Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: make a pitch (used idiomatically: no)
It took about ten minutes to chew through one slice and only two very heavy loaves lasted us back to Newlyn . Valiant always got us home but I was never very happy about her performance in bad weather . Her round bilge construction and narrow beam made her pitch and roll excessively , I always thought she had a bad feel about her . I believe Vigilant was a better seaboat , but I never served any time on her in adverse conditions to find out . They were both very wet in a head sea .
Idiom: keep up appearances (used idiomatically: yes)
This meant that there was now effectively a time limit on how long I was going to be able to stay in my broom cupboard . It must be pointed out before we go any further that my friends in Harwich had a rather distorted picture of my life in that they only ever saw the best of me . All my efforts were concentrated on keeping up appearances during those two hours of the day when I was with them . I never overstayed my welcome and always dreamed up some excuse if any of them suggested meeting me outside working hours . It was n't that I was being purposely unfriendly , it was just that I had decided that my best chance of survival lay in my being as unobtrusive as possible .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
Tullock ( 1971 ) neatly resolves the apparent paradox of there being much rhetoric about redistribution but very little actual redistribution between income groups . He employs the notion of ' cognitive dissonance ' , met above in chapter 5 , and argues that individuals , e.g. many academics , have to have dissonance between their espousal of equity and their lack of any direct action to alter it . A somewhat superficial way out is to vote for a political party that ascribes to redistribution but does not , when in office , actually take any radical redistributive activities ( the past performance of the UK Labour Party , for example , may fit this bill ) -that way , you get to salve your conscience and keep your money ! 9 - 6 - 2 The Politics of Equity The voting - oriented positive approaches to redistribution , given the comments above , may seem on stronger ground in explaining policy in that they largely rely on a narrow self - interest motive to make them tick .
Idiom: neck of the woods (used idiomatically: yes)
Here and there it felt more like the Middle Ages . What brought all this on was driving from Berlin to Leipzig and back . I 've been known to moan about the state of some of the roads in our neck of the Surrey woods , but the byways of darkest Saxony make my local rutted tracks seem smooth as glass . When you have one wheel stuck in bent tramlines while the other is banging through mud - filled , cobble - strewn potholes the size of small mineshafts , it sharpens up your steering technique no end . A year or so ago I motored for the fun of it through Latvia and Estonia , from Riga to what was then still Leningrad , and never thought to encounter such ramshackle roads again .
Idiom: on the spur of the moment (used idiomatically: yes)
Nevertheless , baser appetites were not neglected and Miss Lewis vouchsafes that ‘ Steve is also a brilliant lover , the very best I have ever known.’ Indeed so ‘ brilliant’ was Mr Wyatt that his erstwhile inamorata once persuaded him to engage in carnal activity on board an aeroplane . ‘ We once made love on the spur of the moment in the loo of an aircraft,’ she recalls . Without for one moment implying any impropriety , this last episode demonstrates how deliciously appropriate it is that Mr Wyatt should subsequently have struck up such a warm friendship with the world 's foremost collector of air miles . Mr Michael Jagger , the vocal stylist with the once - popular beat ensemble , The Rolling Stones , is soon to achieve the venerable rank of grandfather .
Idiom: laughing stock (used idiomatically: yes)
The incident occurred in Whangarei and the alleged aggressor was John Rankin - Hurst of the Waipu club . His victim was Hikurangi laboratory technician Bernie Hately . The Waipu club , who are considering an appeal against the local union suspension , had better make sure of their ground unless they wish to become a laughing stock . Laughing boys … or getting shirty ? AS A barometer of public opinion RW&P 's Postbag seems to give a fairly good cross section .
Idiom: easy as pie (used idiomatically: yes)
Specialist Spotlight Apple appeal Growing apples is as easy as apple pie , if you are Joan Greenway of Highfield Nurseries . Graham Rice finds out her recipe for success While I was visiting Joan Greenway of Highfield Nurseries , the fruit specialists , she described to me her recipe for trouble - free apple growing : disease - resistant varieties , the right rootstock for your preferred size of tree , a simple summer and winter prune plus a crab apple to take care of your pollination needs .
