Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: plain sailing (used idiomatically: yes)
Try explaining that to a Greek.’ ‘ What happens then?’ asked Amiss apprehensively . ‘ All plain sailing after that,’ said Gooseneck . ‘ He will call , ‘ I 'm awake , Nanny’ . If he does n't , you go through the drill again until he does .
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
9.9 Light scattering Light scattering is one of the most popular methods for determining the weight average molar mass M w . The phenomenon of light scattering by small particles is familiar to us all ; the blue colour of the sky or the varied colours of a sunset , the poor penetration of car headlights in a fog is caused by water droplets scattering the light , and the obvious presence of dust in a sunbeam or the Tyndall effect in an irradiated colloidal solution are further examples of this effect . The fundamentals of light scattering were expounded by Lord Rayleigh in 1871 during his studies on gases , where the particle is small compared with the wavelength of the incident radiation . Light is an electromagnetic wave , produced by the interaction of a magnetic and electric field , both oscillating at right angles to one another in the direction of propagation .
Idiom: beyond the pale (used idiomatically: yes)
It became increasingly a political pariah , relegated to a marginal position in society , which could be safely ignored by influential opinion . Thus a vicious circle of political impotence was set in motion by Mosley ; in order to obtain much - needed publicity for the programme and political ideas of the BUF , which it was now denied in the national press , the techniques and methods of low politics leading to street conflict with political enemies were encouraged . The increasing switch to populist methods , and the threats to public order and the political anti - semitism with which this became associated in the public mind , meant that Mosley 's movement went increasingly beyond the pale . His earlier refusal to play the party game had led the political establishment to ignore him , and their view was now reinforced by the problems for public order brought about by Mosley 's street - corner politics . The rapid mushrooming of activity in 1934 and its equally spectacular decline led the Security Service to re - evaluate the development of the BUF .
Idiom: at loggerheads (used idiomatically: yes)
NIGEL MANSELL has sensationally signed to race in America next year in the killer - car Indy series . I can exclusively reveal that Britain 's Grand Prix hero last night secretly agreed to a multi - million - pound link - up with film star Paul Newman 's red - hot team . World champion Mansell , at loggerheads with Grand Prix team boss Frank Williams , finally snapped and turned his back on Formula One . He will be paid around £ 3million — the same wage he was offered in a cut - price deal by Renault - Williams . An informed insider told me last night : ‘ It is absolutely certain that Nigel has done the deal .
Idiom: catch fire (used idiomatically: no)
A Stockton man needed hospital treatment for burns to his hands after a chip pan fire . Martin Kean was injured as he tried to carry the flaming pan out of his third storey flat in Ainstey House , Norton . A spokesman for Cleveland Fire Brigade said : ‘ The cloth over the chip pan caught fire and as he walked towards the door cold air blew the fat up his arms.’ The fire damaged the cooker and carpet and melted the kitchen sink . Branching out :
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: no)
A PARTICULAR pleasure over the weekend was reading the latest issue of New Statesman and Society , once the publication one turned to for eloquent exposition of left - wing politics . From the cover cartoon of John Major , labelled ‘ Yesterday 's man — the vanishing Prime Minister’ it is filled with ill - chosen invective . Written before the election result in the clear expectation of a Labour victory , it even predicts Major 's resignation honours . Letter to the Editor : Wicked way OLIVER Cromwell may be the local boy made good in Huntingdon but he is still unmentionable in Drogheda , as Lady Antonia Fraser recalled in a Lenten talk at Our Lady of Victories , west London .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
There is , surprisingly , no specific encouragement for greening project areas in the Feet First proposals , though cleanliness is encouraged through poop - scoop schemes . A major emphasis of the Feet First approach is consultation , with pedestrians , disabled people , cyclists , pensioners , public transport users , motorists and businesses invited to participate throughout , including at the vital evaluation stage . The intention is that the demonstration projects will prove attractive enough to stimulate other local authorities to follow suit . The greatest gain , however , is most likely to be the sort of attitude - change on the part of the public that has been seen to follow the Woonerf experiments , the Dutch cycle projects and the German traffic calming demonstrations . Given that planners are cautious in the face of uncertainty , limited budgets and a lack of experience , new ideas rarely flourish and spread until it is seen that ‘ they work’ .
