Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: no)
Mala agreed with a surprisingly little hesitation to stay behind and protect the ship , while I went into the spaceport city . I wanted to sniff around a little , and I always do that better on my own , without distractions . In a way , I was thinking , Gharr had done me a favour . His arrival had jolted me back into a proper appreciation of my problems , which I 'd pushed aside in my enjoyment of Mala 's warmer mood . So I was mentally on my toes as I took a floater into the city and then left it , mingling with all the pedestrians thronging the walkways .
Idiom: think twice (used idiomatically: yes)
Diane said , ‘ Is n't that stretching your client 's generosity beyond reasonable limits?’ ‘ Not on the client , on me.’ ‘ Much as I admire your unstructured lifestyle , on the evidence of the knees in those jeans I 'd think twice before I traded bank accounts with you.’ He glanced down . Wait until she saw the elbows of his pullover .
Idiom: scratch the surface (used idiomatically: no)
A CUNNING scheme to drive ball-doctoring bowlers out of cricket will be unveiled by the MCC early in the New Year . The experimental law will include a phrase to counter the excuse offered by many bowlers when their actions are questioned . They will have to ask permission from the match umpires before they can use their fingers to scratch mud from the surface of the ball . The game 's official lawmakers are preparing the new legislation , to be presented to the ICC , following last summer 's controversy surrounding Pakistan 's Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis . The law , which covers all levels of cricket , will also specifically ban bowlers from lifting the seam on a ball .
Idiom: grist to the mill (used idiomatically: yes)
Stalin was by no means alone . We find Makarenko by the 1930s writing , ‘ How is it that the resistance of materials is studied in all higher technical institutes , while in the pedagogical institutes no study is made of the resistance of personalities to educational measures?’ . Humans had become mere technical grist to the mill like any base metal . The position eventually taken up by Makarenko was one where the ultimate criteria of truth and morality had to reside in the centralized state . From there they would flow outwards to the masses through all state agencies , which by the 1930s included even the family .
Idiom: hell for leather (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's nice to have new owners who do n't think we are down among the dead men.’ Philpotts has 12 fit outfielders to choose from tonight , which means at least one junior on the bench . He said yesterday : ‘ We 'll be going hell for leather to get that date at Old Trafford . The trouble is , so will Bury.’ Coppell in crisis
Idiom: jack of all trades (used idiomatically: yes)
The counsellor should become fully acquainted with as much relevant knowledge and information in as many professional spheres as possible , and use that knowledge in an attempt to ensure that the best possible treatment and care for the counsellee is obtained . This is not to set themselves up as nutritionists or as medical experts — but to use the knowledge available to them from every quarter sensibly , and to ensure that others are using their knowledge and expertise in the best interests of the counsellee . Whilst this might appear to make the counsellor a ‘ jack - of - all - trades ’ , a more positive interpretation is that the counsellor is in the privileged position of seeing the older individual as a whole or entire person . This holistic outlook is extremely important , and potentially very powerful . The counsellor 's task is not just to understand only one facet of the counsellee 's life , but to know something about the totality .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
Jean Marie Le Pen denounces Maastricht as a plot by European fédérastes , as he homophobically calls them , to penetrate French identity and take over Paris from Brussels . Elsewhere , the racist Euro right is making the running in hostility to Maastricht . There is a powerful case for Labour to put down amendments condemning the Tory opt - out of the Social Charter and forcing a division to demonstrate to the rest of Europe how John Major 's ‘ classless’ government is grotesquely out of line with Christian , let alone Social , Democratic politics on the Continent . There is also a case for Labour to outline a vision of Europe utterly different from the EC sought by the Tories and the City . But to campaign against Maastricht is political posturing in the most foul of company .
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
Discrimination If American collectors are discriminated against by the record companies , as described in Mr Newman 's letter ( May ) , we in Australia fare far worse . While many of the new releases from PolyGram and the smaller labels such as Chandos and Hyperion do reach here fairly quickly , those from EMI in particular are few and far between . Worse , however , is the situation regarding the back catalogue : once initial stock are exhausted the titles frequently disappear for ever . Record shops are legally prohibited from ordering directly from overseas : they are obliged to go through the record companies who are shamefully slow in fulfilling orders : two to three months is a minimum .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
In other words , in this case , we can not assume that the position in 1974 represented inter - generational equity . The then current ratepayers had received substantial bequests from the ratepayers of 50 and 100 years previous . In the light of this , the addition of depreciation charges to water revenue accounts is justified . It could be argued that it came too late to correct the inequity completely , but at least it was a partial correction . The current situation could be interpreted this way : the additional depreciation is building up capital but not so that the sewers can be replaced without the need to borrow ; rather , that the smaller future borrowing requirement will recompense future generations for the unwillingness of pre-1974 ratepayers to share the burden of the capital cost of sewers .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Er you 're happy with this , this seems okay in terms of policy Does n't it seem slightly odd though ? In the sense that , in a way going on from what I was saying on the face of it south China ought to be the area where land reform will be easiest to achieve in the sense that here you 've got a society which is landlord dominated , heavily landlord dominated and therefore w where one would expect that the antagonism , antagonisms between landlords and tenants would be at their greatest . I in , in the north you 've got a higher proportion of owner - occupiers and you perhaps have n't got the same degree of landlord exploitation , you might , I think one might argue from , from what we said earlier that in the north you 've got a s a slightly more paternalistic landlord , it 's , it , there 's less , less absentee landlordism landlords were more likely to have been behaving within the confines of moral economy would n't , would n't have been tt erm reducing rents , it was done on a much more , more personal sort of scale .