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
In 1985 , when Sandy Lyle won the Open Championship and Bernhard Langer won the US Masters , the writers ' choice was the Ryder Cup team and when Faldo himself won the Open in 1987 it was again the Ryder Cup team , who won in America , who were selected . As Diane Bailey 's Curtis Cup team were chosen in 1986 that means that in four of the past five years a team have come top of the poll . It was always likely that this would happen again this year , given that the Walker Cup team were making history whereas Faldo , for all his brilliance , was the second Briton and the fourth European in the Eighties to win at Augusta . Sailing Britain wait for protest news . BRITAIN closed on the two teams ahead of them in the NorTel Southern Cross Cup series when Juno IV finished fourth , Heaven Can Wait seventh and Canon Express tenth in the fourth race yesterday — and there is a protest to be heard against two of the New South Wales team who lead the series , 11.5 points ahead of Australia and 21.5 ahead of Britain , writes Bob Fisher .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
There are ways of ' suspending ' some debts — you can , for instance , arrange to pay only the interest on your mortgage for a while . The earlier you discuss a potential or actual problem with the lender , the more chance there is of being able to arrange matters satisfactorily . In the final analysis , they may recommend specific courses of action including destroying all your credit cards and even your cheque book , if they believe this to be necessary . In some areas of the country there are special Money Advice Centres which can help people in debt , particularly those who have saddled themselves with multiple debts . Such specialist centres are fairly thin on the ground , but Citizens Advice Bureaux can help , and some local authorities have their own consumer advisers .
Idiom: catch someone's eye (used idiomatically: yes)
I was very interested in your article on the Labradoodle Dandy in the June issue of Dogs Today . I thought you might be interested in seeing my adorable mutt , Bubbles , pictured ( below ) with her superior companion our Yorkshire Terrier , Boswell . The reason the Labradoodle caught my eye is that Bubbles is the result of a liaison between a Miniature Poodle and — wait for it — a Labrador / Boxer cross . We call our rather unusual breed a Poodorbox ! She is roughly Cocker Spaniel weight , but taller .
Idiom: knock it off (used idiomatically: no)
just thread it through do n't Yeah alright , alright , you nearly knocked it off again now look That 'll be a three year old would n't it ? Sort of about three , two or three
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: no)
The crystal missile impacted in a skater 's chest , and erupted . Needles of razor - shrapnel sped outward . Fierce acids and neurotoxins engulfed almost all of the skaters in a caustic , nerve - convulsing fog . Their silks and skin dissolved as if gobbled by a cloud of ravenous moths . The skaters skidded outward , their muscles convulsing .
Idiom: throw a wobbly (used idiomatically: yes)
As for Houseparties — well , I 've been making friends with the villa girls who run them on islands throughout the Med ; I 've sailed the Turkish coast on a ‘ Gulet’ , and gone island - hopping in Greece on the luxurious motor yacht ‘ SunSun’— they 're all really floating Houseparties . As for the winter , I 've never skied any other way than on one of the Ski Whizz / Small World Chalet parties . These ‘ Holiday Boutique’ guys do produce rather explicit brochures ; I mean , I threw a wobbly when I first heard about this Med plumbing lark . Funny way to sell holidays , it must put some people off . Still , those who make it are a great bunch — and they know exactly what to expect —‘Holidays that Satisfy’— I 'll say .
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Bentham dropped a sixth on the first end , then a two on the next and spent more than three hours trying to catch up . Skip Iain saw him and his fathe to the title by 21–16 . After wins over Malcolm Thomas and former holder Roy Cutts , Allcock completed a round - the - clock stint on the green last night with a 21–10 quarter - final singles victory over Richard Vinter . He now meets fellow international John Evans , while Mervyn King plays Mick Langley . Pairs final : E and I Boyle ( Richardsons Molton ) 21 , A Wills , A Allcock ( Bentham ) 16 .