Idiom: safe as houses (used idiomatically: yes)
Only five years ago , Mrs Shephard — the new Employment Secretary — was unknown to national politics . The Oxford - educated daughter of a Norfolk farmer , she began her career as a local authority education officer and inspector of schools , married a headmaster she met on site — he is now an education administrator — moved on through the ranks of Norfolk County Council and chaired Norwich Health Authority . In 1987 , when she entered the House of Commons as the MP for Norfolk South West — a safe - as - houses rural Tory seat — she was already 46 , with none of the outward trappings of a high - flier , merely a proven ability to work swiftly and effectively and an unthreatening charm . One year later , she was private secretary to Mr Peter Lilley , who was then at the Treasury . The Chancellor was Mr Major , who recognised in this diminutive capable figure an appetite for detail which rivalled his own .
Idiom: keep someone posted (used idiomatically: no)
He grinned . I do n't think he thought of that ! I 'll keep you posted on his progress and the best of luck to you as you give up . Going crazy for cash TELEVISION South are determined to make this year 's Telethon the best ever , despite the disappointment of losing its franchise .
Idiom: straight from the shoulder (used idiomatically: yes)
Quietly , away from the crowds and demon curiosity , he came to manhood . He began to teach men and women the kingdom of God and declared that it was already in their midst . Sometimes he spoke straight from the shoulder and sometimes in puzzles and parables . In solidarity with his fallen race , though he himself was without any sin , this man called Joshua in the Hebrew and Jesus in the Greek entered the river Jordan to be baptised for the remission of sins . The mystery of the communal Trinity was revealed and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus , who received him gladly from the Father who spoke of his love for his Son , though the crowds at the baptism did not understand the significance of the event .
Idiom: get to the bottom of (used idiomatically: no)
I 'm sure it was n't this year . This is February ninety one . it 's alright but you get to the bottom of those stairs and sometimes . Er check locally for claims of environmentally or sustainable tropical hardwood it 's not really , I mean I do look when I go to all these D I Y places to see what they 've got . Have n't really
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
But because their kids ca n't go abroad then they get a letter through to say like you know they are going on camp would they be interested . Of course Ann sends off and says yeah . But that 's three hundred pounds for them to fit the bill . Oh yeah ! Hundred and fifty pound each .
Idiom: paper over the cracks (used idiomatically: yes)
I read in the ministerial journals — the Secretary of State for the Environment will certainly know about it — that the Minister of State said that , once a person is in a band , his property would be in it probably for perpetuity . That is the level of the argument . If we go to any local government official and talk to him about local government finance and how the council tax might work , he will say that it is nonsense and a case of trying to muddle through and paper over the cracks simply to make the package a little more presentable for electoral purposes . The next main point is about the complexity of the system . We are , in the practicalities , preserving many of the characteristics of the poll tax that have plagued and complicated our lives over the past two or three years .
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: no)
At first glance , therefore , concessive holists appear to take a purely pragmatic view of the relations between holism and individualism . However , the matter can not be left there . If concessive holists are to provide a solution to the problem of holism rather than a mere rule of thumb , they must justify their claim that holist and individualist explanations are , if not complementary , at least capable of coexistence . As we saw in Chapter III , much of the longstanding disagreement between exponents of the two views stem from their commitment to distinct and incompatible conceptions of the individual ( a commitment which gives rise , on one side , to absolute holism ) . Concessive holists can not simply ignore this divide , as Miller does , for this will leave their own position undefended .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Did you sort of sing any songs or anything when you were skipping ? Ooh yeah . Ooh well they used to well they did n't used to sing a lot of songs but er they used to do a lot of you know playing about and perhaps and then they 'd perhaps have a ball . You see . You 'd s er a lot of them you 'd sta you 'd stand up against a wall and then they say , Goaler throw a ball .
