Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: up in the air (used idiomatically: yes)
There were only a few gulls , though , wheeling in a sky shot with ragged clouds . Over my shoulder when I looked back , I saw Paul . He was still by the bomb , whacking the sand with his plank , using both hands to hold it and bringing it down with all his strength , jumping up in the air at the same time and yelling . I ran faster , over the rocks on to the firm sand , over the driftline and on up to the golden sand , slower and dry , then up to the grass on the nearest dune . I scrambled to the top and looked out over the sand and rocks to where Paul stood , a tiny figure against the reflected brightness of the pools and wet sands , overshadowed by the tilted cone of metal beside him .
Idiom: bar none (used idiomatically: no)
Little has done an excellent job at Filbert Street since he left Darlington last summer . Leicester are in with a strong chance of the play - offs and will be keen to avenge a 3–0 early - season defeat at Ayresome Park . Bar none THE Langbaurgh and Redcar counts will both be at the Coatham Bowl in Redcar : there is some concern , we gather , that the Redcar result may never be published . Langbaurgh counts in the bar and Redcar around the stage .
Idiom: out and about (used idiomatically: yes)
And it 's Abingdon street fair , the High Street and Ock Street are closed , and that 's er , traffic 's been diverted locally today and tomorrow . Martin Lawford , A A roadwatch . And if you 've been out and about on public transport this evening , you should n't have had too many problems . British Rail have n't had anything at all to report to us , and the local bus company 's just been telling us that things are running fine . It 's eight minutes to seven .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
' We are putting a lot of money into these core plants to improve their efficiency and reduce variable costs , ' Ewart emphasizes , ' It is vital that we keep them in good shape . ' Despite a number of withdrawals from the field , there are still some 15 European producers of ethylene oxide , and about seven of phenol and four each of carbonylation alcohols and amines . On the face of it , the competition remains intense — and so it is where a product meets a similar one head on . But nobody else is in all four of these key areas of chemical technology , and there are no new entrants into what Ewart describes as a club with an extremely high entry cost . He compares the position with that of a pentathlon athlete , who is good enough to compete at top level in each event separately — along with quite a lot of other people .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
Scottish National gets cash boost By Isobel Cunningham THE Scottish Grand National at Ayr next month is to be backed by the Stakis Hotels and Casino Group to the tune of £ 50,000 . The deal is a timely boost for Scotland 's top steeplechase after a long , fruitless search for support following the decision by William Hill , sponsor for the past 15 years , to pull out after last year 's race . Disaffection with Ayr 's earlier decision to award the franchise for the on - course betting shop to rival bookmaker , Ladbrokes , plainly had something to do with this move .
Idiom: pay the piper (used idiomatically: yes)
A protocol for peer assessment by observing teachers at work was also designed . The scheme , which took three years to devise , is now used in decisions about staff promotion , and since its introduction the average ratings for staff members have improved . He who pays the piper … Such innovative schemes are not confined to the United States . Helen Pearson , lecturer in medical education at the University of Leicester , has introduced a scheme whereby SIFT money ( service increment for teaching ; the additional resources provided by the NHS to help offset the extra costs of providing health care in a teaching hospital ) is allocated to hospital departments in proportion to the amount of actual teaching that students receive .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: yes)
Mm . in the shop . Erm and it does make it very difficult then for Trading Standards then to pick up the pieces . And I know it 's very easy for me to stand here and say you know try to keep calm and polite and reasonable . And that brings us back to your point , that there are times when you , you , you know you have , in order to get your statutory rights you 've got to be pretty firm .
Idiom: holy of holies (used idiomatically: yes)
Zak raised his eyes vaguely in my direction but it would have been tactless to disrupt the thoughts behind them , so I pressed on forward , traversing the dayniter and the sleeping cars and arriving at the forward dome car . There were a lot of people about everywhere , but no one looked my way twice . I knocked eventually on the door of the horse - car and , after inspection and formalities that would have done an Iron Curtain country proud , was admitted again by Ms Brown to the holy of holies . Rescrawling Tommy Titmouse on her list I was interested to see how long it had grown , and I noticed that even Mercer had n't been let in without signing . I asked the dragon - lady if anyone had come in who was n't an owner or a groom , and she bridled like a thin turkey and told me that she had conscientiously checked every visitor against her list of bona fide owners , and only they had been admitted .
Idiom: lay an egg (used idiomatically: yes)
On a remote beach on the western coast , the last survivors of one of Hong Kong 's rarest marine creatures still come into the shallows to breed . The giant king crabs choose nights when the tide is highest and the moon full . The females , some of whom are the size of a dustbin lid , lay their eggs in the sand under about 18 in ( 45 cm ) of water . King crab is , in fact , a misnomer . These creatures are not crustaceans at all but prehistoric members of the spider family .