Idiom: twist the knife (used idiomatically: yes)
The only possible excuse for her behaviour is that my temporary excision has gone to her head . ‘ Rainbow,’ I stage - whisper , ‘ whose side are you on our there?’ Then , would you believe it , she twists the knife . ‘ I 'm sorry , Kokos , but I think I ought to hear what Anya has to say.’ Is there no loyalty among these mortals ?
Idiom: save the day (used idiomatically: yes)
3 The Thirty - nine Steps John Buchan 1915 Devotees of the Hitchcock film will be gratified to hear that Buchan 's book is even more chock - full of incident , cross - country chases , gung - ho and derring - do : a stirring monument to the days when a man of action might still be possessed of a stiff - upper - lipped charm and accomplishment . As every schoolboy knows , Richard Hannay saves the day — and England . 4 The Maltese Falcon Dashiel Hammett 1930 The first and best example of the ‘ hard - boiled’ thriller , with private dick Sam Spade chewing off chunks of lousy life in a lousy world , and spitting them right back in your face .
Idiom: swings and roundabouts (used idiomatically: yes)
Housing costs account for a large proportion of the RPI , and mortgage interest rates play a significant part in housing costs . That is relevant to people who are in work , as those of us who have mortgages know , but , generally speaking , it is not very relevant to pensioners , who , if they had a mortgage , have usually paid it off . What has happened is a swings - and - roundabouts operation , whereby last year pensioners received more than the cost of living that they had incurred , whereas this year they will receive less . It is rather difficult to explain that . A different index , the Rossi index , omits housing costs .
Idiom: green light (used idiomatically: yes)
Concurrent Computer Corp says it has signed up Cranfield Data Systems Ltd here and Istar SA in France to to market complete systems for the dynamic analysis and vibration control sectors of the Measurement and Control market : the alliance will provide a portfolio of Open Dynamic Analysis Solutions running on Concurrent 's real - time computing systems and related services in application areas such as Rotating Machinery Analysis , Modal Analysis , Acoustics Analysis , and Vibration Control , using the Concurrent Series 7000 real - time Unix systems . FLASHING BLUE LIGHTS Sick of only traffic light red and green lights on your disk drives ? Got the blues that there 's no blue ? Help is at hand , and the company to contact is Cree Research Inc , Durham , North Carolina , which has created a light - emitting diode out of Silicon Carbide that glows blue .
Idiom: catch a cold (used idiomatically: yes)
Has a woman who knew herself to be well dressed ever caught a cold ? I am assuming that she was barely dressed .
Idiom: make yourself scarce (used idiomatically: yes)
Cold anger . ‘ Listen , my man,’ he said . ‘ The guide - book warned us about hotel touts of your sort , and unless you make yourself scarce I shall put you into the hands of the Carabinieri.’ The threat was enough . More than enough .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
The Collector had posted all the men he could spare on the upper , north - facing verandah . From this vantage point they were to keep up a steady rifle fire on the sepoys advancing over the open ground until they heard the first ringing of the Church bell . In addition they had two camel guns , small cannons which could be mounted on saddles and fired from the backs of camels ; for the circumstances these had been mounted on the back of a plush sofa which had been recovered from the rampart where it had served during the rains . Fleury , unaware of the Collector 's plans for a graduated retreat because he was not supposed to be in the Residency anyway , had dashed upstairs carrying the fifteen - barrelled pistol with which he was hoping to do battle from the upper storeys . In the first room he looked into , the window space had already been commandeered by two native pensioners and an indigo planter ; in the next room he was just in time to see the camel guns fired … the sofa recoiled on its protesting castors and the men serving the guns set to work to re - load .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
The girl looked about sixteen and recently aware of her considerable attractions . Her black hair was swept back in the careless style that only the most expensive hairdressing can give . She was wearing check trousers and a red polo - necked sweater that accentuated the perfect roundness of her bra - less small breasts . For the first time in over a month Charles felt certain that he had n't lost interest in sex . ' I take it you 're in the film , ' said the girl .
