate , Willy and Barnabas , with five splendid Dragoons and their Colonel , set off through the town , over the hill - top past the church , and through the churchyard and the Gingarden to the Baddie 's Tower . Owls hooted and bats fluttered , and the pirates were glad to be past the eerie gravestones and the gloomy prison door . Beyond the tower a narrow path led down to the rocky shore below .
Idiom: take liberties (used idiomatically: yes)
JOHN PARROTT , who won the European Open title last February , has made a disappointing start to the season and he suffered some anxious moments before clinching a 9 - 6 win over Dennis Taylor last night in the quarter - finals of the Everest World Matchplay Championship at Brentwood , writes Clive Everton . A spell of what Parrott described as ' the best snooker I 've played this season ' enabled him to take a 6 - 2 interval lead which he then increased to 8 - 2 before Taylor showed his renowned tenacity by winning the next four frames . ' I took a liberty at 8 - 2 and got punished for it , ' said Parrott . ' It did get to me , ' he said of Taylor 's prolonged rearguard action . ' Dennis played some great safety . '
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
There was widespread anger over how he hijacked the conference with his Shadow Cabinet resignation . Engineering union leader Gavin Laird said ‘ personal vanity’ should not be allowed to obscure Labour policy . Ex - Shadow Foreign Secretary Gerald Kaufman said warring Tories should not be let off the hook with the ‘ distraction’ of a referendum . Charles in Euro gaffe PRINCE Charles stepped into the Euro wrangle yesterday by demanding that each country must safeguard its own ‘ cultural diversity.’
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Eat a couple of those with the tea . You 'll feel better.’ Leonora doubted that biscuits were much of a cure for what ailed her , but she bit into one meekly , deciding that the best policy was to fall in with Penry Vaughan 's wishes whenever possible , to keep the peace . He poured tea for her then retreated to his chair again with a glass of whisky . ‘ The weather forecast 's pretty grim,’ he said moodily .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
The immunity of Swiss companies to unfriendly or foreign takeovers came in for a pounding in 1988 after Nestlé took over Rowntree , a British confectioner , causing noisy British complaints about the lack of reciprocal opportunities . Switzerland 's parliamentarians , who until then had favoured continuing restrictions on foreigners , hastily changed their minds . That year Nestlé — which accounts for a tenth of the Swiss stockmarket — opened its register to overseas investors , and a number of other companies have followed suit . A new law , expected to be in force by 1993 , would allow companies to restrict individual shareholdings to a given percentage , but would bar non - registration of shareholdings unless the company otherwise could not continue normal operations . That is a reference to the ‘ Lex Friedrich’ on foreign landholding .
Idiom: over your head (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ God give me strength,’ he yelled , instantly turning his attention back to the younger man who stood before him , and whose woebegone expression would have been comical were it not so pitiful . ‘ What the hell are you staring at me like that for , you ungrateful bugger?’ shouted the old man , thrusting his powerful frame forward in a threatening gesture . ‘ If it were n't for me giving you a roof over your head after your mother had the gall to die on me , you would have ended up in the bloody workhouse ! And what thanks do I get , eh ? None at all , that 's what .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
It might be supposed , " he went on , " that you are a mere youth , whereas your coat has evidently seen its best years ; it might be supposed that you had leaped about like a satyr ; nay , some might maintain that you are a vagabond , because you are out here in the country and play the fiddle ; but I am influenced by no such superficial considerations ; I form my judgment on your delicately chiseled nose ; I take you for a strolling genius . "