Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
Stirling was told that a new operation was being planned and that he must bring his entire force back to base . The Bombays would fly in , carrying only enough petrol to enable the vehicles to be driven back to Kabrit , while the bulk of the men would return in the aircraft . Stirling was naturally furious as he had no idea what was in the pipeline . He protested , but MEHQ was adamant . There were major changes afoot in the nature of the war in the Middle East and , like it or not , the SAS was going to be placed under far firmer control .
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
There was no more objective reason why firearms should not have been used in burglaries and bank hold - ups thirty or sixty years ago than today ; but it ‘ was n't done’— until it was discovered that it was done , that you could do it . There was never any problem in getting hold of the firearms ; but nobody wanted to get hold of them , because it was ‘ not done’ to use firearms . Then , after a bit , it becomes not something unacceptable , but something accepted or at least something which is demonstrated to be not out of the question . So you have the sudden appearance of a Breakthrough Phenomenon . After all , people have always wanted to do violence to those who stood in their way when they were attempting to commit robberies ; but they have been bound by certain conventions of which they were unaware .
Idiom: sweat like a pig (used idiomatically: yes)
And what was happening was , I was dripping sweat into it and rusting bits and shorting the battery . So now we set the EQ , which is always in the same position at soundchecks , and he puts black gaffer tape over the entire parametric box so all that 's on view is the volume knob . I 've never heard of anyone else having the problem , but I ca n't be the only one who sweats like a pig!’ Okay , suppose Come Up And See Me goes in the charts and they ring you up and say , ‘ Steve , how do you fancy going on Top Of The Pops?’ ‘ Ah , that 's a bit of a worry .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: no)
My homes are a far cry from the attic flat in Bloomsbury where I had my first set in 1958 . Back then , I 'd watch Tonight before heading to the West End to play in Roar Like A Dove . Now , as a rule , the Six O'Clock News is the first thing I watch , then Newsroom South East . When I 'm working in the theatre , I tend to steer clear of TV dramas , though I have a soft spot for P D James and Ruth Rendell thrillers . They 're stunning .
Idiom: bow and scrape (used idiomatically: yes)
The prison did little to lighten their mood : grey frowning walls with a few sombre buildings peeping above them , and a black gateway with an arch which yawned as if it wished to devour any unfortunate who approached it . Cranston pulled at the bell and they were allowed through a wicket gate built into the ponderous door . A gaoler led them into the porter 's lodge , the fellow bowing and scraping as he recognised Sir John . Athelstan was pleased then that the coroner had accompanied them . They went through a large hall where the debtors were jailed , furnished with side benches of oak and two long tables of the same wood , all covered in greasy filth .
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: yes)
Manager Trevor Francis sealed the deal before leaving for a family holiday in Florida . The early days : Venables , left , jostling for a ball with then Spurs colleague Jimmy Greaves The early days : Tycoon Alan Sugar on the day that his giant electronics company , Amstrad , went public by Rob King in Detroit ENGLAND 'S new goalkeeping hero Tim Flowers will almost certainly be dropped for Saturday 's game against Germany in Detroit .
Idiom: everything in the garden is rosy (used idiomatically: yes)
As the Tory faithful trumpeted their green credibility in the Winter Gardens , Ann Taylor , the Labour environment spokeswoman , was on Blackpool beach amusing photographers and terrifying holidaymakers by paddling in the shallows in a white laboratory coat and protective wellingtons . Specimen jar of sea water in hand , she cheerfully highlighted the embarrassing prospect of European Court prosecutions over the pollution of nearby pleasure beaches . ‘ We wo n't let them sit back and talk amongst themselves , as if everything in the garden is rosy,’ she explained earnestly . ‘ From now on , up to the election , it is one long campaign.’ An attendant Labour press officer mumbled : ‘ We 're shameless are n't we?’