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: no)
Four hours a day in a blazing saddle can leave its mark , but my bottom was fine , the terrain being so rough that we never broke into a trot , let alone a gallop . It was my arms and legs that ached . I had fondly imagined that sitting astride one of these slow , sure - footed and allegedly stubborn beasts would be a doddle — which it was when actually in the saddle . It was what came before , during and after each day 's ride that was rigorous . I joined the rest of the group of nine ( eight women and one man ) at Malaga airport .
Idiom: sweat like a pig (used idiomatically: yes)
' See you later , ' he 'd say , and often it was five or six hours later . There would be the guy with the black box in a suitcase and the chair facing the wall that I would sit in while he sat in a chair behind me . He 'd fit the electrodes to my fingers , a band around my chest and a blood - pressure gauge to my left arm and then we 'd go at it , heat full up , windows closed , sweating like pigs because that was supposed to make the polygraph more accurate . Same questions over and over again . A lot of them related to the data I 'd been passing but also he 'd want to know who I 'd been talking to .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: yes)
He has founded Euro Auction , and with a distinguished flotilla of French specialists ( Eric Turquin and Bruno de Bayser to name but two ) holds his first auction in Brussels on June 15 . ‘ It 's an adventure,’ he told me last week . ‘ Brussels is the future capital of Europe , it 's at the crossroads of Europe and there is n't much competition.’ He has been goaded by the obstacles to expansion and the punishing VAT rate of 18.6 per cent that is imposed on imports in his own country . Buyers premium will be 20 per cent in Belgium , falling to 14 per cent for exported pieces .
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
We were fed up with the sexism in self - organized disability movements and even more fed up with the ableism of the women 's movement . Our attempts to participate had been accidentally and sometimes deliberately obstructed . I was just beginning to get to grips with the Campaign for Ink Print Information , but Women 's Tapeover could not keep up with the steady stream of new feminist writing that was emerging week by week . Patricia and Sue were more than fed up with being constantly left out in the cold , usually on the pavement outside women 's events because of lack of physical access . We were very , very angry and more than ready for a fight .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
He had forgotten the coasters , Sara noticed . But Rodney had not noticed , he was so deep in conversation with Veronica . Also the dog was sitting on the carpet on Carla 's bare feet . Sara longed to sleep . Unfortunate that it was her turn for the floor .
Idiom: in the can (used idiomatically: no)
The Taylor Campaign Guinness Draught Bitter was tested in the UK during 1991 after extensive research revealed a clear opportunity for a premium bitter in a can . Using the patented in - can system developed for Canned Draught Guinness , consumers were , for the first time , able to enjoy the taste and presentation of a quality draught bitter in their own homes . Following the successful test , Guinness Draught Bitter was launched nationally in the UK in early 1992 and sales have outperformed all expectations . ' Live it ! '
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
But eventually he found one that was almost empty with tall arch windows and broken tiles about the floor . Digging some of them up , he planted his seeds in the ground underneath . There was a hole in the ceiling to let in the rain but just to be safe he returned every day for a week to water them and was walking back one afternoon when , turning a corner , he felt a hand on his shoulder . Endill jumped in fright . He held his breath and turned slowly round , expecting the worst .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
Then add , you 'd put a plus sign , one and equal , two and two plus two equalled four . Like that . And the same when it came to er subtracting , you see , it were all done on the board and you copied it onto your plate On to your slate . And from that you learned . And you had a bit of rage or duster or something , you 'd got your slate filled , you 'd just wiped it up , and dried it , start again .
