Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet when his campaign train reached McCarthy 's state of Wisconsin , where he planned to speak in defence of his old chief , he thought better of it and let that guy from the gutter stay on the train . The press had advance copies of the speech in which he was to defend Marshall , so that his climb - down was plain for all to see when he failed to deliver it . If the President could not afford to defy McCarthy , it was not surprising that Washington career men toed his line . He boasted of his ' loyal American underground ' who informed on their colleagues ' ideological impurities of deed or word . Even Dulles found his State Department appointments were being vetted by McCarthy through his henchman , Scott MacLeod .
Idiom: in hot water (used idiomatically: yes)
And various There we are knowing my luck it wo n't come out . Do you have to dip it in hot water or something ? Well no it 's creme caramel , is that creme caramel or proper creme caramel ?
Idiom: bite your lip (used idiomatically: yes)
Ah ! Have you hurt your mouth ? Did you bite your lip ? Oh yuk . Ben Ben .
Idiom: smell of the lamp (used idiomatically: yes)
The Minister for Social Security and Disabled People ( Mr. Nicholas Scott ) Whatever that was , it was not a winding - up speech . It is said of some speeches that they smell of the lamp . The speech of the hon . Member for Nottingham , North ( Mr. Allen ) smelt of a weekend with the thesaurus and a few reference books , and was made without reference to what had preceded it . I am not one to accuse the hon . Gentleman of misrepresenting the position ; I know and like him too much for that .
Idiom: make someone's day (used idiomatically: yes)
Tommy 's got the video . They 've also got two watches , a ring , a Barclaycard , two bottles of spirits , 100 rounds of ammunition , a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi - automatic pistol , and a King Cobra .357 Magnum handgun . It has made Tommy ' s day . He 's got a gun . Back at Wiltshire Lane he admires the Magnum .
Idiom: play hard to get (used idiomatically: yes)
Doreen laughed . ‘ Heavens , no — I 'm not quite so stupid . It 's much more clever to play hard to get , because a man does n't run after a bus once he 's caught it.’ She smiled complacently as she went on . ‘ Silas is still longing to go to bed with me , so you can wish me luck that I 'll get him there eventually — but in the right circumstances , of course.’
Idiom: on your soapbox (used idiomatically: yes)
The whimsical mood continues Sunday with more strange notions . So many problems , worries and woes can be sorted out if only you 'd take the time to sit down and talk things through . Share a professional concern with a close confidante or intimate Saturday , but come Sunday you must get on your soapbox . You have to sell yourself and your ideas this year so do n't expect people to automatically recognise your merit and worth . A boss , backer or banker needs to have ideas spelt out and you must be ready to explain your plans and projects to anyone who 's ready to listen .
Idiom: full speed ahead (used idiomatically: no)
PARIS – The unfolding “ currency war , ” which is likely to dominate discussions at the upcoming G-20 summit in Seoul , must be assessed against the backdrop of the new landscape of power – a landscape that has been transformed , in just two years , by the first crisis of the globalized economy . The economic consequences of the crisis have left a number of developed countries in a severe slump and scrambling to bring about a healthy recovery . By contrast , the emerging - market countries , after a short slide , have managed to re - ignite their growth engines and are sailing full - speed ahead , racking up impressive growth rates . There have been financial and monetary consequences as well . Although no currency is as of yet qualified to replace the dollar as the world ’s reserve and transaction currency , this “ exorbitant privilege , ” as Charles ~ de ~ Gaulle put it , has come under stealthy attack .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
There is no contract between you and the valuer . But if the valuer is negligent and you buy the property relying on his report , you may still be able to sue him for damages . This is what the House of Lords decided in two cases last April in spite of an attempt to get the valuers off the hook by a disclaimer which said : ‘ I accept that the valuer does not warrant anything stated in his report as being accurate … ‘ Alas , disclaimers may work if , for example , the property being valued is industrial or an expensive house . Disclaimers may also be used by referees and others to rob you of a claim for damages .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
A man is on a rock high above some trees and is standing in a strange position
Idiom: have the last laugh (used idiomatically: yes)
However , on the morning of his funeral , two senior guests , reading their papers after breakfast , raised quizzical eyebrows : ‘ Well , the General will not be needing his loch this morning,’ said the one to the other . Newspapers were quietly folded and they headed for the hills . But the old soldier had the last laugh . In spite of their best efforts , the miscreants returned fishless . Another retired military gentleman , a colonel , was a regular visitor to Scourie .