Idiom: look the part (used idiomatically: yes)
So naturally the girls do a bit of business on their own account . Nothing went on here , though , in this shacky walk - up : what went on went on in interchangeable intercontinental hotel rooms , in the private suites of corrupt clubs and thriving speakeasies , in glazed Arab flats . Mandy and Debby looked the part all right , they looked tough enough for this , particularly Debby , who gave me so much eye - contact and hand - on - knee and dressing - gown disclosure that I almost asked for her telephone number . But of course I realized that this would be a pretty gratuitous move , under the circumstances . I already had her telephone number .
Idiom: bear in mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Controls , however , are in themselves useless unless they trigger an appropriate response to permit changes to be made . This demands an organisation and control system that channels information to the right people at the right time . The designer of any control system should bear in mind that controls influence the way people think , talk , act and react . Because they measure performance , they touch upon people 's sensitivities and self - interest . While there are some ‘ off the shelf’ packages which can be employed to assist in time and cost controls , there are no comprehensive programmes which can simply be applied to every surveying job , basically because no two are entirely alike .
Idiom: take the biscuit (used idiomatically: yes)
Perhaps I will be thought outspoken , but so often it is those people who have moved into the country that complain . I could hardly believe reading in one of the London papers , that cows are under threat and are being monitored for their noise level . This really takes the biscuit ! ! With all the trouble in the world , the atrocious killing and starving people , it annoys me that there are some people kicking up a fuss about the noise and smells from the farms . There was one case where cockerels crowing in the night upset the neighbours .
Idiom: tie the knot (used idiomatically: no)
ROD CHAYTOR GETTING hitched was sheer bliss for Nigel Longmore and Susan Lansley . They tied the knot suspended 40 ft up a cliff - face . Then Susan , 32 , who dangled from ropes wearing gown and boots , joked : ‘ They say our marriage is already on the rocks.’ Climber Nigel , 28 , and best man Patrick Rafferty abseiled to a tiny ledge near Leek , Staffs .
Idiom: go the whole hog (used idiomatically: yes)
All professional musicians , the band have received rave reviews in the music press — not least for their cover versions of Jimi Hendrix numbers which have earned Slim comparisons with the master guitar guru . ‘ We had been playing a lot of country and blues songs before we started to play a couple of Hendrix numbers in the set and it just caught on so we added more,’ said Slim . Currently the band have a repertoire of about 20 Hendrix tunes , with Slim occasionally going the whole hog playing guitar behind his head and often performing a full Woodstock style Star Spangled Banner , much to the delight of the crowd . Audiences are as diverse as the music itself , with all ages represented . ‘ We get dads coming along who might have been into Cream and they bring their son who 's wearing a Megadeth T - shirt — the common link is Hendrix.’
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
As ever , he was in two minds about Clarac 's value to the project . He was a good front man , but the real work was done by his team of four assistants . Clarac had only to step out of line once and he would be out , family connections or no . Clarac 's voice oozed warmth and friendliness . ‘ Soren !
Idiom: easier said than done (used idiomatically: yes)
Saturday finds you still in the throes of sorting out a financial/ professional issue and you wo n't be able to really relax until you 've cleared up all unfinished business . Relax on Sunday . I 'm afraid going on an economy drive is easier said than done . You can justify the most absurd extravagance to yourself Saturday for your line of reasoning defies logic and is a law unto itself . The whimsical mood continues Sunday with more strange notions .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
Contact with colleagues can serve several functions . It allows a repetitive task to become tolerable ; but it can also threaten the ordered hierarchy of an organization where discretion is to be minimized by directive communications . Social interaction between the rank and file can subvert the organization and breed resistance . T. D. There were men on the opposite beat and sometimes you could spend a little time talking to them as long as you were n't caught . It was looked on as a very serious offence .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
Do you lay up short of the stream , which is around 110 yards shy of the green ? Or do you strain every sinew to go for that elusive target set on a small plateau ? The result may make your day , or break it . Club pro : Ian Large Course length : 6247 yards Green fees : Weekdays £ 24 round , £ 33 day . Saturdays : Pounds 35 round , £ 45 day .