Idiom: set eyes on (used idiomatically: yes)
Poor Hetta . Still , it will be good to see her.’ Erika , who had never set eyes on Hetta in her life , stoutly agreed , and even Paul , making a dishevelled appearance , said with his new courtliness that he would like to meet her , causing Frau Nordern to raise a sceptical eyebrow and warn him not to be sarcastic at that time of the morning . ‘ So.’ Erika stood up .
Idiom: under the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
Equally necessary to the book 's structure is the character of the housekeeper Ann , a straightforward transfer of Edward 's own mother into the world of the kitchens of his cousins in Pontardulais with their attractive young women and idealized Welsh ‘ Mams’ . Ann stands for all the women of common - sense , warm affection , and practical piety that Edward repeatedly attempted to sketch realistically or to record in dream - like settings in his essays and sketches . She supplies the book 's hasty conclusion after the death at Lydiard Constantine of Philip — a partial picture of one side of the Battersea Grammar School Edward : At this point the people of Abercorran House — even Jessie and Aurelius- and the dogs that stretched out in death like blessedness under the sun , and the pigeons that courted and were courted in the yard and on the roof , all suddenly retreat from me when I come to that Spring in memory ; a haze of ghostly , shimmering silver veils them ; without Philip they are as people in a story whose existence I can not prove . The very house has gone . The elms of the Wilderness have made coffins , if they were not too old .
Idiom: sick and tired (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's not funny , I can tell you , trying to tell a sick woman her daughter 's dead when she keeps insisting she 's alive and in Germany.’ ‘ Maybe she is alive,’ said Wexford , more from a mischievous desire to throw a spanner in the works than from conviction . He was sick and tired of the name Fanshawe . He did n't burden the uniformed branch with his problems and he did n't see why he should have to listen to Camb 's maunderings . ‘ Maybe it was someone else in the car.’
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It helps to make ends meet.’ ‘ What a good idea . But I really meant,’ Ruth hesitated , then took the plunge , ‘ is n't Rosie with you , then?’ The name fell into the conversation like a pebble dropped in a pond . For a moment no one spoke , and the rings spread out , fading slowly .
Idiom: up and running (used idiomatically: no)
Day Care Centre Catterall & Kirkland Memorial Hall Thank you for your recent letter about the new Day Care Centre to be set up in Catterall & Kirkland Memorial Hall . At the recent meeting of Nether Wyresdale Parish Council it was agreed to make a donation of £ 50 towards the setting up and running of this service . Please find enclosed a cheque from the Parish Council for £ 50 made payable to Age Concern Lancashire . With best wishes for the success of the new Day Care Centre ,
Idiom: break the bank (used idiomatically: yes)
The boots are lined with Cambrelle throughout which effectively wicks away any excessive perspiration . The removable sole is fairly thin and when I took it out I noticed that several small staples protrude quite sharply through the inner lining , which could become a problem after more use . Although these are n't as stylish as more expensive models they are good basic boots which will keep your feet comfortable and dry — without breaking the bank . Price : £ 54 Material : Water resistant leather , techniflex inner sole and Skywalk sole . Cambrelle lining throughout Sizes : 37–46 Contact : G T Hawkins Limited , Overstone Road , Northampton NN1 3JJ .
Idiom: an old flame (used idiomatically: yes)
Chap with red hair . Same year as us in college . Quite an old flame of yours.’ ‘ James ? He was the first man I ever thought of partnering.’
Idiom: do someone proud (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's not harming you . Rather the reverse , I should say . It seems to have done you proud . Why not let it continue with the good work?’ He sometimes thought how astonished , how appalled indeed , many of these women would be if they knew that these intra - uterine devices were not in fact contraceptives but abortifacients .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: no)
" She is a public person . She enjoys that side of things . With her personality she should n't be behind the scenes . " If she was standing in a doorway people could n't but be aware of her presence . The effect was even more dramatic when she swept into a meeting .
