Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: heart to heart (used idiomatically: no)
In fact , he was married , although not many people knew this , and his wife had a serious and incurable disease called lupus , which at times took quite a toll on his own emotions and energy . Belinda had stumbled upon him one day several months ago when he was alone in a little - used store - room at the far end of the ward , and she had seen immediately that he was near to breaking down . After a heart - to - heart talk , she had gently ordered him home for the rest of the week , and since that time they had been friends in a reserved sort of way . The fact that he obviously thought she was a good nurse pleased her and gave her confidence , while the fact that Belinda had not betrayed his secret and gossiped about his wife and her illness earned his gratitude and respect , so that now they were allies and she knew she would be able to go to him if ever she had a problem at the hospital . Was Deana Davenport a problem in that sense ?
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: no)
Flotation IXI founder and chairman , Ray Anderson , who owns just less than half of all IXI shares coverts his holding to a ' significant ' stake in SCO and takes a vice president post at the company , reporting directly to recently appointed SCO boss , Lars Turndal . Anderson remains managing director of IXI and gets a position on SCO 's new management committee , whilst Turndal and other SCO executives take seats on the IXI board . ' IXI will add more to the value of SCO than the dilution of the shares involved , ' according to Anderson . And , in a clear reference to SCO 's well - publicised drive towards a flotation in the US , he said the acquisition will provide ' a faster route to liquidity for IXI shareholders . '
Idiom: at death's door (used idiomatically: no)
Costner 's Midnight Star casino is the plushest in town . Floor manager George Picard says : ‘ Kevin fell in love with the hills and wanted to put something back into the community , that 's all . ’ That does n't cut any ice at the No 10 saloon where Wild Bill Hickok 's death chair hangs over the door . Owner Louie Lalonde will tell you how Bill broke his own rule by sitting with his back to the door the night Jack ‘ Broken Nose ‘ McCall crept in and shot him . She 'll even show you the poker hand he was playing .
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
John A Bagley Nothing is known of his early life , but it is clear that he acquired practical experience of chemistry and engineering . In 1784 he began experimenting with small model balloons , and on 4 October that year he became the first Englishman to fly a hot - air balloon , with a short flight in Oxford . On 12 November he made a fourteen - mile flight from the Physic Garden in a balloon filled with hydrogen , which was witnessed by most of the population of Oxford . During 1785 he made six more balloon flights , notably taking William Windham , MP [ q.v . ] , as a passenger on 5 May , but then gave up ballooning for twenty - five years .
Idiom: small print (used idiomatically: yes)
Could I suggest , John , that you re - word your document to reflect your practices . If that 's what you 're doing in practice , say so , do n't put all these exclusions in the document because that makes me suspicious and makes me think you 're trying to exclude these things . Well , I think if I can clarify small print . If you look through the wording of that policy , it is all the same print . There is no small print in the booklet .
Idiom: into thin air (used idiomatically: yes)
Reality had been suspended in that secluded Thai beach house , in that paradise of Phuket . The trust that had made their intimacy possible did not exist outside it . Just the sight of Hong Kong 's skyscrapers and sophisticated city lights made the very last traces of that trust vanish into thin air . As they disembarked from the jet , they were strangers . ‘ Where the hell is Bennet?’
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's all so nebulous . On the surface I agree : the teachers are not likely . A boy would have better opportunities — of doing that nasty trick with the razor blade , for example . I suppose I 'm reluctant to go into the school side before I have to because I 'm not very good with kids . ' ' Are n't you , sir ? '
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
It is of crucial importance to avoid a result in which there is an overall reduction in the quantity or quality of attention given to the child . If you take away with one hand , give with the other — but at another , appropriate time . If sweet reason and turning a blind eye are not enough and you feel you have to use some form of punishment , do so without excessive anger or physical force . Try to understand that the child is bound to be angry and resentful . He or she should not receive extra punishment for not being overjoyed at being told off .
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
She was here on a mission , and the sooner she set out on it the better ! Hopefully she would find Suzie and talk some reason into her head within the six days she had allotted herself . Still dressed in the chestnut - coloured cotton suit with its pleated skirt and casual blouse - type jacket over a short - sleeved white silk top in which she had travelled , she dragged a comb through her wavy dark hair , tucking the long side strands behind her ears , before renewing the soft bronze lipstick which emphasised the gentle curves of her soft - lipped mouth . Trained in a business where presentation was paramount , she had long since learned the best way to project the image of herself she wished other people to see . As far as Marcus had been concerned she had succeeded too well , she admitted as she paid cursory attention to the long dark lashes fringing her clear grey eyes .