Idiom: in the works (used idiomatically: yes)
You must have been to ' un cafe ' , or to ' le cinema ' , or watched ' le sport ' on ' la têlêvision ' . In the French class nowadays the important thing is to SPEAK French — the sound of your voice in French may seem strange to you at first but you have a go right away and you will see what fun it can be . Speaking French can be useful on holiday , can open up new friendships and may eventually help you in your work when you leave school . Europeans are increasingly finding jobs in different countries . ' Bonne Chance ' !
Idiom: come full circle (used idiomatically: yes)
The management of corporate culture is expensive of time to do it — the endless meetings that people participate in . It is also expensive of management time — the careful fostering of innovation 's context , of the value of listening , and the patient explanation of goals and norms and targets , and the willing ‘ open association’ policy , even at very senior levels . Managing culture comes full circle : the need to instill values is driven by the need for those values to be available to guide people 's activities . Conclusion The tour of cultures contained in this chapter has highlighted the costs of strong culture and methods for its management .
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: yes)
Told that it was a bit damp but the match would probably be on , John duly set off via Darlington , Kings Cross and Lewes Junction . When he got there the pitch resembled the English Channel and the game was off . ‘ It 's just one of those things,’ says John , philosophically . And , of course , there 's always the train journey home to look forward to . Yours sincerely
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: yes)
You 'll need more than a bottle of rum to get through this disaster of a voyage ! Whoever was the ‘ brains ’ behind CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS : THE DISCOVERY ( Cert 15 ; General ) should be made to walk the plank . Not wildly entertaining , but with unintentionally wildly funny moments , this recollection of the first crossing of the Atlantic by Christopher Columbus 500 years ago , is more round the bend than round the world . Columbus is played by unknown George Corraface , a handsome young thing in the time-honoured , clean-cut movie mould . He 's the sea captain in charge of this sinking ship whose character switches from Mr Nice Guy to raging megalomaniac to hero of the day — all in less than two hours .
Idiom: break someone's heart (used idiomatically: yes)
She had a knack of breaking hearts and being mystified by the effect . She slept with boys ( and men — some lecturers , too , fell by her wayside ) as if it were the most natural thing in the world ( ‘ indeed it is , it is!’ ) , then dropped them just as casually in the morning with a smile of disbelief that they should expect anything more of her , or any other woman . If they recovered and were friends she was delighted , and would flirt with them , and assume an easy physicality with them , and sleep with them again maybe , and break their hearts again if given half a chance . And all the time , it seemed , back home in Northern Ireland , she had a different life . Karen sat down in the soft , dark sand and let the ripples of cold Atlantic water wash round her thighs .
Idiom: jump the gun (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Alibi,’ she said . ‘ I notice you 're all assuming that the boy was murdered . Are n't we jumping the gun a bit ? I bet the Superintendent has n't made up his mind about that yet , not judging by the tone of his questions.’ ‘ My boys in 1A are n't convinced of it either,’ chipped in Dorothea gratefully .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
I can make what is perhaps not a usual boast in Scotland : I can claim that some of my best friends are Conservatives . Their agony in recent months and years has been terrible to behold . They have genuinely found it difficult to come to terms with the rout that has taken place — the complete volte - face . I should explain to the Secretary of State that what has been involved is not so much a loss of dignity as a destruction of credibility . The right hon . Gentleman knows — there can be no doubt about it — that , until recently , as the foundations of the poll tax crashed around his ears , he was still proclaiming it to be a remarkable success and something which was here to stay .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
I had never heard the word . ‘ One of those Japanese - style rubber slippers with a thong between the big toe and the next one — the only way to keep the slipper in place . Bad form to wear them in the club.’ ‘ Strictly for the servants — and Japanese of course,’ added a lady who introduced herself as Mrs Fawcett , and asked anxiously , ‘ Do you play bridge , Doctor?’ I said that I did , if only fairly well .
Idiom: bits and bobs (used idiomatically: yes)
They 'd come into the shops covered in Christmas decorations . They had them wound round buttons , tied in buttonholes , pinned to their sleeves ; anywhere they could hang them . Glass balls , little angels , satin bows , sprigs of holly ; all kinds of bits and bobs . Just like kids . Just standing there like big kids .
Idiom: break cover (used idiomatically: yes)
He spoke softly . ‘ How about we make our way round there ? Less chance of being spotted from the house when we break cover.’ Larsen cleared his throat . ‘ Uh …
Idiom: in this day and age (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ My colleagues and I will be very interested,’ he said sourly , ‘ to know what kind of propaganda that red magazine you work for can make out of an international survey of prospective parents.’ ‘ You 've got to be kidding!’ yelped Margaret Lenham , as much astonished as afraid at the sight of what he planned to use for the operation : a knitting needle . A knitting needle , in this day and age ! It had been good enough in the bad old days , good enough for her mother before her , good enough , in all probability , for her grandmother too , if the secrets of that angelic white head were ever known . But you expected something better nowadays , especially for a woman in her forties !
