Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: yes)
One entered the building — and there were other Corner Houses at Marble Arch and the Strand — via a large marble hall where the overpowering , but pleasant , smell of the delicatessen on sale there mingled with the warmth of Lyons tea being brewed all around . Downstairs was the brasserie where a palm - court orchestra would play selections from the shows of the day . Up on the first floor , in the Grill and Cheese , Ken would hold court for his various theatrical acquaintances — although few of them were really close friends . It was the talk of the trade that Ken would be outrageous there on certain afternoons of the week , telling about his great aunt and the Gates of Heaven Ajar or pulling one of his fellow actors down to his own idea of size . Michael Codron had been going there as part of the Kenneth Williams set since the time he worked for the Jack Hylton organization .
Idiom: in your dreams (used idiomatically: yes)
He goes shut up , you taking the piss out of me . I do n't take the piss out of him he goes turns all silent , he goes like Just think , someone that you fancy supposed to be someone in your dreams and stuff like that Yeah . Well yeah
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
An increasing number of people flocked to visit Opo , with 1500 visitors sometimes crowding the beach . Locals began to fear for her safety . Indeed several attempts were made on her life , until finally one day she was found dead on the rocks , thought to have been killed by gelignite . On the other side of the world on the north-west coast of Spain , a dolphin called Nina created a similar social upheaval in 1972 . At first befriending a local diver , Nina then attracted a Cousteau film team and her fame spread until she soon became a Spanish national heroine .
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: yes)
His parliamentary interventions were not confined to property , housing and environmental questions . He shuddered , for instance , at the prospect of school textbooks containing anything of a ' salacious , blasphemous or subliminal political nature ' . His vestigial liberalism or compassion persuaded him to resist the introduction of the poll tax for nurses and other deserving persons — but the Whips knew him as a man who would always toe the lobby line with a specious ministerial assurance , such as Nicolas Ridley 's promised poll tax rebate of £ 130 millions . After all , he had always attacked the rating system , and especially Labour councils which had ' hoarded and boarded ' inner city land and buildings for years . And he was young enough to hope for something better than a pat on the head from the Leaderene .
Idiom: buy time (used idiomatically: yes)
The € 750~billion ( almost $ 1~trillion ) bailout package from the EU , the European ~ Central ~ Bank , and the International ~ Monetary ~ Fund provided only a brief respite in international markets . This has now given way to a more sober analysis of the crisis and the efficacy of the response . The bailout is no solution to the fundamental problems that the eurozone confronts ; at best , it buys time to spread the inevitable wrenching adjustments over time and across people . And it carries its own serious risks of moral hazard and the loss of the ECB ’s credibility and independence . The fundamental problem for Greece is its bloated fiscal commitments , enabled by lower borrowing costs when it joined the euro .
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: no)
The fine day had brought the crowds pouring into London , varlets , squires , and men - at - arms accompanying knights north to the great horse fair at Smithfield , after which there would be tournaments and tourneys . The streets were packed with men , helmeted and armed , and great destriers caparisoned in all the colours and awesome regalia of war moved majestically along Fish Street Hill . High in the saddle rode the knights , resplendent in coloured surcoats , their slit - eyed helmets swinging from saddle bows , bannered lances carried before them by squires . Hordes of others followed on foot ; retainers gaudy in the livery of great lords , and the bright French silks of young gallants who swarmed into the city like butterflies under the warm sun and blue skies . They thronged the taverns , their coloured garments a sharp contrast to the dirty leather aprons of the blacksmiths and the short jerkins and caps of the apprentices .
