Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
The special party congress , staged under the auspices of the 25-member ‘ working committee’ that has taken over the functions of the Communist SED will last through the weekend . It had earlier been planned for next week . The congress — taking place in an atmosphere of extreme vindictiveness among the SED rank and file following the corruption revelations — will determine the future of the Communist Party . Representatives are due to elect a completely new central committee and politburo , but the party newspaper , Neues Deutschland , suggested yesterday that such ‘ Stalinist institutions’ would perhaps no longer be required if the SED was transformed into a ‘ truly democratic party’ . The emergency SED leadership pledged that the congress would break with the ‘ Stalinist system’ .
Idiom: crystal clear (used idiomatically: yes)
Mm . Yeah . Can I make it quite crystal clear to my own mind , long term pension benefits it does n't come automatically it only comes if you surrender part of your own pension thus making provision for . It is n't in addition to the pension you 're getting , you have to be willing to give up part of your own pension in advance . I think that 's that 's what I understand as allocation .
Idiom: pass the buck (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It does n't matter whether the customer wants to buy a bus ticket or round the world cruise,’ says managing director William Shaw , ‘ we offer a complete service to all and do n't just concentrate on packages.’ The company was originally part of a furnishing business and applied general retailing techniques when it entered the travel trade in 1963 . If a complaint arises , it declines to pass the buck to tour operators , hotels or airlines . ‘ We take the matter up on the client 's behalf.’ NOTTINGHAM Neilson Travel , 11 Ashfield Precinct , Kirkby - in - Ashfield , NG17 7BQ ; tel 0603 755441 .
Idiom: around the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Northampton claims to have the most advanced video system in the world . It 's ninety six cameras are remotely driven . All the main streets are covered around the clock . There 's also a video record of every car using the main car parks . The council say that video evidence which led to the arrest of suspects in the James Bulger case has proved the value of systems like this .
Idiom: kiss of life (used idiomatically: yes)
Fellow nominees were Damien Hirst , David Tremlett and Alison Wilding . Davey 's submissions were huge , slightly differently shaped steel cylinders , one crushed ; and an elliptical table in steel covered in asphalt , with an opening at one end which revealed an interior with two shelves made of steel mesh . Richard Dorment of the Daily Telegraph said : ‘ What a pity a dealer did not take him aside and tell him the work he proposed to exhibit was unexhibitable … a visual boredom so total that no amount of metaphor or allusion can give it the kiss of life’ . The art historian Nigel Glendinning , in a letter to The Independent , said in defence : ‘ It is no good pretending that there is a tradition of positive response to innovatory art ( or innovatory anything ) in this country . Nearly half a century ago , J.M.W. Turner — he of the prize — was subject to the same patronising disparagement as Mr Davey today’ .
Idiom: in full swing (used idiomatically: yes)
But not yet . They had a long way to go before that could happen . The wedding party was in full swing when she arrived back at the château . Music and laughter was spilling from the grand chamber . Exuberant groups of guests were dancing on the terrace in the evening light .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
Now Braun has an Independent for you , whoever you are . Whatever your look , whatever your mood , Braun has an Independent for you . Choose the new Independent 500 in stylish black , or the Independent 2000 with easy cartridge system , and you 'll have cordless convenience for quick effective styling any time , anywhere . And now , from around £ 11.00 , the new Independent 500 Tong , Brush and Combi mean that there is a Braun Styler to suit you . And your pocket .
Idiom: slow burn (used idiomatically: yes)
In cases of this kind ( which rarely come before the Court of Appeal except on appeal against sentence ) , the last act of the provoker , even though minor in itself , may be placed in the context of the previous provocation , and may itself be treated as sufficient to show that the loss of self - control was ‘ sudden and temporary’ . However , there is no reference to a requirement of ‘ suddenness’ in the Homicide Act 1957 , and the courts have in effect restricted the defence to people with certain kinds of temperament . It is one thing to exclude cases like Ibrams from the defence — the gap of some five days between provocation and killing savours of considered revenge ; it is another thing to exclude defendants with slow - burning temperaments , who do not react straight away to an insult or wrong , but go away and then react after hours of festering anger . Should a court be prevented from hearing and acting on evidence that , despite the lapse of a few hours , a defendant 's temperament was such that it is fair to say that he or she was provoked to lose self - control , and that it was not calculated revenge ? The Homicide Act requires evidence that D was provoked to lose self - control : this is wide enough to include things said or done by persons other than the deceased , and acts done against persons other than D ( e.g. where D is provoked to kill someone who has just committed a sexual offence upon D 's son , daughter , wife , etc . ) .
Idiom: run a mile (used idiomatically: no)
Other Waverley performances : White sets the standard Ian White of Farnham Triathlon Club had another successful outing in the Banana Leisure Burghfield 10½-mile road run . Out of 300 good class competitors , he achieved a brilliant second place on a hilly route in 59 mins. 7 secs . The winner 's time was 58 mins. 54 secs .