Idiom: green light (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet there is more which the Government could do without too great an increase in public borrowing or putting up taxes . There is still £6 billion from the sale of council homes locked away that could be released to give a boost to the construction industry . Huge capital schemes , given an amber light in the Autumn Statement , could get the green light straight away . There could be yet another cut in interest rates and positive help to home-buyers to get the vital housing market moving . What is crucial for the Government is not only to help provide jobs but to be seen to want to be doing that .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: no)
‘ You see , Shelley , there 's so much of me that I thought was dead , coming alive in this place . I 'd trained myself to have no feelings — yet suddenly I 'm coming back to life . I 'm not sure if I 've done the right thing.’ ‘ I 'm the one who made you come.’ ‘ I could have refused,’ said the old lady , reasonably .
Idiom: close ranks (used idiomatically: yes)
( Aher Wilson ) Schooling fish also take active steps to reduce the chance of predation ( Figure 5.7 ) . Schooling sticklebacks and catfish , for example , close ranks on the approach of a predator . Other species deploy more spectacular ‘ set piece’ avoidance tactics . When a school is attacked , the fish may ‘ explode’ away from the point of attack , in a dramatically simultaneous rapid movement .
Idiom: on the make (used idiomatically: no)
In very broad outline , the first stage ( 1908 ) was to pay , subject to means , a pension well below subsistence which would supplement income from other sources . The next stage ( 1925 ) was to increase the pension but make it conditional on having paid certain contributions , which were compulsory below a given income . The third stage ( 1946 ) was to increase the pension to what was intended to be subsistence level , but render it conditional on retirement and make contribution compulsory for virtually all . Thus , leaving the graduated scheme out of account for a moment , the position we have reached today is that the state pays to all retired persons , without regard to means , a pension roughly of subsistence value . It finances these pensions from a flat-rate weekly poll tax , called a contribution , and a levy on employers per head of employee , with some supplement from general taxation .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
Peace , Not a Peace Offensive TOKYO – When a North ~ Korean dove clutching an olive branch suddenly appears , the world should challenge it to reveal its hidden talons . This is the only prudent stance for South ~ Korea to adopt when face - to - face negotiations with the North begin on February 8 . For what Kim is now offering is not peace , but a " peace offensive " – a tactic used by the North repeatedly since the armistice of 1953 in order to sow division whenever the regime 's adversaries have demonstrated unity and resolve . Kim 's less - than - innocent intentions are demonstrated by his regime 's secret construction of a massive uranium - enrichment facility , containing more than 2,000 centrifuges , revealed to Stanford ~ University 's Siegfried ~ Hecker , a former director of America 's Los ~ Alamos ~ National ~ Laboratory .
Idiom: give someone the slip (used idiomatically: yes)
He said he had a van down the road , and my heart was beating , beating . We crawled through the bushes ; real ambush stuff , straight down the road , into the van and drove very fast . They did n't even see me give them the slip!’ Pamella 's lawyer arrived on the island , and the two met . Now began the real fight for the story , the exclusive , the Kiss ‘ n’ Tell , which was mostly played out long - range from London , where the editors snarled and the home - side pack were still running around looking for defence ministers or Gorbachev or Cabinet luminaries .
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah probably is . So it 's a question of using your common sense . And er you look at the needs of particular area and erm apply er th the rule of thumb to a certain extent . Er I mentioned in the earlier session today about erm a situation that appertained when I was in the police at Maidstone . And erm the majority of people who do this sort of work are ex - police officers and erm that 's why w you know we have the training and we can re recall instances of bad driving , that 's why we 're q quite vehement in our pursuit of safety procedures .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
I faced that , and I can face this , thought Grainne . Could it be done ? Could she come to terms with the fact that Medoc , the evil , cruel Lord of the Dark Ireland had sired her and Fergus ? Could she come to terms with the knowledge that they had been conceived in that dreadful place ? She did not know very much about the Dark Ireland ; she thought no one knew very much .