Idiom: dead to the world (used idiomatically: yes)
She made a coffee as an excuse , then made her way back upstairs . She found him in a small single room that was obviously intended to be his dressing - room or study , furnished with a single bed , rows of built - in cupboards , and under the window a desk and chair . He was dead to the world , so deeply asleep that she wondered what on earth he could have been doing half the night . She put the mug of coffee gently down beside him , all the time taking in the vulnerability of his sleeping face . He looked so very tired still , with shadowed unshaven cheeks , and there were deep lines running from nose to mouth that Kate did n't remember seeing before .
Idiom: out of sight (used idiomatically: no)
‘ I 'd say he cheated . He did n't keep going in a straight line . He nipped round the back– of us while he was out of sight.’ ‘ But that 's what the professor beetle said.’ ‘ Ah yes , but this is different.’
Idiom: out of this world (used idiomatically: yes)
Moonbeams try to book lunar holiday ! ULSTER spacers have been shy about signing up for inter - galactic travel . For there is n't one name from Northern Ireland among a list of 500 people who have applied for a holiday which promises to be ‘ out of this world’ . The register of adventurous travellers is currently being compiled by UK travel agents , Thomas Cook . Their proposed Lunar Tours will be the first series of commercial space flights to the moon .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
BALANCING THE BOOKS How do the two columns of income and outgoings compare ? Are you in the black or in the red or , quite probably , pinkish at the edges ? If your outgoings regularly exceed your income , you have budgeting problems which may become serious . To assess the problem , read ‘ How to Cope with Debt’ another booklet in this series , which gives guidance on how to alleviate your problems .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It has obviously set back our restoration work,’ Mr Rutter said , ‘ but the worst aspect is the effect it will have on the morale of volunteers . ‘ They feel they are wasting their time because their hard work is getting smashed up . It will take a fair amount of skill and cajoling to pick up the pieces.’ Mr Rutter added : ‘ I can not understand why anybody would burgle The Redoubt because ever since our last burglary there has not been anything of value kept here.’ Meanwhile , a police spokesman said a local man had been charged in connection with Monday night 's incident and released on bail .
Idiom: make tracks (used idiomatically: no)
The programme is titled Project Video and will be distributed on cassette to secondary schools worldwide for use in teaching English as a foreign language . Project Video is provisionally scheduled for publication in September 1989 and we anticipate sales over the first three years to be in the region of 2,000 cassettes . We would like to make use of the tracks during a sequence in the programme where music is heard coming from a car radio . We would anticipate using between 30 and 60 seconds of the song . I would be extremely grateful if you could let me know if we are able to make use of the track and if so , what the cost would be .
Idiom: small potatoes (used idiomatically: yes)
Winds of Change Although we ca n't predict the future in detail , we can say that the winds of change are blowing ever more strongly . Novell is so rich that the Unix acquisition is relatively small potatoes . One way or the other , they can afford to do whatever they want . The financial results for USL seems to indicate that supplying System V to the world is not a good way to make money .
Idiom: on the trot (used idiomatically: yes)
He proposed to her and they got married . After she 'd smashed the front of his van up . Yeah so anyway and I said that 's not very nice so we were talking this morning about her and I had to tell Ann did n't I that she drove to work three days on a trot in her bleeding lights two . She did n't . Oh Mum I told you about that .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
The start state , the empty board , is represented as{}. Representation 2 : As a list with one entry for each row of the board . If there is a queen on the board on the square in the ith row and jth column , then the ith entry in the list is the number j. If there is no queen in the ith row , then this list entry is 0 . Thus , the empty board is [ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ] .