Idiom: fly the flag (used idiomatically: yes)
Flintshire : Gareth Ryan ( St Asaph ) captain , Chris Lamb ( Buckley ) , Tudor Hughes ( St Asaph ) , Phil Davies ( Buckley ) , Darrell Bowden ( Hawarden Park ) , Matthew Needham ( Connahs Quay ) , Brian Williams ( Mold ) , Russell Wiseman ( Boughton Hall ) , David Hodgson ( Buckley ) , Keith Madeley ( St Asaph ) , Nigel Morris ( Mold ) . Champion Mac gets European team call by Tim Channon . MIKE MACARA from Llandudno Maesdu and Ian Rowlands of Old Padeswood will fly the flag for North Wales golf in Europe next month . Welsh open stroke play champion Macara is the only northerner in Wales ' six - man squad for the European men 's team championships in Czechoslovakia from July 1–4 , although Wrexham 's Matthew Ellis is also named in the squad as a non - travelling reserve . Ian Rowlands has been named in the Welsh under-18s team for the European boys ' team championships taking place in Denmark from July 8–11 .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: no)
Families of dolls or puppets provide children with the opportunity for much free imaginative play . The doll family can also be the basis for exploring ideas of relationships , comparison , ordering and number . Mr and Mrs X and their children live in the house in the corner by the books . Here they are : Mr X Mrs X Girl Boy Baby
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
Although babies do n't really need to wear ‘ proper’ shoes , it 's nice for them to have a soft covering in ‘ breathable’leather to protect their delicate feet . Giant Shoes , from Giant Shoes For Little People , are beautiful bootee - style shoes perfect for tots — from tiny babies to toddlers taking their first tentative steps . They come in seven eye - catching designs , including hot - air balloons , flowers and stylish polka dots in blues , reds , greens and pastels , and feature soft leather soles that protect the feet without affecting sensitivity or balance . Their unique overlapping front and back design means that the fit is adjustable , and they are more difficult for babies to pull off than ordinary shoes . Available in three sizes to fit babies from 0–18 months , priced £ 11.95 , Giant Shoes are available by mail order from Giant Shoes For Little People , Packer 's Cottage , Albion St , Exeter EX4 1AZ ( 0392 219560 ) .
Idiom: hold the line (used idiomatically: yes)
It must have been from an old girlfriend.’ NOW that Nicholas Soames has access to a ministerial Montego , what will happen to Sutton , his old chauffeur ? According to Soames 's sister , Emma , the admirable Sutton would answer Soames 's car phone in the manner of a country butler , asking callers to hold the line while he saw if Sir was in . PERSONAL VIEW FM : the long and short of it exposed at last By BRENDA MADDOX
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
Critics of the restoration have concentrated on the removal of the rust red coat of the Master of Ceremonies who addresses the married couple on the left . Duller than neighbouring colours and lacking in shading , the red coat was shown by X - ray analysis to cover a slightly shorter and far more finely draped garment in the same green as the man 's sleeves . An examination of twelve tiny samples of paint from the area of the coat revealed that the binding agent used in the red layer contained a sizeable amount of natural resins , unlike the linseed base used in pigment on the rest of the work . Louvre experts concluded the red coat was an addition , probably executed between 1594 and 1607 , for reasons which are still unknown and , after consultation with the international panel of six experts , stripped it off . Another dramatic revelation afforded by the restoration process was the fact that the head of the tight faced , balding Benedictine seated at the right of the picture , whose black habit appears strangely severe amid so many bright fabrics , was an afterthought , painted on paper and stuck onto the canvas with animal glue when the rest was finished so as not to offend an unknown cleric .
Idiom: bums on seats (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It 's been wonderful,’ she said . ‘ It is just brilliant to get away from the image of Charlene in Neighbours . ‘ I 've been offered lots of films just because the producers thought I would put bums on seats . But this one really appealed to me . It is about young love in the 50’ s and has a universal appeal .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: no)
You have no right , out of prejudice , to stand in the way of Kirsty 's chance to be a part of a proper family . She sighed , and adjusted her pearl drop earrings and the pretty gold locket at her throat . Help me to do the right thing , she prayed silently . It was a quarter to eight when she stuck her head into the kitchen to have a quick word with Nettie before dinner . ‘ Is everything OK?’ she enquired , smiling .