Idiom: on top of the world (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh I must n't lose that , my grandson bought me that in Greece Cos I 'm a pipe smoker and er , but it 's not a Zippo , and he got it very cheap English you see , but I 've knackered him you see , because I , he thinks I 've still got that , but I , I , I bought a Zippo one , and it 's , it 's the hippo , the Zippo one that 's in there the other one was fucking useless , well , it lasted for a couple of months , a few months , but er How 's your dad and mum ? Alright , mother 's alright , she 's on top of the world she is at the moment , nothing of her , but , she seems to be struggling through it all . I passed your dad on the crossing the other day . Yeah , did he speak to you ?
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
Sgt Biggs is urging all anglers to keep an eye open for anything suspicious . ‘ It has been going on for a while — but not on the scale it is happening now . ‘ Big carp are few and far between . People will pay a lot if they think the big ones are in a certain stretch of water.’ For more information , contact him on 051 709 6010 ext 4070 .
Idiom: keep a straight face (used idiomatically: yes)
ROBBIE Aye , at you . You let off like that once before , d'you remember . All about how terrible we 'd been to one of the new teachers , how you could understand some of the other classes doing that , but not us , and you banged the desk so hard all the books fell off and we fell about laughing , and you had to laugh too , you could n't keep a straight face . CATHERINE You have n't changed . ROBBIE Neither have you .
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
3 BROADCASTING AND THE NVALA Mrs Whitehouse 's concern with the output of the major broadcasting companies began in the early 1960s and is still going strong today almost thirty years later . It is worth paying particular attention to one of two programmes or issues that particularly disturbed Mrs Whitehouse and the NVALA for they sum up quite neatly the major ways in which broadcasting is seen by them as falling short of the standards that , they suggest , ought generally to apply . The late - night satirical shows such as Not So Much a Programme , More a Way of Life and That Was the Week That Was ( TW3 ) were among the first to cause the NVALA concern . TW3 , staffed by the likes of David Frost , William Rushton , Bernard Levin ( who in later years became a critic of ‘ permissiveness’ ) , and a future bête - noir of Mrs Whitehouse , John Mortimer , was , in its short history , massively popular and controversial .
Idiom: to beat the band (used idiomatically: no)
One of Yorkshire 's famous sayings is ' Where there 's muck , there 's brass ' . And , while there may not be a lot of muck any more , there is still plenty of brass . For , when it comes down to it , there 's nothing to beat a brass band . There 's always one to be heard somewhere during the summer — in the piazza in front of the art gallery and Town Hall or in a park . Whether it 's the Police Band or one from a nearby mill town , there are fewer nicer ways to end a summer day in Leeds than to sit in a deckchair at sunset , listening to the haunting sound of the trumpets and trombones .
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: no)
I 'll be out there.’ ‘ Good . Then you could do me a favour . You know in the dinner party scene , when I 'm downstage doing my incest speech … 7’ ‘ Yes.’
Idiom: under the influence (used idiomatically: no)
The super - ego retains the character of the father , while the more powerful the Oedipus complex was and the more rapidly it succumbed to repression ( under the influence of authority , religious teaching , schooling and reading ) , the stricter will be the domination of the super - ego over the ego later on — in the form of conscience or perhaps of an unconscious sense of guilt .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: no)
' City drew two - two with Manchester United in the League Cup semifinal ! ' I was unable to share his joy , not particularly because my home team had been held to a draw , but because I fell headlong into the tent , throwing a pan of boiling rice everywhere . The following day took me over more stark hills and across empty plains and plateaux . When I was half way up an escarpment , I saw a signpost at the top , too distant to read . It was the free - standing sort that might have stood outside a country pub .
Idiom: get the boot (used idiomatically: no)
got these boots got what on ? got these boots what did I say about going on the road if you 're helping me , come back onto the path , hello I can hear a car , I think there 's one gon na come round the corner
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
Taylor was an engineer by training and his approach to understanding organisations reflected both his scientific background and the belief in science as the solution to society 's problems that was so characteristic of the late nineteenth century . Taylor ( 1967 ) examined the traditional working methods of individual workers in a number of studies covering such simple tasks as bricklaying or shovelling materials . He believed that it was possible to apply scientific principles to each task which would replace the old rule - of - thumb method of working . He believed that the workforce should be selected on the same scientific basis . Such an approach would lead to a more efficient worker and hence to a more profitable organisation .
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
How could you really have witnessed that?and when I say that finally I want to talk about terrier men because basically they 're the people who 've ruined your sport the terrier men are illegal , the terrier men are doing something that is definitely illegal in this country . To open a fox hole and to introduce a dog into the tunnels to come across an undefended vixen , she 's bound to fight . Survival instinct is absolutely incredible , to see the wounds of a terrier and a fox when they have locked jaw locked and are pulled squealing out of a hole , I think I am deeply concerned about anybody here today that can turn that blind eye because what their terrier men are doing is dog fighting , make no bones about it , they wo n't be interested in laying the scent , they will not be interested in being retrained and helping your fraternity . They 're there for one reason and one reason only I know , cos I 've been involved in fox hunting , I 've shot and fished but I 'll tell you something , was also trained to hunt humans , going back many years ago , when I was in the Falkland Islands training for the event that happened eventually . One of the things that I used to do was train and I know the feeling , I know the excitement , I know the adrenalin that pumps round the body , when you go in for the kill .