Idiom: bring up the rear (used idiomatically: yes)
Thank you , Kay . Good morning , everyone . It 's perhaps fitting that the Services and Communication Department should bring up the rear in this group of presentations , because one of its key priorities is to provide a coherent professional support service to the organisation as a whole . This is reflected in in that of N C V O 's three strategic objectives , which relates to improving its own operational effectiveness , and enhancing recognition of its role . Making sure N C V O 's operation is fit for this task is a team of people who specialisms include , personnel , training , information and technology , communications , fund raising , finance , office management , and of course , the law .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
Some interesting issues that need a far wider airing are also raised — the close relationship between the development of electronics and computers and the needs of the military , for example . A strange omission is the politics of the environment : one of the few areas , I would have thought , where a lobby is likely to bring about change . What of scientists themselves — whose help can often make or break successful protests against serious abuses of science . They have as wide a range of political opinions as any other professionally - defined group , with , one would like to think , some extra tinge of willingness to examine new ideas . But how much sympathy will they give to a platform whose rules are ‘ Never trust a scientific report’ and ‘ Never trust a scientist’ ?
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: yes)
[ Exeunt severally MRS . JERVIS and BELVILLE . ] PAMELA : [ alone ] After what has passed I must leave this house and go to the next town and wait for an opportunity to get home to my parents . But I am at a loss to resolve whether to take away the things he has given me or no . I will leave them behind me and go only with the clothes on my back , and then I have two miles and a half and a byway to the town , and bring pretty well dressed I may come to some harm almost as bad as what I ran away from , and then , perhaps , it will be reported I have stolen something , and to carry a bad name to my dear parents …
Idiom: Jekyll and Hyde (used idiomatically: no)
From the first , he used himself as an open laboratory . The experiments became increasingly harmful . He was Jekyll and Hyde to himself , swallowing the compounds and mixtures of his own fantasies and terrors and watching what happened . He was quite prepared to go wild . In drink he could be aggressive and thoroughly nasty .
Idiom: on the hop (used idiomatically: yes)
Minnelli had seen Jack while studying the film Psych - Out for some lighting effects at about the time he was in the pre - production stage . He decided to write an additional part into his movie especially for Nicholson . This surprise offer of a legitimate job with a very famous star , a very famous director and a lot of money caught Jack on the hop . It came out of the blue , before he knew he was famous . ‘ It was not an uninteresting character,’ said Nicholson , ‘ but it was a sort of aside from the film itself because the part was n't in the original script .
Idiom: grind to a halt (used idiomatically: yes)
And that 's what the trade unionism is all about . You know , we do n't stand back idly and see one man penalized . Er and therefore when it got round the workshop what had happened and why he had been er suspended you know , initially the ire of our members rose and subsequently er the place just ground to a halt and there was a meeting and therefore we put the point to the management that er if they did n't really in a reasonable manner , then we were going . But we resolved it and er happily the divisional organizer resolved it er I would say in about twenty minutes when he came down . But it
Idiom: up and running (used idiomatically: yes)
I signed the extradition papers . Since then , many inroads have been made to ensure that the world ’s most serious crimes no longer go unpunished . The International ~ Criminal ~ Court is up and running , and 107 states , including Mexico , have ratified the treaty establishing the court and acceded to its jurisdiction . National courts , such as those in Spain , play an increasingly strong role in combating impunity through the exercise of universal jurisdiction . The rise of these types of prosecutions has in turn motivated countries , including Argentina and Chile , to repeal their amnesty laws so that suspected war criminals can be prosecuted at home .
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
The barge took a great roll , and Maurice could hear the hanger with his good suit in it , waiting for the job which never came , sliding from one end of its rail to the other . " I came to give Nenna a present , " Edward said . Out of the same pocket which had held the glasses he produced a small blue and gold box . " There 's a bottle of scent in this box . " " What kind ? "
Idiom: stand on ceremony (used idiomatically: yes)
But perhaps the general , median view that was held by the garrison of this strange behaviour of the Collector was that it signified nothing more than his eccentricity . " Yes , I 'm a simple man . I do n't believe in standing on ceremony , the Collector congratulated himself piously . " But then , what else could I be when I look like a scarecrow and smell like a fox ? " How ragged all these devout figures looked !