Idiom: in your face (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Young players have discovered one or two things already . ‘ It 's just a fact that not all people play nice football and behave like gentlemen . ‘ When you get into European competition sometimes they do spit in your face , pull your hair and pinch you when they pretend to help you up . ‘ It happens , and the sooner our kids learn about this side of football , the better . I learned how to cope with it and they must do the same .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
Its excuses concerning the SDLP and Irish unity have been exposed as totally spurious . And they will continue to be exposed until they become too embarrassing to even mention . The time has come for the party to choose and , in the final analysis , it has two coherent policies to choose from . One is to accept Ken Livingstone 's position and set about expelling the province from the UK , whatever the consequences . The other is to open the way for the development of working - class unity in Northern Ireland by organising the Party there .
Idiom: first among equals (used idiomatically: yes)
With the coming of the liberal - democratic constitution after 1867 , the rise of a mass electorate and the force of party organisation and loyalty inside the Commons changed the relation between the Commons and the cabinet . The cabinet moved into a position of greater power and control unchecked by the legislature , and the Commons was seen as having lost most of its powers because of the informal reality of party in government . In this system of Cabinet government , the Prime Minister was regarded as primus inter pares , as first among equals , and as just the leading member of the Cabinet team . In recent years , it has been argued that the position and powers of the Prime Minister have altered so considerably that it makes sense to talk about the rise of prime ministerial government and the transformation of the Cabinet into yet another " dignified " part of the constitution . From this perspective , the Prime Minister is increasingly regarded as the keystone to the system enjoying unchecked and autocratic powers equivalent to an elected monarch and in excess of those enjoyed by presidents who have to contend with the legislature " checking and balancing " their powers .
Idiom: jockey for position (used idiomatically: no)
From PHILIP NICKSAN in Belgrade HEAVYWEIGHTS , it is said , take a while to mature but tend to remain longer in the sport . But in world judo at present , there is a group of young fighters all jockeying for the top positions — and in the first day of the World Championships here yesterday , they began to sort themselves out . The man who headed the pack was Naoya Ogawa , 21 , of Japan , who first came to prominence two years ago at the World Championships in Essen when he threw Britain 's Elvis Gordon for ippon in the final of the open weight category . This time , he appeared in the heavyweight division where he produced similar results , throwing his three opponents in the preliminary rounds for ippon ( 10 points ) .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
The rest were pulled from the water and ferried to safety . RSPCA officials are now urging all farmers to listen out for flood warnings and move their animals away from danger as soon as posible . A lucky find on the edge of the Cotswolds is helping archeologists discover what life was like in Roman Britain . They 've uncovered the remains of a first century village and graveyard … but they only have a short time to dig up the relics , before work continues on a pipeline straight through the site . Erika Barnes reports .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: no)
Women were brought aboard the ships , too — but the crews , despite so many months away from female company , did not find much sexually attractive about them . They were immensely hairy , had breasts that hung down at least a yard and were used by the males as beasts of burden . But the men liked the giants ' tricks : one used to swallow and then regurgitate long arrows , as in a circus ; and another , who allowed himself to be called Juan and learned some biblical phrases , caught and ate all the rats and mice on board , to the entertainment of the men and the pleasure of the cook . Magellan , who like everybody else was awed by their size , called these men ‘ patagones ’—‘big feet’ ; the land in which he found them became — and has been , ever since — Patagonia . Despite the amusement such indigenes provided , the months at anchor in so depressing a place wore on Magellan , and by late August he was off south again with the four ships that remained .