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Fan stringing ? It 's the most noticeable feature of the Mystique design and is a system which elongates the 10 outer strings . This enables the player to impart more spin on the ball and also extends the power zone for off centre hits . In the Mystique , Slazenger feel that they have countered the two main problems experienced by club players , that of reduction in ball control and the increase in arm injuries . Both Mystiques retail from £ 179.99 .
Idiom: kiss and make up (used idiomatically: yes)
Because it is so rare , most people simply do not know enough about it to avoid the worst of the disease . Early diagnosis and treatment is simple and effective . Builder Ken will kiss and make - up FATHER - of - four Ken Jackson is the greatest dad in the world . Why ?
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
But on that morning my happiness was clouded by something he said to me as we were walking home to lunch : ‘ Your parents know about you , Jim — you know that , do n't you?’ It was something I had never admitted to myself . Of course , deep inside me , I knew all along that they knew . But we would never have dreamt of talking about it . Dana 's words struck at my heart , as he had done , quite deliberately , when he had told me : ‘ The very first time I saw you , I knew you were gay.’
Idiom: by dint of (used idiomatically: yes)
If he had been free to enter the leadership stakes immediately after our October election defeat , he would almost certainly have been elected . No one can fault the absolute loyalty that Willie gave to Ted and then Margaret . He has had a very distinguished career and by dint of old - fashioned virtues and a marvellously warm personality has held the Party together on many occasions . There was no way that the Party was going to be generous to Ted Heath after three General Election defeats out of four . The right wing hated Ted and the scenes of rejoicing when he was beaten in the leadership contest by Margaret Thatcher left me feeling very sad .
Idiom: make a splash (used idiomatically: no)
The Single Mother Makeover NEW ~ YORK – In the 1992 United ~ States presidential election , George ~ H .~ W .~ Bush 's campaign made a political splash by going after the television show Murphy Brown – one of the first times , but far from the last , that a fictitious character was introduced to score political points in America . Murphy Brown , played by actress Candice Bergen , was a TV anomaly at that time : a sympathetically portrayed single mother . So Bush 's vice ~ president , Dan Quayle , attacked the show for normalizing rather than stigmatizing single motherhood .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: no)
It was quite amazing . David was a character known as Cloud I think . I dressed him in this huge pink shirt with maroon spots on , with a big maroon and pink ruff and little knee britches in grey with red velvet stripes on them . Wonderful ! Absolutely beautiful !
Idiom: not give a fig (used idiomatically: yes)
In 1987 lower interest rates in West Germany would have made it possible to prop up the dollar ( as the G7 countries had earlier promised they would ) without raising American interest rates . In 1991 lower interest rates in Germany would virtually oblige the Federal Reserve to cut American rates , in order to brake the dollar 's rise . Mr Brady does not , in fact , give a fig for global perspective or , for that matter , the dollar 's value on the foreign exchanges ; he wants further cuts in American interest rates . Thanks to the dollar 's recent strength , the Treasury may be granted its wish even if Mr Pöhl continues to insist on doing his job . From its trough in February the dollar has climbed 21 % against the D - mark .
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: yes)
Reid was faultless but Rafferty was better . In the quarter - finals today Rafferty plays the holder Sandy Lyle ; Olazabal meets Ian Woosnam ; Beck threatens Seve Ballesteros and David Frost will do the same to Nick Faldo . Beck , a physical fitness fanatic , believes he has the confidence and the form to go all the way in this championship . A graduate in journalism from North Carolina , he is 33 but says we have not yet seen the best of Beck . ' I 'm looking forward to my future , ' he said .
Idiom: gone with the wind (used idiomatically: yes)
Gone with the Wind COPENHAGEN – Efforts to stem global ~ warming have nurtured a strong urge worldwide to deploy renewable energy . As a result , the use of wind turbines has increased ten - fold over the past decade , with wind power often touted as the most cost - effective green opportunity .
Idiom: sleight of hand (used idiomatically: yes)
After all , it is orders that businesses need to provide jobs and to guarantee employment . The large defence cuts that Labour proposes would be ruinous to job prospects , and its ham - fisted intervention plans would not work . It would not be easy to effect the transition that Labour suggests by Government sleight of hand . What is required is careful business planning by the managers and directors of the companies concerned . Mr. Hoyle
Idiom: spring to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
is generally at that end of things . I think what we 've got to do , one of the things we 've got to do is is it 's alright talking about a steward as an A N other , but I think we 've got ta know where the A N other is . We do n't name him but whoever is in a particular spot should be responsible for a certain area , which in in fundamentally it is done that in quite a number of instances but I mean one thing that springs to mind is that a lady shall clear the ladies toilets . Mm . What lady , where from ?