Idiom: your guess is as good as mine (used idiomatically: yes)
Eventually she stirred and found her voice . ' I wonder what Mamma meant by an appropriate place ? ' ' Your guess is as good as mine , ' he admitted . ' But it seems certain that the answer lies in the old house . ' ' Shall we go over there ? '
Idiom: cold feet (used idiomatically: yes)
If you 've got cold feet at night can you go to sleep ? Depends how tired I am . Who , who if they 've cold feet lies awake , till they warm up ? Got socks So that 's very , very important because it can be very misleading and you could be fooled into thinking that there 's nothing wrong with the baby , then there 'll also be swelling of the hands , feet and the eyelids might swell up , the medical word for that is oedema which you may well see in books , which means swelling occasionally the overlying skin is
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: yes)
How useful including this software is debatable since it has a limited range of file transfer protocols . It is tempting to dismiss Symphony as yesterday 's software on the grounds that it now looks very unexciting even as a DOS product . However the very fact that the product has been around for so long and is so well established in the corporate market place that makes it a worth taking seriously . Over the years it has attracted add - in products , including collections of templates , and this means that it can be sometimes be used as a complete solution to common business problems . Facts Box
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
German Greens victim of own success The west German Green Party ( Die Grünen ) suffered a major electoral setback in the first all - German elections . Their 3.9 per cent of the vote fell short of the 5 per cent threshold entitling them to representation in parliament . As a consequence , all 42 deputies in the former West German Bundestag lost their seats . Eight Green deputies were elected in eastern Germany , where they campaigned in alliance with the civil rights group , Bundnis 90 .
Idiom: come to think of it (used idiomatically: yes)
changing every minute . Second , the doodles are valuable . Adults often doodle in order to help themselves concentrate , and as the pencil strays around an apparently irrelevant line , in an apparently different activity — much like this paragraph , come to think of it — we might ask what the mind is doing . An analogous state of affairs is described somewhere by T.S. Eliot , who says that while the reader works at subduing the difficulty of a poem , the poem is doing its emotional work on him .
Idiom: under lock and key (used idiomatically: yes)
I doubt if he would steal for himself , but for Ramsey , yes , surely he would . He was even beginning to dream of freeing me from my slavery,’ she said tolerantly , and smiled with the resigned amusement of one experienced beyond young Tutilo 's innocent understanding . ‘ But now you have him somewhere under lock and key , and with nothing good to look forward to , whatever follows . If your saint is to remain here now , then even if Tutilo escapes the sheriff 's law , if Herluin takes him back to Ramsey they 'll make him pay through his skin for what he attempted and failed to bring to success . They 'll starve and flay him .
Idiom: on the button (used idiomatically: no)
Mm what are we doing dearest ? That 's a nice jumper Tim . What have you got on your buttons ? Oh , pussycats . Could be Bubble pussycats could n't it Tim ?
Idiom: keep body and soul together (used idiomatically: no)
' Mum says you 'll get poorly not ' aving seconds , ' accused Ella . ' You ' ad dumpling seconds ' said Linda . ' Well , Dad told us dumplings keep yer body and soul together , ' said Ella . She looked at Dolly , resting on the bed . Dolly was visibly slim .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
Your cat of my Exactly , my cat , it mine when it was good and yours when it was being horrible . Not on , not only do they wee on the carpet but they also have a tendency to try and avoid , cover it up Cover it up , yes , pull all the threads . Pull all the
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
He took a casual step towards her , and extended a mock - polite hand . Virginia clenched her fingers tighter round the bedcover , her heart hammering against her ribs in panic . ' And unless you 're one of Charity LeVille 's nubile masseuses over from Gros Islet … ' he 'd reached the bed , and to her horror slung his jacket over a nearby chair and sat down on the edge of the bed , far too close for comfort , continuing in the same bland tone , ' … which from the pious clutching of bedclothes I somehow doubt , maybe you 'd like to explain exactly who you are ? ' CHAPTER TWO It was rare for Virginia to be lost for words .
Idiom: rain cats and dogs (used idiomatically: yes)
An umbrella is useful in a mild rain , but when it rains cats and dogs an umbrella is of little help .
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
First , however , you have to look at how to make the best use of existing space . Making sense of your space The great advantage of starting from scratch in a kitchen is that you can , for very little extra cost , make major improvements by repositioning services ( gas , plumbing , electricity ) , doors , windows , even walls . Since kitchens tend to be positioned at the back of the house , they are often in an ideal situation for extending into the back garden , or knocking through into a corridor or back room to create a more useful space . If you are planning major changes to your kitchen , it is worth finding out how neighbours with the same layout have solved the problem .