Idiom: off the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
Xcelerated said that it is extending Liken to the PowerPC . Liken already runs on Sparc , HP Series 700 and RS/6000 . Xcelerated claims to support most of the 5,000 off - the - shelf Mac apps and have 10,000 users worldwide including virtually every Fortune 500 with a Sun Microsystems Inc or Hewlett - Packard Co workstation . It is miffed that after struggling to get where it has , the industry suddenly seems to be rallying around an unproven — if conceptually similar — port by Apple rather than its own available technology . Other sources observe that HP and Sun , who came to the MAS announcement as cheerleaders , did not exactly pledge to adopt it leaving only IBM who was already involved .
Idiom: up a tree (used idiomatically: yes)
The boys climbed up the tree faster than a pack of squirrels .
Idiom: work like a charm (used idiomatically: yes)
This consisted of a collection of kitchen equipment — saucepans laid in strategic positions on the floor , a roasting tin filled with cutlery balanced on the top of the door , kettles hung at face - level from the ceiling . The grown ups having gone out for the evening we then kept awake alternately for half - hour shifts by one of the boy 's watches until at long last we were rewarded by the sound of creaking and thumps from the stairs , accompanied by slurry avuncular curses and " shushes " from the aunts . The trap worked like a charm . The uncles and my father , jolly and unsuspecting after an evening 's celebrations , blundered in with their sacks of bounty ; the tins and cutlery crashed round their ears as they pushed the door open . Propelled forward by the shrieking aunts , who were bringing up the rear , they stumbled in , falling over the pots and pans and bumping into the dangling kettles , dropping their sacks and shouting and generally making the most satisfactory uproar imaginable .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Everyone should choose at ~ least one poem and learn it by ~ heart .
Idiom: around the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
For long hours at night , I have watched the dim lights of all these trucks winding their way from north to south like the coils of some gigantic snake which had no end to it.’ Impassable potholes rapidly developed in the iron - hard , frosted road once the spring thaw set in . So vast quantities of stone were stockpiled along the way , and gangs of territorials , perhaps 1,000 in all , were set to work around the clock filling in and levelling the holes as they formed . By this and other stratagems , the Sacred Way was kept open throughout the battle . The defender of Fort Vaux
Idiom: as the crow flies (used idiomatically: no)
For TV buffs , Lynda La Plante 's FRAMED ( Mandarin , £4.99 ) is based on her new ITV series . David Jason returns to the small screen this weekend in a new role as Detective Inspector Jack Frost in a series adapted from R D Wingfield 's A TOUCH OF FROST , FROST AT CHRISTMAS and NIGHT FROST ( all Corgi , Pounds 4.99 ) . Out for some time but still popular are Jilly Cooper 's POLO , ( Corgi , £5.99 ) and Jeffrey Archer 's AS THE CROW FLIES ( Coronet , £5.99 ) . Frederick Forsyth 's THE DECEIVER ( Corgi , £4.99 ) is an exciting read with the hero being interrogated by his SAS masters about four past missions . Stephen King 's frightening NEEDFUL THINGS ( NEL , £5.99 ) centres on a strange and mysterious shop .
Idiom: run out of steam (used idiomatically: yes)
Reading between the lines , it was evident that de Gaulle was seeking to encourage those individuals in the political establishment — such as President Coty and the deputy prime minister , Guy Mollet — who were already moving towards a Gaullist solution , but that he was not yet willing to negotiate with the collective leadership of the Republic . He still needed to encourage supporters in the army and in the civilian population to keep up their pressure on the regime . This attitude was bitterly criticized by republican politicians who felt that he had given an enormous fillip to a rebellion that would otherwise have run out of steam . The politicians ' disapproval would have been sharper still had they been aware of plans already taking shape in the army to launch an actual invasion of mainland France if the regime refused to recall de Gaulle to power . Operation Resurrection , as it was called , was first mooted in the immediate aftermath of 13 May.