Idiom: in the pink (used idiomatically: yes)
Morgan ( 1975 : 442 ) asks ‘ What can we infer about the speaker 's intentions from the fact that he has chosen this particular description , rather than any of the others which would call to mind the same referent?’ For any individual there will be an immense number of possible descriptions which will be more or less appropriate in different contexts . We may identify the person from external physical cues : the woman in the corner , the man with a beard , the student who has had his hair dyed , the child in the pink dress or , more or less flatteringly , the tall distinguished looking man I the man with a big nose and stringy hair . We may identify people from a description of what they are doing : the woman who is chatting up the Admiral , the man who 's fixing the car , etc . The variable which interests us most is that which is concerned with the various roles played by the individual .
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
It had smelled blood , fresh blood . The man in the shadows waved something green and glistening , and the waft of entrails touched the cat 's sensitive nostrils and made it sit up and watch the stranger . After a moment , curiosity and hunger got the better of it , and it walked easily , almost indifferently , towards the dark corner where the fresh meat beckoned . When the bloody offal was slapped onto the concrete path before it , the cat hesitated only briefly before running towards this welcome offering , and beginning to chew greedily at the soft , tasty guts . It was so absorbed in its feast that it ignored the soft approach of the man who had treated it so kindly , and could do no more than scratch and struggle as it was grasped by the neck , and lifted from the ground , its belly exposed to the flashing steel blade of a fish knife .
Idiom: on the horn (used idiomatically: yes)
As scored here the woodwind and horns are pitted against each other , the character of the music with its fanfare - like subject lending itself well to such treatment . The bassoons are required for both groups . In bar 4 the combination of 1st bassoon and horns would give the effect of a chord on three horns . ( Remember that this would not hold good if the passage were f instead of p. ) The flutes could be omitted without loss of anything essential .
Idiom: unknown quantity (used idiomatically: yes)
What did lie to the south was not immediately apparent . For English and Scottish Protestants , Mary Tudor was a disaster , inexplicably visited by God on her kingdom . Her younger sister and successor Elizabeth was much more of an unknown quantity . The Protestants could hope but by no means be certain of what she would do , though they could take comfort from her dramatic gesture on Christmas Day 1558 , when she ordered the bishop celebrating Mass in her chapel not to elevate the host , walking out when he refused , and her even more spectacular gesture on 25 January 1559 when , at the opening of parliament , she told the abbot and monks of Westminster , processing with tapers burning , ‘ Away with these torches ! We can see well enough’ .
Idiom: with a view to (used idiomatically: yes)
Other Forum activities were started but not brought to significant conclusions . The programme on communication and theology , for example , produced some excellent results in Latin America , North America and Europe . Some papers have been published , others are now being sifted , with a view to making them available to WACC 's constituency . WACC also showed a certain interest in the problems of the ‘ electronic church’ , both in North and South America . But there was no need to break new ground .
Idiom: in someone's pocket (used idiomatically: no)
— reserves the money for you for up to three months . Happy Hunting You are now in an unusually powerful position : you have a strong , professional team behind you , and a good few thousand pounds ' worth of buying power in your pocket . If you 're a first - time buyer , your position is better still : you have nothing to sell , so you can buy what you want when you want . The sort of buyer every seller loves .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: no)
Erm the the Kuomintang , make no mistake about it , were committed to a national revolution erm an and therefore they were revolutionary , they were , they were claiming to be as revolutionary as the communists . Okay there might be a different way of getting there an an and they might er would n't have sought to do it through ca class conflict but they were as revolutionary . So , and certainly Mao was not that out of line with the left of the Kuomintang at that time . But they were talking about forty years or so Yeah sure .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
Right . What 's up Christopher ? did n't carry on that game that we were playing before . Did we not finish that one ? No
Idiom: cap in hand (used idiomatically: yes)
Like other young people , they want change if only for the sake of it . I am unhappy about Europe , about the recession — talk about hating the one you love — and I think the NHS would be more efficient under Labour , their baby after all . ‘ But then I think back : going cap in hand to the IMF , raging inflation 20 to 25 per cent ; the awesome power of the unions . The money markets are wiping out share values , there 'll be a flight of money if Labour gets in and professional people will leave too if they can see better prospects abroad . I just wish the Tories had some fresh ideas , precious few around as far as I can see .