Idiom: put the cart before the horse (used idiomatically: yes)
So many areas or aspects of your life appear to have been thrown into confusion by the lunar eclipse which took place on August 6th in that part of your solar chart related to travel plans and all forms of communication . Now , however , you simply have to lay down the law and force relatives or close companions to realise that a major move or upheaval is unavoidable . At times you appear to be over - optimistic , unrealistic and inclined to put the cart before the horse , but you are also kind , caring and generous to a fault . But your greatest character trait is your honesty . If you can now accept your share of responsibility for all the recent clashes and conflicts , then the ideal format for the future will be agreed this September .
Idiom: play into someone's hands (used idiomatically: yes)
Signor Candiano told me scarcely anything.’ ‘ He was acting on my instructions,’ her companion explained calmly . Determined not to play into his hands , Luce bit back the curious questions , and simply waited . He smiled , apparently entertained by her reluctance to be manipulated , and , taking a seat opposite , said , ‘ I , however , will tell you everything you need to know.’ It was the first time she 'd seen him smile and , though it obviously was n't intended to charm , it took her breath away and made her pulses quicken .
Idiom: add fuel to the fire (used idiomatically: yes)
If SCO downgrades its commitment to MIPS , and if , as seems likely , Compaq shelves its MIPS / ACE plans , it throws the chipmaker 's long term future further into doubt . Many are already sceptical of MIPS ' independence , following its proposed acquisition by Silicon Graphics , and now it 's drawing fire from all quarters , not least from shareholder DEC . MIPS ' poor first quarter figures — see page three — will only add fuel to these fires . SCO 's MIPS strategy — see page seven . DEC - MICROSOFT ALPHA - NT PACT SEEN AS UNIX KILLER
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , the New ~ Economy is delivering big increases in US productivity ; no , the New ~ Economy has not ended economic slowdowns or recessions . Still , less does it guarantee that companies should have stock ~ market prices set at several hundred times their annual earnings . America looks set to enter into a slowdown driven by a slowdown in business investment . Undoubted advances in information technology led to an incredible restructuring of the American business sector , which re - wired itself to take advantage of electronic commerce and improved computer - based management , logistics , and communications systems . The result was an astounding surge in business fixed investment in computers and other information technology hardware .
Idiom: in cold blood (used idiomatically: yes)
At worse they were a lynch mob . But the vigilante is now a film hero played by Charles Bronson . His wife and daughter were mugged and raped and he set out on a trail of revenge killings in cold blood , making himself bait for the muggers . But it is bait which hit back with bullets . The vigilante 's cousin is Dirty Harry , the cop hero played by Clint Eastwood who also typifies the evolution from old to new celluloid .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: no)
ca n't make out where this school is mum down Birmingham Road , there we are , mum I can see it
Idiom: on the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
The colt races in the colours of Chris 's wife Shirley , and they 're due a bit of luck — a horse they bought over from Ireland for Henrietta Knight to train died of colic not long ago . Moving Out certainly shaped as though he had a future at the winter game on his reappearance in a very hot race over two miles at Haydock earlier in the month . He is sure to outspeed his rivals in the St Modwen Novices ' Hurdle ( 12.30 ) on ideal ground and over a trip that is certain to suit . The ‘ good thing ’ of the day is Fly For Gold in the Levy Board Novices ' Handicap Hurdle ( 2.30 ) at Uttoxeter . She had no chance in competitive company at Lingfield last Saturday , but is well in for her handicap debut judged on her effortless victory in a seller at Nottingham last month .