Idiom: grin like a Cheshire cat (used idiomatically: yes)
Yanto Gates was not given to quick decisions or mad impulses , but the girl in reality matched his dreams of her so perfectly that he had to take it as a sign . She jumped visibly at his wolf whistle . She turned to see a very large handsome man holding out a cardigan and grinning like a Cheshire cat . She squealed with delight as she recognised him instantly . Her beauty made him gasp anew as she moved towards him smiling .
Idiom: up a tree (used idiomatically: yes)
The 6.00 news , this is Annie Webster , Police investigating a triple murder in Buckinghamshire are tonight trying to persuade a man hiding in nearby woods not to kill himself , Paul Chandler reports : The family , mother , father and their 16 year old son were found battered to death at their home in Upper Ridings , Beckonsfield . Police are now talking to a 30 year old friend of the family , who 's up a tree in the nearby woods , threatening to jump off a branch with a rope round his neck . Sergeant Allen Bovington Cox says specialist teams are involved : We 've got our own trained police negotiators there at the scene talking to him , and also we have a doctor and a psychiatrist standing by for any assistance they can give us .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
The third moment is now . Today , we face a nominal demand shortfall of 8 % relative to the pre - recession trend , no signs of gathering inflation , and unemployment rates in the North ~ Atlantic region that are at ~ least three percentage points higher than any credible estimate of the sustainable rate . And yet , even though politicians who fail to safeguard economic growth and high employment tend to lose the next election , leaders in Europe and the US are clamoring to enact policies that would reduce output and employment in the short run . Am I missing something here ? I had thought that the fundamental issues in macroeconomics were settled in 1829 .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
One thing my father instinctively knew : I would never join his firm unless events forced me to . I do n't think he minded , for once he said to me , ' You ca n't do a job like mine unless you 're fascinated by it ' , and I was n't . Though I spent my outdoor time playing any game I could , from cricket , tennis , football or boxing at the local gym , all my indoor time was spent buried in books . I was an insatiable reader , and whenever I did visit Father at one of his shops , I invariably managed to wheedle a couple of batteries out of him — so that I could read in bed under the bedclothes . One day , after a particularly good school report , Father took me for a walk past a second - hand bookstore where I often browsed enviously .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
If you are to improve your memory and your recall ability , you have to learn to think differently . Learning ' parrot fashion ' is adequate in the very short - term but the effects do not last for long . I can remember , before taking a Latin exam in school , sitting up half the night and learning the English ' crib ' of Caesar 's Gallic Wars by heart and hoping that , when faced with a piece to translate , I would know enough Latin to work out where to start and where to finish . I did and I passed the exam ( which seemed very important at the time , although now I am not so sure ) . But two weeks later I could not have quoted any of that translation ; it had gone from my mind , never to surface again .
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
Westmacott acting as ‘ weaver’ above and behind to cover him . As Westmacott turned into one leg of his weave ' Mason saw below him four Bf109s , and being well - positioned up - sun , dropped like a hawk onto them , his departure not being noticed by Westmacott , who remained aloft wondering where the other Hurricane had gone . Mason meanwhile attacked one Messerschmitt which at once went straight down , but the others attacked him and one got three hits on his aircraft , which shattered the windscreen and wounded him in the hand as he broke away . He was now 15 miles from land , so had to fight his way back . With instrument panel shattered and the cockpit full of bullet holes , he was forced down to sea level where the engine stopped and the aircraft started to burn on its left side .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: yes)
Toe fast for Thommo ! WHAT Makes Johnny Bryan run ? Calling out his name is enough to do the trick . Our former colleague Peter Thompson co-author of a book , Sarah 's Story , in which Bryan stars spotted the American in Mayfair the other day and shouted out his name . ‘ He took off at once , at a fast gallop towards Claridge 's , ’ said Peter .
Idiom: all over the place (used idiomatically: yes)
Does it give you enough leg room ? CABLING : do the many cables from the computers and printers trail all over the place , or are they safely hidden inside trunking ? NOISE : how quiet is the printer ?
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: no)
It can be uniquely specified with reference to all the categories set up in a description of the form of the language concerned ; it thus represents the intersection of a grammatical item and lexical item . formally As a rule , a term used in contrast to " semantically " ie practising the form rather than the meaning . format The shape , size , print , paper and binding of a book .