Idiom: off the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
There are a handful of noticeably small start - ups wrestling with the key interoperability issues facing Unix as it elbows its way on to the desktop . SunSoft Inc 's solution to the problem of running Microsoft Corp Windows applications on its Solaris 2.0-on - Intel Unix SVR4 operating system will reportedly be addressed by Praxsys Technologies Inc , Norwood , Massachusetts . The technology is code - named ' Snoopy , ' and the firm claims its software will take all current and future off - the - shelf shrinkwrapped Windows applications , whether written for Windows 3.0 , 3.1 or NT and run them unmodified on any RISC or Intel Corp Unix platform in native mode , see page five . Snoopy does n't have the field to itself , however , as Bristol Technology Inc , Ridgefield , Connecticut , is also readying a solution to the task of running Windows applications on Unix . Its Win / U answer to the problem is expected to debut as a commercial product by the end of the year and is claimed to be a step ahead of rival technologies because it requires no Windows source code , see page four .
Idiom: drop a brick (used idiomatically: no)
Of course , I had an eagle 's eye view of developments , knowing far , far more about their strengths and weaknesses than they individually could . Sometimes , I 'd have to take a turn if someone failed to arrive , enthroning myself at the green baize table and stuffing myself with shrimp rolls and pickles , me , the killer who 'd lived on bugs . If we heard the Colonel 's car draw up , of course I had to drop my bricks and run . It would n't have done for him to see me there . TWENTY - FOUR
Idiom: short shrift (used idiomatically: yes)
An employer who breaks the news of redundancy to you at 4.30 pm on a Friday afternoon , adding that you need not bother to work out your notice , is likely to incur the wrath of most industrial tribunals . Even if he acts in such a way from what he misguidedly thinks are ‘ humanitarian’ reasons , the tribunal will be unlikely to be impressed , as the manner of dismissal would eliminate the possibility , however remote , that following consultation , your job might be saved . Similarly , unless there is evidence that sabotage was a genuine risk , for instance in the light of past experiences with other redundant employees , an argument based on that fear will generally receive short shrift . Even where vital commercial considerations explain a failure to consult , an employer may be held to have acted unfairly . A typical example occurred in a case when the Employment Appeal Tribunal overturned an industrial tribunal 's decision that it was not practicable to consult where 33 redundancies were required urgently , at a time when take - over negotiations were being conducted in secret .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: yes)
In the time it takes to get the better of this slope , you could raise a family and marry them off . Keeping a constant muscle - tearing gradient , there is no pity until the very top , and on such slopes it is handy to have a prop to allow yourself resting time . A camera can do the trick , letting you catch your breath before your lungs explode through your chest like The Alien , as you pretend to take a photo of an interesting stone . A change of clothing also lets you off the hook . Simply take something off or put something on , and your companion will never know the real reason you stopped .
Idiom: dead in the water (used idiomatically: yes)
His friend Senator Joseph ~ Lieberman , a former Democrat and a hawk on the Iraq war , appeared to be the most likely pick . We know what happened . With his campaign apparently dead in the water , McCain reached out all ~ right – to the right - wing fundamentalists in his own party . Governor Sarah ~ Palin strode onto the national stage , rhetorical guns blazing . Whatever else you say about the governor ’s views , no one could call the choice of the “ hockey mom ” from Alaska a bold bid for consensus .
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
It oozes greenish yellow watery fluid as he puts a slice on each plate and demands ‘ Are you ready to eat now?’ The Skeletons , of course , ca n't reach the meat , and the man takes great delight in taking each helping and stuffing it into his own face , wiping juices from his hands onto the Skeletons ' bony faces . Every once in a while he holds out a small portion of meat , which the Skeleton chews furiously and swallows , with the same lack of success as before . This repulsive scene ( and play it up for all its worth ! ) requires that each adventure make a successful T test . Failure indicates that the adventurer is overcome by nausea ( S and T -1 for D10 + 10 turns ) .