Idiom: rare bird (used idiomatically: yes)
He 's a composer who seems to attract rather precious commentary — talk of the fundamental expression of the human soul , of primitive silence , of other - worldly styles . Certainly , he seem airily exotic with his cropped hair and face like an oriental cherub . But he is a rarer bird — a composer who can talk about his music and with words , sketch the remarkable individual sound world which he has created , and which he changes with every new work . For it is perhaps this ability to change , to flow forward , which makes him so remarkable . Tan grew up in his grandmother 's village in Hunang Province , in southern China — a land , he says , whose culture is far removed from that of the main country — more ritualistic , mysterious , shamanistic .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
It arose out of genuine social issues , not because there was a disproportionate number of prejudiced personalities living in the locality . The threat to the breakdown of law and order , which led to the passing of the Public Order Act in 1936 , was more complex than the simplified picture of a battle between fascists and communists for control of the streets which both the BUF press and the Metropolitan Police records tend to convey . On both sides it was the rank and file members of the fascists , and the communists and the Jewish community , who demanded more vigorous action . Initially the fascists tried to present a respectable form of anti - semitism for the campaign in the East End . However , the success of Houston and the failure of Wegg Prosser , coupled with the emergence of East End populist orators like E.G. ‘ Mick’ Clarke , combined with increased hostility by militant working - class and Jewish elements to bring about a rapid reversal of policy .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
' Just tell me why you 're here . ' ' Do I need a reason ? ' she asked , slipping off her coat and sitting down . She perched on the edge of the sofa , gazing into the mock flames from the gas fire . Plummer ran a hand over his hair then stood beside her , touching her cheek with the back of his hand . It was an aberrant gesture but she reached up and touched his hand all the same .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: no)
Subjects with an incomplete examination of the large bowel , severe dysplasia , or carcinoma in situ were excluded . Any subjects taking vitamins supplements within a year of entering the trial were not included in this study . Forty subjects with adenomatous polyps proved histologically of diameter greater than 5 mm were included in the final analysis . Twenty subjects with normal colonoscopy and histologically normal colonic mucosa were included as a control group . Table I shows the demographic profile of these subjects .
Idiom: make a night of it (used idiomatically: yes)
That 's not the place for entertainment — it 's for your knitting and your eating and your bit of slap and tickle . You got ta go out — that 's part of the entertaining . Make a night of it , eh ? ' ' Yes . I suppose the television 's on all the time here . '
Idiom: much of a muchness (used idiomatically: yes)
Walking the river , without tackle , in the close season is a good thing for many reasons . Not only can you practise approaching chub swims without scaring the chub away , you can also learn where to find them . If the stretches of river you fish for chub are those featureless , barren reaches , with hardly any changes in the pace of the current , or depth ; no vegetation ; where everything is much of a muchness , then you are unlucky in that the only way you can locate fish is to fish for them , or rely on what other anglers can tell you . I much prefer to find my own swims , not because I think I can find better swims than anyone else , but because I get a great deal of satisfaction from being able to study a piece of water , select a swim as a likely chub haunt , and then find that I am right . Walking the river in the close season , when the bankside and aquatic vegetation has blossomed and the water is running clear and low , is the best time for actually spotting the chub as they go about their daily business .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
As Archbishop he was indecisive ; there were contemporaries who could have provided stouter leadership , as they let him know . He was also a very reluctant martyr : only when the learnt that he was to be burned in spite of his abject recantations did he withdraw them . The overwhelming case for his inclusion was neither as Archbishop nor as martyr but as author of the magnificent liturgy which held the Church together during the tribulations of the next century , and above all for his Collects , which Anglicans through four centuries would learn by heart as children and recite when they came to die . The Middle Way Richard Hooker
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: no)
By 1975 , this had all changed : reports , features and editorials now concentrated on protecting the Army 's image and portraying the IRA as ' criminals or mindless psychopaths often manipulated by Godfathers behind the scenes'(ibid.:39 ) . In addition to banning , delaying or censoring news and current affairs reports ( ibid . ) , the British government and military officials have used a variety of sanctions , notably cutting journalists off from authoritative sources of information , to ensure that recalcitrant individuals and institutions are brought back into line ( Aleut , 1978:153 ) . In practice , such measures are seldom necessary : most journalists seem aware of their tacit responsibility to toe the approved ideological line ( Schlesinger , 1978:225 ) . The way that these forms of social control can be mobilised is illustrated by newspaper coverage of the events of Bloody Sunday , 30 January 1972 ( see Chapter 5 ) . According to Curtis , ' the British media fudged the events , suppressed investigations and blazened forth the idea that the British army had been ' cleared ' of guilt'(Curtis , 1984:40 ) .