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
The launch should always be stopped if an overrun occurs , and if the launch continues in spite of pulling the release the pilot should make every effort to prevent the glider from leaving the ground by keeping the stick right forward . Because of the automatic override system used on all the winch tow release hooks , this is now an extremely rare cause of accidents . Suggestions on how to deal with a hang - up are covered in my other book Derek Piggott on Gliding ( A & C Black ) . Pilots are most vulnerable to all of these problems when they are out of practice or when they become blasé and do not think about the procedures regularly . If pilots are apprehensive about cable breaks it probably means that they are uncertain about what they should do in all situations , and whether they can manage .
Idiom: hold water (used idiomatically: yes)
She opened her eyes and said emphatically , ‘ No good . A has an alibi.’ ‘ Assuming the alibi holds water . I thought Dieter seemed a bit evasive when Rose was questioning him.’ ‘ Normal reaction to her blathering.’
Idiom: to all intents and purposes (used idiomatically: yes)
Toxic drugs can'£t cure anything really , they just hold thinks in check . The point is you need to appear to get better . And to all intents and purposes from capitialism 's point o view you do get better , back on your feet , back to work and off the sick . Ironically , I would argue cynically , the only way I could become acceptable was to turn my illness into a piece of work at one level . I think what is quite interesting about my work is that I was non - disabled , then became disabled , and I operate at these borders .
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: yes)
After all , that is what the PRI has done for 71 years to retain power and the ability to systematically loot the state . Not so this time . The opposition candidate won a sweeping victory with a mandate for democracy and a fresh start across the board . Mexico has done well enough economically to have the courage to change . Now comes the hard part .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
Accidents involving bathers are especially common in the waters off north - eastern Australia , but happily an effective anti - venin is now available . The group of jointed animals known as arthropods includes scorpions and spiders , and almost all of these are venomous . Scorpions occur in the warmer parts of the world and are nocturnal by habit , hiding by day in holes or under stones . Most species measure 2–3 cm ( about 1 in ) ; the largest ever recorded , at over 30 cm ( 12 in ) , is now mercifully extinct . The elongated body of the scorpion is armed at one end with two powerful claws and at the other with a long tail terminating in a sting .
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
There is another motive — good old-fashioned business sense . As the mechanics , now dubbed dismantlers , get to work their eyes are primed to search out every tiny component which could be used again or recycled into something else . And out of the disorder of the mangled metal work comes a process as flowing and systematic as if it were building a pristine model from scratch . First stop is a bay where all the car 's fluids are drained . The oil is used for the factory 's own heating system with any surplus sent for refining .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 've never seen that in twenty years of football,’ he said . ‘ If he 'd give a free - kick to us the Blackburn crowd would n't have complained . It was disappointing , to say the least , but there 's no point crying over spilt milk . We might get a decision like it next week.’ Mr Jones , unfortunately , declined to make his reasoning public before leaving with a police escort .
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
In Britain , as a grey day dawned , half a million peered , red - eyed , at their screens . In Australia , in Melbourne Park , a hundred thousand people sat waiting for the Victorian Football League Cup Final , and while they waited the 100 metres was to be relayed on the stadium scoreboard from Seoul . Past champions also watched , wondering if history would be made on this day . No man had won the Olympic 100 metres twice in the modern celebrations of the Games . Now Carl Lewis , the champion from Los Angeles , had that chance .
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
McLaren returned to London , convinced that fashion , music and the iconography of pop culture offered the perfect medium for spectacle , subversion and profit . Now he put together his own group from the bored teenagers who frequented his shop and invited his old art - school colleague Jamie Reid to join the plot . In truth , almost any quartet of disgruntled teenagers , of the barest musical competence , artfully encouraged to belch , pull faces and make rude gestures would have fitted the bill , but fate decreed in the Sex Pistols a particularly exquisite chemistry of individuals . There was John Lydon , rechristened Johnny Rotten , a hunched Irish boy with a complexion like used tissue paper , a vituperative turn of phrase and a sneer made in heaven ; and Steve Jones and Paul Cook , two likely lads rich with the authentic aroma of the Job Centre and remand home . The original bass - player , Glen Matlock , a chirrupy lad with dangerous aspirations to musical prowess , was quickly dropped ; in his place came the infinitely more satisfactory John Ritchie , a.k.a .
Idiom: out of sorts (used idiomatically: yes)
Frank Ward JOHN PARROTT headed home last night to enjoy a snooker-free Christmas while James Wattana began his preparations for a Coalite World Matchplay semi-final debut . World No 2 Parrott , out of form and out of sorts , slumped to a 9-3 defeat and then admitted : ‘ I 'm bushwhacked . ’ The 28-year-old Merseysider , a beaten Matchplay finalist in 1988 and '89 , added : ‘ I 've played snooker constantly since August and need a break . I came to Doncaster not feeling I was going to win .