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
The JONS ( Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional - Sindicalista ) , founded late in 1931 by Ramiro Ledesma and Onésimo Redondo , and the Falange ( Phalanx ) , founded in autumn 1933 by Primo de Rivera 's son José Antonio , attracted little popular support before — or even after — their fusion in March 1934 . Part of the reason may have been the ‘ foreignness’ of their programmes ; the Falange , despite occasional denials , followed Italian fascism in its exaltation of violence , desire for a totalitarian state , emphasis upon Spain 's imperial heritage , and demagogic use of socially radical rhetoric to appeal to the working class . More important , however , was the fact that for the time being other parties of the right — the Carlists and especially the CEDA — commanded the support of those to whom fascism might otherwise have hoped to appeal . As 1936 was to prove , however , for very many Spaniards the choice of accidentalism over fascism was a matter of tactics rather than conviction . Problems , policies and achievements
Idiom: out of the woods (used idiomatically: yes)
Now I shall return to my father . From his own first forest I shall find my brother once again . Scathach will come out of the wood … I have n't lived my life to fail . For you : the cold .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
Cloaked with the panoply of democracy , hung about with the flag , the only result was to make the cause look grubbier and smaller . JUSTIFYING NICARAGUA PERHAPS the contra war could not be decked persuasively in red , white and blue ; but its sponsors were obliged to justify it somehow . Nicaragua was an American obsession and a dream , a proving - ground for ideology , and had been so for more than a century . There was no need to understand it .
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ To say I 'm relieved is an understatement.’ Fogarty won in start to finish style at an average speed of 121.36 mph to beat the Dunlop brothers Robert , who was second , and Joey who was third . Robert had earlier won the 250cc race but in the superbike he was forced to make up ground after a bad start and was never able to get to grips with the leader . However , his scrap with brother Joey enthralled the crowd and at the finish they came over the line almost together . The big disappointment of the race however was the non - appearance of Phillip McCallen .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
There is little doubt that breeding is their intent as they head out to sea , for their gonads have become fully developed . But what becomes of them is a mystery , for none has ever been found , even in deep Atlantic . On the face of it , it would seem that the eels could breed in many alternative places , well within their reach . But the migratory instinct and the geographical pattern seems so deeply etched into their inward mental fabric that their pre - programmed habit rules the day . Maybe , like the lemmings , the pattern dates back to an era when their goal was closer and the swim was not so long .
Idiom: for a song (used idiomatically: no)
He is an appealing young artist , with the occasional fault of seeming a bit too ladylike . This is a criticism that can not be levelled at Dominique Visse , a raucously joyful Frenchman who leads the Ensemble Clément Jannequin . Mr Visse 's squally tone , like a Parisian street urchin 's , is perfect for his Renaissance songs , some with frankly obscene texts ( Harmonia Mundi HMC 901271 and HMA 1901174 ) . Another squally young French counter - tenor , Gérard Lesne , often appears in works by Purcell and Handel but with unfortunate overtones of Ethel Merman belting out a razzmatazz show tune . Of course , such judgments of taste are relative : the new Dent ' Companion to Medieval and Renaissance Music ' throws up its hands and declares : ' We do not know , and can never know , what the difference between a modern counter - tenor and his Tudor equivalent really was . '
Idiom: take the mickey (used idiomatically: no)
Marie felt safe with him . She did n't need to be on her guard all the time . You could trust him not to take the mickey , or to turn round and bite your head off . Or to say one thing while he was thinking another . He was good with people : one day , when Madge trapped him outside the kiosk , Marie had been embarrassed hearing her prattle on .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: no)
THE gentlemanly art of boxing has clouted so many expressions into common usage that it might be time to ‘ throw in the towel’ . Back in the days of bare - knuckle bouts the referee scratched a line in the dirt and fighters shaped up to each other by ‘ toeing’ this line . After a knockdown the fallen fighter had so many seconds to make it back to the starting stance and the less able were those who did n't ‘ come up to scratch’ . It was from these old fights that the boxing ring became square . The gentry used to bet heavily on fights and grew tired of members of the crowd influencing the outcome by tripping up contestants .
Idiom: behind bars (used idiomatically: yes)
" Will you , Miss Adeane ? " He kissed her again , several pairs of eyes watching differently as he received her submission . Ned O'Mara frozen behind the bar . The other two barmaids , all agog , who would talk about nothing else for the rest of the Gay . " I did n't know you wanted me , " she said with total sincerity .