Idiom: for a song (used idiomatically: no)
I may unnerve you by saying that many of us err in this . And it is not surprising when one considers that normally one detects a first edition simply by looking on the title verso for information . ' Hurrah ' I have frequently told myself in some second - hand bookshop , ' I have found a valuable first edition for a mere song ! ' The reason why I have thought it to be so definitely a first edition is usually only because the title verso states : ' First published 19XX ' or some such wording , and there is no mention about a second or third impression , or , because there was a date on the title page and a blank on the title verso ; or the title verso had only the copyright date on it . In all these instances I could have been , oh , so wrong .
Idiom: save face (used idiomatically: no)
The men showed no intention of modifying their position . Dock strikes were occurring and a general strike was clearly impending . How could industrial action on a wide scale be avoided and the face of the NIRC be saved ? We have seen that on 13 June the Court of Appeal had decided in Heaton 's case that the Transport and General Workers ' Union was not accountable for the action of its shop stewards . From that decision , leave was given to appeal to the House of Lords .
Idiom: scarlet woman (used idiomatically: yes)
She 's a loose - tongued , prattling creature , like most women of her class . I decided it was best to avoid trouble , rather than face it when it comes . I will not consent to be portrayed in the press as a superannuated scarlet woman!’ Unseen by Viola Machin , something very close to a smile wafted over her daughter - in - law 's face . ‘ And did she — heed the warning?’ asked Desmond .
Idiom: fair game (used idiomatically: yes)
Colombia is now the fourth biggest banana exporter in the world . Certain trade union leaders have always been at risk in Colombia — a military state thinly disguised as a two - party democracy . But the military has recently extended its brief to make all trade union leaders ‘ fair game’ . Since this tactic came into operation in September 1987 all founding members of the banana trade union movement have been assassinated or subjected to assassination attempts . There was nothing gradual , however , about what happened at Urabá on the night of March 4 this year .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah but I might want a bit of help with it . About one in two wants to with a helmet on . No , sorry you 're way out of line Chris ! Yes . Way out of line , I do n't know where you work that one out !
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
Quote : ‘ It seems likely that a diet in which sugars and starches are taken in natural fibre - rich form would contribute to the control of obesity by encouraging satiety at a lower level of energy intake , and to a lesser extent by increasing the amount of potential energy lost in the faeces .’ What that means , in simple English , is that if you follow a high - fibre diet you will find that you feel more satisfied on fewer calories . And more of the calories that go into your mouth will , to put it bluntly , go straight through and down the lavatory . Of course , the fewer calories the body uses from food the more it must draw from your surplus body fat , so this adds up to faster weight loss . Another simple definition which will appeal to everyone who has ever tried to slim : More weight loss for less willpower !
Idiom: pecking order (used idiomatically: yes)
An intermediate sprint , whether at a mountain top or some other place along the route . Prologue The time trial before the first real stage of the race . Always short , it 's used to introduce the riders individually , establish the general classification and thus give a pecking order to the team cars that follow the race . Riders may be separated only by seconds , but a good prologue ride is a valuable psychological boost . Rouleur Roadman .
Idiom: piss and vinegar (used idiomatically: yes)
I should have sent the drinks back , but instead looked upon them as a windfall in our rather straitened circumstances . After calling for some ice - cubes which we popped into the straight Pernod , we drank them down , with predictably weird results ( we had already had Dexedrine ) . We staggered out into the Madrid evening ‘ full of piss and vinegar’ , as Dana said later , and somehow made our way to the Puerta del Sol , where there is a large circular fountain . Its waters proved irresistibly attractive to us , and we playfully started splashing one another . We grew more and more excited .
Idiom: save someone's skin (used idiomatically: yes)
' But you parted with a few to find out where I live . I 'm flattered . ' She should have known that that stupid receptionist would inform Fernando , to save his own skin , no doubt . He must have been on the phone as soon as she had stormed out of the door . No wonder those gates had opened without a challenge , no wonder he had n't looked surprised to see her .
Idiom: see stars (used idiomatically: yes)
Back on dry land now for the rest of the weeks sporting highlights . Voice over The Swindon Wildcats saw stars before their eyes this week . Given a battering 14 - 6 by the Oxford City Stars . The home side sliced through the ice to score two goals in the first 4 minutes .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
Brutus starts off this passage with a rhetorical question , and then goes on to explain why he killed Caesar , including all Caesar 's good aspects . This would appeal greatly to the crowd as they are being given a reasonable , simple reason to why Caesar was killed , because he was out for himself . The plebeians then see the light and Brutus has very cleverly swayed the plebeians into seeing the reasons why Caesar most definitely had to be killed . The words here are linked in pairs with one another for example , ‘ lov'd … weep’ , ‘ fortunate … rejoice’ and then gradually up to the climax , the reason why Caesar was killed , ‘ ambition … slew’ . ‘ Who is here so base that would be a bondsman ?