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
That would be a severe handicap for a dancer , and while he was having it corrected he asked for his nose to be straightened too . Unfortunately the result was disappointing and years later , in about 1955 , he took the trouble to have a second operation to improve its appearance . Even after that , few people noticed the difference , and his mother confirms that both operations on his nose were a great disappointment to him . His face was never conventionally good - looking . It was still dominated by the long nose and wide mouth , also by eyes of an intense pale blue , which always seemed to focus sharply and penetratingly on whoever he was talking to .
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
Badcox Lane and Sheppards Barton Chapels in Frome began their burial and birth registers , respectively , in the October of that year , 1785 , within three weeks of the new act being passed . The tax on all registrations was eventually repealed in the October of 1794 , but in the meantime Charles the Cheesemonger had had to hand over ninepence of his hard - earned money to have his little brood 's details entered in the Anglican parish register , having already spent sixpence in the same way for Mary and Sarah in the October of 1784 . If pig butchers kept piggy banks , his must have been empty once in a while during this period … As the 18th century wore on , families could expect to see more and more of their children reach adulthood ; nevertheless , the survival rate of Charles and Elizabeth 's offspring — only six out of 13 reached their twenty - first birthday — is certainly nothing abnormal for the period . Being born and brought up next to a butcher 's shop in a Somerset town in the closing years of the 18th century may not have been the healthiest start in life for a child , but those who saw out the dangerous first two or three years seemed to have stood a good chance of survival thereafter .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
She has demanded an explanation from Mr Lamont who was ' too busy ' to attend the function . But a Tory spokeswoman last night claimed public buildings can be used for Party events if costs like catering are paid for . The protest follows the row about the Chancellor 's £ 4,700 legal bill paid by the taxpayer , and overspending on his credit card . £ 160,000 council tax blunder A PENSIONER was stunned to find his two - bed home over - valued by £ 160,000 for the new council tax .
Idiom: for keeps (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , my brother Alec . The Man Who Changed the World , damn him . Last year , before I decided to settle here for keeps , my business took me to one of the great northern cities , chief among those of the prosperous world . From the air , it seemed a place of beauty , from ground level often horrifying . From the city 's government and economic centre , the destinies of billions of people round the globe were decided , yet the population was still not under control .
Idiom: cut and thrust (used idiomatically: yes)
It feels as if he has met more children than any other group of the population during the campaign . ‘ Ah,’ the cynics have said , ‘ But then children do n't ask awkward questions.’ Indeed , this sort of campaigning has given rise to a certain newspaper image — that Mr Kinnock is being protected from real people , shepherded into a succession of carefully - staged photo - opportunities designed to look good on television but a million miles away from the real cut and thrust of the hustings . You can count on the fingers of one hand the times Mr Kinnock has jumped in among the public . Unlike John Major and his soapbox , it is not part of the image .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
Sometimes it is all held in a single incident . A London chemist , a sturdy , blue - eyed man with a long white beard , would take his grandson for walks . Once , going through a churchyard , ‘ he held my hand … He said , ‘ Do n't fear’ , he said , ‘ the dead do n't hurt you , it 's the living that hurt.’ I 've remembered that all my life.’
Idiom: claim to fame (used idiomatically: yes)
Both nobles and plebeians quench the thirst of their lust here . Having described the main shrines and Sufi festivals and mystics , Khan goes on to list the city 's secular personalities : the nobles , the musicians and the great femmes fatales . These figures range from Azam Khan , ‘ one of the chief nobles of the Empire’ whose principal claim to fame is his vast harem and his insatiable appetites ( ‘ a pederast , he is also fond of beautiful girls … whenever he is informed of the availability of a lad or a fine wench he endeavours to be the buyer’ ) ; through Taqi , ‘ one of the famous eunuchs and the ringleader of the conjurors of Hindustan’(‘his house is the abode of delicate beauties , some as fair as the dawn while others are as dark as volatile passion’ ) ; to great musicians such as the blind drummer Shah Nawaz who played his own stomach as if it was a tabla drum ; or the disgusting Surkhi , a glutton who ‘ snored and expectorated loudly’but whose horrible habits were overlooked by his hosts because of the unique beauty of his voice ( ‘ as melodious as a nightingale’ ) , his brilliant mimicry and his ready wit . Best of all were the dancers and courtesans — beautiful women like Ad Begum whose speciality was to appear naked at parties , but so cleverly painted that no one noticed : ‘ she decorates her legs with beautiful drawings in the style of pyjamas instead of actually wearing them ; in place of the cuffs she draws flowers and petals in ink exactly as found in the finest cloth of Rum.’ The most famous of the courtesans was Nur Bai , whose popularity was such that every night the elephants of the great amirs completely blocked the narrow lanes outside her house .