Idiom: out of the picture (used idiomatically: yes)
She pulled away , surprised eyes sparkling , and let her hands play with the back of my neck : I tasted sweet lipstick . Okay , so it 's mushy , but you always have to have some love interest . ‘ Kruger and Lorre are out of the picture,’ she said . ‘ I 'm the reborn high priestess of Turhan Bey.’ ‘ Great.’
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: no)
Is there any need to signal along such a nice straight stretch of track ? 33 . Round the bend several times here . 34 . What do you get while you wait ?
Idiom: one and the same (used idiomatically: yes)
It was not long since the Austrian Nestroy had written his entertaining and embittered farce The Talisman ( 1840 ) , in which the fortunes of a poor red - haired man are dramatically changed by the acquisition , and subsequent loss , of a black wig . The home was the quintessential bourgeois world , for in it , and only in it , could the problems and contradictions of his society be forgotten or artificially eliminated . The Christmas dinner ( celebrated by Dickens ) , the Christmas tree ( invented in Germany , but rapidly acclimatised through royal patronage in England ) , the Christmas song — best known through the Germanic Stille Nacht — symbolised at one and the same time the cold of the outside world , the warmth of the family circle within , and the contrast between the two . The most immediate impression of the bourgeois interior of the mid - century is overcrowding and concealment , a mass of objects , more often than not disguised by drapes , cushions , cloths and wallpapers , and always , whatever their nature , elaborated . No picture without a gilded , a fretted , a chased , even a velvet - covered frame , no seat without upholstery or cover , no piece of textile without tassel , no piece of wood without some touch of the lathe , no surface without some cloth or object on it .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: no)
16 NOT all Americans have been won over by Super Mario . When Nintendo tried to buy the Seattle Mariners baseball team a huge row broke out over possible Japanese ownership . 17 SUPER Mario 's left hand is known as his Block Bopper to punch his way through walls , and his right foot the Steel-toed Turtle Tromper , for stamping out deadly Koopa Turtles . 18 ‘ NINTENDO ’ means ‘ hard-working ’ in Japanese , which is apt given Super Mario 's constant battles . 19 IT took 16 people three years to create and complete Super Mario World .
Idiom: go begging (used idiomatically: no)
Are you thinking ? ' Yes , sir , I have thought deeply and I have a plan . My sister Ellen , sir , who has had charge of my first - born this three long years , her husband William died of blood poisoning in September and she is now alone and I have written even before I heard of the plan to go to Rome to beg her to come out here to me with Oreste and if she does , as I think she will , having no other family or ties , then she might look after my house and other child for the winter and we would all profit without further trouble . ' There was a silence so complete she could hear the slight rasp in Mrs Browning 's chest , a rasp that broke into a cough she seemed to welcome . Her husband leapt to give her a glass of water and Wilson to help her sit upright .
Idiom: in stitches (used idiomatically: yes)
When choosing garment shapes , keep them as simple as possible , unless you are planning to knit the garment while working in the same room , for example on another machine . Sleeves can be difficult , since for men 's and some women 's jumpers a straight sleeve may not be suitable . However , always remember that the sleeve can be knitted in stocking stitch or with a narrow band of pattern . I sometimes shape just the first third of the sleeve , increasing rapidly in this section but making it possible to knit the rest of the sleeve straight . Do n't be afraid to use cut and sew for necklines , as these are very tedious to shape on the machine .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
With that final remark he would go into a huff and that would be the end of the conversation . The days passed slowly , this static type of warfare was not too popular with the units in 1st Commando Brigade . The training at Achnacarry did not include living for weeks on end in a hole in the ground subjected to constant mortaring and sniper fire . At least the enemy are in a similar situation probably much worse off then we are judging by the amount of shells passing over our heads to fall in their positions . The aggressive patrols directed at the German lines have increased since the 12th June , no doubt to keep them on their toes .