Idiom: for good measure (used idiomatically: yes)
DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING The classiest , most chocolatey chocolate puddings are made with best quality , slightly bitter dessert chocolate that is high in cocoa solids . This pudding also includes a little cocoa powder for good measure . Light in texture , it is sublime served with cascades of cream poured over . Serves 6–or just 4 chocaholics .
Idiom: touch a nerve (used idiomatically: yes)
The mine has since — with violent and fatal opposition — been placed under government control . Landslides had claimed lives earlier ; chemicals used in leaching gold from earth threatened the health of the " garimpeiros " , while mercury contaminated the rivers . Salgado 's photo - essay opens a window onto a world that seems authentically antique — as far off as when the Pyramids were being built — but it presumably touched a nerve with editors because it is also a parable of greed with global relevance . GOHLKE MOUNT ST .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
Furthermore , the direct mechanism may take time to operate . In the meantime V will fall . Monetarists also recognize that the demand for money can shift unpredictably in the short run with changing expectations of prices , interest rates and exchange rates . Thus V is unpredictable in the short run , and hence the effect of monetary policy on aggregate demand is also unpredictable in the short run . For these reasons monetarists argue that monetary policy can not be used for short - run demand management .
Idiom: with a view to (used idiomatically: yes)
French artistry abounds , as one might well expect . It ranges from the enormous inflated centipedes and winged insects created by Pierre Fabre to Michel Gressier 's aerial sculptures which include gigantic rotating tubes . By virtue of their size , and with a view to portability , these show kites are mostly ‘ soft’ and do not use spars . The exceptions are the Cassagnes / Malinski types where polyblocks or moulded fittings permit easy assembly with relatively short spar units . The field of opportunity is wide open for anyone with the gift of originality and an artistic outlook .
Idiom: buy time (used idiomatically: yes)
Might even two years . When you look at , look at the old houses on the market , erm , yeah , I think he might just , he might wait a while , there are n't that many buyers , Oh that 's it , that 's why they 're coming down , that 's why are quite pleased to see us dear , especially at this time of the year , not many people will buy Christmas time , think oh we 'll wait and go and get Christmas over and the spring and I think looking at the market you can , you can get a , erm detached , semi - detached sort of one you know one bedroom I suppose , You can get two bedroom
Idiom: take the biscuit (used idiomatically: yes)
Northampton - based portable computer peripherals supplier Ranger Computers Ltd has introduced a new version of its RangerDisk3 personal computer compatible floppy disk drive for use with Psion Plc Series 3 handheld computers : it is intended as more convenient means of backing up or transferring Series 3 files than Psion 's Comms Link ; RangerDisk3 has its own version of MS - DOS and connects to the Series 3 via a Psion serial adaptor ; it can be used with the 128Kb and 256Kb models ; the operating software is built in so avoiding the need for program installation on the Series 3 ; file transfer is by the XModem protocol ; it is £ 200 from Ranger . IBM TAKE THE BISCUIT They 're saying that after all IBM Corp has been through , hiring a guy from RJR Nabisco Corp really takes the biscuit , and Reuter sums up the new round of IBM woes succinctly : the headline on Tuesday night read 24MAR93 USA : IBM TUMBLES ON MAINFRAME CONCERN , GERSTNER . 20:56 GMT
Idiom: on the skids (used idiomatically: yes)
Christmas cheer , kept stores ticking over and there were good rises at Argos , Ratners , Boots and Dixons and Clinton Cards , up 7p at 88p . Rumbles continued in property after the Rosehaugh collapse and MEPC lost 5p to 334p in the wake of a 24% cut in its property values . Water and electricity shares were on the skids . The National Express group offer has been over subscribed and the basis of allocation will be unveiled today . A premium looks likely .