Idiom: lay a finger on (used idiomatically: yes)
Sparks of anger danced like flames in her sherry - coloured eyes . ' That 's the second time you 've threatened me with violence , Mr Jacobsen , ' she said evenly . ' Other women may have enjoyed your Viking tactics but , let me assure you , if you lay one finger on me you 'll regret it . ' ' And who 's to know what I do to you out here in the middle of nowhere ? ' His calmness fuelled her fury still more .
Idiom: like the clappers (used idiomatically: no)
Yet from 10.15p.m . the line bites began and bream had been rolling steadily along the familiar route for almost an hour . At 12.15a.m . I had my first good bite , a two inch lift then the indicator dropping like the clappers on a slack line . I picked up the rod , wound in the slack and struck . Yes , it was on .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
Pat had agreed and Anne and John spent a blissful leave fitting it up as their first home . Pat told them to take what they liked and Carrie gave them linen and other items which were now impossible to buy . In November church bells were rung to celebrate the victory at El Alamein , and everyone felt that at last the war might be near the end , although Churchill told them they were wrong . ' It is not the end , not even the beginning of the end , ' he warned . ' It is the end of the beginning . '
Idiom: rare bird (used idiomatically: yes)
It has HDS supplying the US Army with close to 60,000 colour and monochrome units over 30 months . HDS says it has delivered the first $ 5 m . The RCAS contract however is one of those rare governmental birds , an FFP or Firm Fixed Price contract , meaning that all of those 60,000 terminals are going to get ordered and delivered . PRC and HDS are on less solid footing with AFCAC 300 . It 's what they call in governmental circles , an IDIQ or Indefinite Delivery , Indefinite Quantity contract , described elsewhere as merely a ' hunting licence . '
Idiom: fly the flag (used idiomatically: yes)
He was sent to jail for three years ) Christine Thexton , Ashfield , Newton Aycliffe : I was in a sanatorium for two years having major surgery for a lung complaint , so the King 's death is deeply implanted in my mind . J. Waller , Pears Terrace , Shildon : I was going to visit my granny and as I got to the bottom of the street there was a church or a chapel nearby which was flying a flag at half mast . I asked my granny why and she said that there had been what we now call a newsflash on the wireless saying the King had died . Marjorie Heathwaite , Front Street , Cockfield , Bishop Auckland : I wrote in my diary February 6 1952 : ' The King died suddenly , broadcast 11.15am after Mrs Dale 's Diary .
Idiom: lay down the law (used idiomatically: no)
‘ HOUSING ’ from One Nation , 1950 The first parliamentary Acts concerning housing in the nineteenth century were Public Health Acts , which laid down requirements as regards sanitation and public safety . Detailed regulations for the construction of new buildings were laid down in a great variety of Acts and bye-laws . In 1868 and 1879 the two ‘ Torrens Acts ’ made the owner of a house responsible for keeping it in a habitable condition , and gave powers of compulsion to the local authority . Further steps forward were taken in 1875 and 1879 when the ‘ Cross Acts ’ were passed .
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
LONDON – Yemen has suddenly joined Afghanistan and Pakistan as a risk to global security . Indeed , it is increasingly seen as a nascent failed state and potential replacement host for Al ~ Qaeda . The attempted bombing of a Detroit - bound airliner on Christmas ~ Day by a young Nigerian man trained by Al ~ Qaeda in Yemen appeared to open the West 's eyes to the country 's problems . Following that failed attack , US President Barack ~ Obama and British Prime ~ Minister Gordon ~ Brown jointly pushed a conference in London to propose solutions for the previously overlooked crises in Yemen . But if the conference focuses too narrowly on Al ~ Qaeda 's presence in Yemen , it will do more harm than good .