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
' But if you know all this , why ca n't you mastermind everything ? Why do we have to bring in a cut - throat operator like Guy Sterne ? ' Charles pulled a wry face . ' You 're forgetting the bank . In their eyes , the Chesters have had plenty of time to come up with solutions , and lacked the initiative .
Idiom: flash in the pan (used idiomatically: yes)
So have new ground rules been laid for the reborn Bon Jovi ? ‘ Well , they 've changed in a way . Before , we were just listening to everybody else telling us to keep on playing and carry on doing this and that , but that was really just because they were afraid we were going to be a flash in the pan . So the band has now decided to take control of its own future.’ Bon Jovi 's layoff did have a few positive spin - offs for Sambora , providing him with the chance to do his long - planned solo album .
Idiom: get a grip (used idiomatically: yes)
bound to use anything they can Mm . er any angle they can get , get a grip of . Yes . But er yes , no it is th I mean they had a lot of business from banks and areas like that
Idiom: make a meal of (used idiomatically: yes)
He was wearing the démodé pinstriped suit he 'd got from a junk - shop for a production of Arturo Ui ( ‘ grossly overplayed ' — Glasgow Herald ) and the tie he 'd worn as Harry in Marching Song ( ‘ adequate if uninspiring ' — Oxford Mail . He walked with the limp he 'd used in Richard III ( ‘ nicely understated ' — Yorkshire Post ) . He was n't sure whether to speak in the accent he 'd used in Look Back in Anger ( ‘ a splendid Blimp ' — Worcester Gazette ) or the one for When We are Married ( ‘ made a meal of the part ' — Croydon Advertiser ) . ‘ Imago Studios’ , the address Jacqui had given him , proved to be in a tatty mews near St Mary 's Hospital in Paddington . The downstairs stable - garage part had apparently been converted into a studio .
Idiom: come up trumps (used idiomatically: yes)
Now it seems the centre is having the same problem . In part two : Four of a kind … Durnin plays the winning hand as United come up trumps against Luton . A bishop 's blessing … holy start to Britain 's first Sunday jump meeting . And the next Ritz? … plans to turn Colditz into a hotel with a history
Idiom: go through the motions (used idiomatically: yes)
' But it 's a different story this time around and he has n't been doing the business for us . ' Derek has to realise he has a fight on his hands and he will have to put in more effort . ' I am not going to spend big money bringing players over from Scotland simply for them to go through the motions . ' Former skipper and caretaker manager David Keery could also be on the move if his contract dispute drags on much longer . East Belfast - based midfielder Keery ( 28 ) has been holding out for a better deal than the one on offer .
Idiom: get a move on (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh ! have to do by the twenty eighth of February so You better get a move on ! Yeah I know . Well I thought well I 'll , just think about what I want with the last five pounds .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: no)
And every time I look at this card I take in everything on it and er , at a subliminal level . So it , it is constant repetition of something that 's actually important . Erm , again if you 're not comfortable doing this kind of thing then you should n't do it obviously , and the last thing on the monthly calendar card is as you 'll see er , er on the twenty fourth , twenty fifth , twenty sixth and twenty seventh , it has another personal message there . What happened is at the beginning of last year , Yvonne said to me er , we have lived in this house for three years , we must decorate it . I have just been on an inter - personal skills workshop so I knew what to do .
Idiom: bear fruit (used idiomatically: yes)
While they were working their way into the hinterland , various peoples of the eastern Caucasus adopted a militant version of Islam and found a leader in the legendary Shamil . By 1843 Dagestan , to the north - east of Georgia , was in uproar . Fifteen years of insisting on integration had borne little fruit . The tsar 's attempts to dictate policy from St Petersburg had culminated , in 1842 , in the creation of the Sixth Department of the Imperial Chancery , the only subdivision of that body to be charged with responsibility for a discrete geographical area . Nicholas had begun to grasp , however , that even the most determined central intervention in Caucasian affairs was unlikely to further the cause of imperial unity .