Idiom: in the sticks (used idiomatically: yes)
She was somewhere in the middle of the seething ball of workers , while all around it the massed ranks of soldiers faced threateningly outwards with jaws agape , every one prepared to kill and to die in defence of the queen . Forgive my curiosity to see her : I prodded the ball of workers with a long stick , in a vain attempt to flush out the queen . Instantly 20 soldiers buried their massively muscled pincers in my stick , possibly never to let go , while dozens more swarmed up the stick causing me to let go with alacrity . I never did glimpse the queen , but somewhere inside that boiling ball she was , the central data bank , the repository of the master DNA of the whole colony . Those gaping soldiers were prepared to die for the queen , not because they loved their mother , not because they had been drilled in the ideals of patriotism , but simply because their brains and their jaws were built by genes stamped from the master die carried in the queen herself .
Idiom: in the swim (used idiomatically: yes)
YARM AA delegates enjoyed rod - bending action on a private carp lake near Croft as several heavy weights proved too strong for the anglers . Brian O'Keefe fished waggler and caster successfully landing six common carp , best 7 lb 13 oz then adding two roach plus perch for a winning 29–3–0 . Mick Broadley enjoyed an amazing session , netting 28–3–0 of fish , pegged in a swim barely 18 inches deep and congested with weed and lily pads , the carp definitely gaining the advantage . He connected with 19 specimens utilising an 8 lb line and sweetcorn on a size 10 hook . However , after a lengthy arm - aching battle just seven common finished in the landing net , the heaviest taking the scales to 7–1–0 .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: no)
I , I completely disagree with your thoughts on the fact that there wo n't be a smell , so much so that the slightest smell if the , if the er proposal gets the go ahead and I shall be on to your office and asking to speak to you personally , to come and smell this erm And the rubbish , I mean the , the environmental people Oh they , they say it 's all controllable so that I 've , I 've answered , I have n't just let the Environmental Health wash over me I 've actually written back to them again , er I 'll be interested to see whether I get a letter back from them , but I phoned up the Council this morning and they 're rejecting on two grounds , one is to do with the highway and the sort of the traffic situation coming in there , although the , the authority , the Highway Department are n't objecting to it and the other one is erm , on local environmental issues I think you know that is , is unsuitably , unsuitable environmentally to the area well I can only say that I 'm grateful to the planning , to the planning offices for they 're going out on a limb if you like because I think they 're on thin ice erm and so long as the committee will , will back them up I mean I do n't know of what else I could of done as a person No nothing , I do n't think you could of done any more , you got it to committee and , and there 's nothing more than you can do than that erm , so that if , if they then go to an appeal er , I was talking to this planning officer and I was saying that I think I 'll consult them , he said I do n't think you 'll need to he said , and of what you 've done so far is pretty good and I can get access to all the letters that have been written in , in objecting into the into the homes
Idiom: come to a head (used idiomatically: no)
Right , so I I actually do n't want it , do n't want you to do that again , we 've looked at each story to see what it 's about , so it 's actually better to take the idea and erm , get get the stories and to write the idea . Now actually , they do themselves down , because this is where they started , you see , can you talk about this one ? Erm , we started off with was that , erm , we would just write down any word that came up to our head , in terms of relating it to the story i.e. we thought about memories , and memories Erm , this is gon na match up with your is n't it . Yeah . tell us what some of the ideas of , could you just quickly go through the areas that you identified .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: yes)
Peter denied everything . He lied so convincingly I ended up almost apologising to him . For a while I believed the bust - up had done the trick . Peter seemed almost his old self again . Then once again I suspected money was being taken from my purse .
Idiom: short shrift (used idiomatically: yes)
My new companions break up the cigarettes , and make tea with the herb . They claimed that drinking the tea gave them an intense , trip - like experience . I gave that idea short shrift . I do n't want an intense , triplike experience , thank you . Besides , I already know about stramonium .
Idiom: sure as eggs is eggs (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Perhaps he 'll give you tomorrow off , as well,’ she suggested hopefully . ‘ Not a chance,’ Johnny said . ‘ I do n't know how many planes we 've got , but sure as eggs is eggs , we ai n't got many pilots . They ca n't spare me , poorly , though I may be . If you can walk , then you can fly!’
Idiom: in broad daylight (used idiomatically: yes)
Closer than when it arrived there Spinning its patched fields , churches Trees where nightingales sang in broad daylight And the vast flaring blue skirts of seas — Then sudden insubordination
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
He was a difficult boy . No master pleaded for his future : it seemed that he had traded in his scholarship for that foreign and rather dangerous element - self - expression . Elfed could and did pull strings on the local Co - operative committee . At twenty - eight shillings a week , ‘ it was considered a good position,’ says Marian , his daughter . ‘ It was a collar - and - tie job .