Idiom: out of the blue (used idiomatically: yes)
A classic restoration I WONDER how many Ipswich pensioners remember seeing this gleaming limousine gliding through the streets of Ipswich ? Then out of the blue he got a phone call asking if he was still interested in the car as it had to be sold to make space for the family . He was there like a shot . After 30 years the ‘ grand old lady’ looked a sorry sight .
Idiom: life and limb (used idiomatically: yes)
BARNEY EDWARDS Barney Edwards is something of an enigma . A highly successful — not to mention wealthy — commercial director who , every Christmas takes unpaid leave for a month to go diving , risking life and limb to photograph some of the world 's most dangerous aquatic creatures . Last winter , he filmed , at a range too close for most people 's comfort , the deadliest of them all , man - eating sharks . His breathtaking , black and white exhibition of sharks , sealions and pelicans has recently been shown at the Fouts and Fouler Gallery in London , the pictures of which he is understandably most proud .
Idiom: fun and games (used idiomatically: yes)
Karen Mayo - Chandler 's allegations made lascivious reading : ‘ When girls are asked what they look for in a man , they always talk about sensitive things , like intellect , kindness and a sense of humour . Well that 's all very nice , very nice indeed , but what I also want is a guaranteed non - stop sex machine and that 's exactly what I got with Jack . He 's into fun and games in bed , all the horny things that I get off on like spankings and Polaroid pictures . Now that 's a man to die for!’ Nicholson registered his disapproval with a call to his pal , Hugh Hefner , owner of Playboy .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
Nick Serota , director of the Tate , is at the moment coming in for a lot of criticism because he changes the displays every year . He has opted for this solution to the problem of his masterpieces in storage . A long - term , good investment would be to give him a separate building in which to tell the tale of twentieth - century art before the twentieth century is quite at an end . Madrid Juan Carlos opens Thyssen Collection
Idiom: on cloud nine (used idiomatically: yes)
Carson opens up on Gipsy Fiddler in the high speed five furlong dash and Gispy Fiddler 's trainer Jonjo O'Neill is looking for his first win of the season . ‘ I ca n't remember riding for Jonjo before , but it would be great to get him off the mark and this horse certainly has a bit of a chance,’ smiled Willie who is closing fast on another century . Gispy Fiddler put Jonjo on cloud nine with a Royal Ascot win two years ago and was having his first run for almost a year when shaping well behind Bit Of A Lark at Haydock . Best bet Willie has big chances in the other televised races — on in - from After The Last and Jahafil who has won a big race in Ireland since losing to Spinning at Goodwood .
Idiom: born and bred (used idiomatically: yes)
Or conquer the fog , the ice , the rocks and the precipitous incline , to emerge triumphant out of the clouds at the summit ? In the Discovery , we had the perfect vehicle for the task . Born and bred a Land Rover , but crossed with the might and muscle of a Range Rover , it 's just the machine for enterprising City types who at the end of the week want to swap Hampstead and Fulham for ambitious adventures to the ends of Britain 's motorways . After depositing my faint - hearted photographer at the foot of the craggy slope , I locked the Discovery 's transmission into low - ratio first gear for the steep climb , revved the big V8 engine decisively and gingerly eased out the clutch . I 'd grappled up the slope on foot just before and knew how steep and icy its surface was and which of the bigger rocks had to be dodged because they would foul the car 's underside .
Idiom: at loggerheads (used idiomatically: yes)
The Ulster Defence Association , the main loyalist urban paramilitary organisation , was initially a coming - together of law - abiding vigilantes in Belfast and certain provincial towns . In the first months of Whitelaw rule , strong - arm cliques began to assert themselves in Belfast . A violent , ruthless man ( released from Prison early ) gained control of a section and placed it at loggerheads with another section . The more moderate , responsible men and women began to leave in ones and twos and then in a landslide . With them went most of the exservicemen who had contributed much to the discipline and paradeground smartness .