Idiom: in tandem (used idiomatically: yes)
But it was an adolescent cult on both sides of the Atlantic before the 1950s were out : one of the great fictional bestsellers of the mid - century . Lewis began his Narnia stories for children in 1949 , but he had been publishing fiction for adults since Out of the Silent Planet ( 1938 ) , a mixture of space - fiction and theology that he was soon to extend into a trilogy , ending with That Hideous Strength ( 1945 ) . His early lack of success as a poet ended in triumph as a novelist , polemicist and literary historian — careers he continued in triple tandem for the rest of his life , in Oxford and after 1954 in Cambridge . Where his friend Charles Williams had achieved only phantasmal fictions that struggled implausibly to marry realism and the supernatural , Lewis turned that improbable formula into stories that compel attention . By the mid 1950s , with Tolkien 's prose epic and the Lewis trilogy in wide circulation , the fiction of Christian revival was a sudden , active contender in the world of letters .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: no)
Jacobs , the political adviser to Hodge , believed that steps must be taken leading to a permanent government in Korea : it would not be wise to accept a provisional government , since the Soviet Union had shown skill in eastern Europe in exploiting such a situation . Jacobs felt that progress must be made through the four powers or the UN if the American position was to be viable . It would not be feasible to continue with the military government being assailed by left and right in south Korea . It would probably be necessary meantime to adopt a tougher line with the rightists : ‘ The only safe alternative would be to arrange with the Soviet Union for mutual withdrawal of troops and let nature take its course which will eventually mean another Soviet satellite state in Korea.’ The assistant chief of the Division of Eastern European Affairs in the State Department , Stevens , argued for rearming in Korea as a sign that the United States would resist communism :
Idiom: any port in a storm (used idiomatically: yes)
We have , therefore , beaten him about the head with Eric Partridge 's unimpeachable Dictionary of Slang , which defines a gricer as an ' engine spotter . ' Gricers and others can get full details of the NL 's three - day package eight matches , £ 6 from Neil Bennett , 5 Temple Buildings , Middleton St George , Co Durham DL2 1EA . Any port in a storm OUR old friend John Dawson can show a clean heel , or pair of them , to all the hoppers in Christendom , of course especially when given a week off from Hartlepool post office . The only game that fitted his plans on Friday night was at far off Newhaven , normally only visited en route to Dieppe .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: yes)
Ideally speaking , one of the electrodes should be at a site where no activity occurs at all and then the amplified signal would represent the total activity at the area of interest ; in practice this state of affairs is difficult to achieve since no site is entirely free from underlying neural activity . In investigations of cerebral asymmetry , therefore , electrode leads from various positions over left and right hemispheres are often linked to a common reference site at which underlying activity is unlikely to be affected by variables manipulated in the experiment . Provided that the reference position is suitably chosen , this means that differences in potential between the common reference and each of the corresponding left and right hemisphere sites will be equal unless there is some asymmetry in activity between left and right hemispheres . If so"it shows up as a difference in the wave forms obtained from one or more of the left and right hemisphere leads . It is thus crucial to choose a common reference position that avoids any initial bias in potential difference between each of the hemisphere leads and the common reference .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
Knowing his plan is to develop the character of Christ in my life , I can much more easily say ‘ What are you trying to teach me Lord?’ when I am offended , instead of my natural ‘ Why me Lord?’ ‘ What are you trying to teach me Lord?’ recognises the sovereignty of God . ‘ Why me Lord?’ is asking God if he was out to lunch when this painful incident occurred . Understanding that God is sovereign , one may question , where was God when a child was molested ? Where was God when a woman was raped ?
Idiom: plain sailing (used idiomatically: yes)
As is shown in Fig . 24.3 , it was a simple step to translate this into a hypothesis about the effects of early experience on mating preferences ( Bischof , 1972 ; Bateson , 1978a ) . Experimental studies on both birds and mammals followed quickly ( Bateson , 1978b ; Gilder & Slater , 1978 ; McGregor & Krebs , 1982 ) . However , it was not all plain sailing . When they were given a choice between a familiar and a novel member of the opposite sex , birds might actually choose the familiar even when the novel really did not look so very different to our eyes ( Miller , 1979 ; Bateson , 1980 ; Slater & Clements , 1981 ) . The results suggested that the birds might have sharply tuned preferences only slightly displaced away from siblings when normally reared .
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's a game . It 's called Linx . It 's just like Gameboy but it 's longer and it 's got better games on it you know . It 's like ninety nine pounds ninety nine p. Ooh .
Idiom: down and out (used idiomatically: no)
As far as putting them up too early as well I say they get all dusty and you get sick of looking at them . Yeah . Time a week or so after christmas has come you 're you 're glad to get them down and out the way . That 's right , yeah . And then it looks bare .
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: no)
It would seem no coincidence that the colleges with perhaps the greatest reputation for innovation are moving towards the Council 's fold’ . In the following year , Maurice Peston told a committee of the House of Commons that ‘ those who doubt the innovatory possibilities of British education and the capacity of the DES and the LEAs to help things forward should study the CNAA and the polytechnics over the past decade . There have been remarkable achievements here which must not be blurred by the fact that there remains a long way to go’ . One of the crucial questions emerging for the CNAA during the 1970s was in fact the extent to which it could take initiatives as well as being responsive . The Council 's Charter did not formally require it to initiate , to enter policy arenas , to sponsor development , and in fact it prescribed the CNAA 's role in the ‘ diffusion and extension of the arts , sciences and technologies’ as being through the approval of courses of study and the granting of awards .
Idiom: behind closed doors (used idiomatically: yes)
In criminal cases the accused was guilty until proved innocent . There were no juries or lawyers . Judges sat behind closed doors and took only written evidence , basing their decisions on the records of preliminary investigations conducted by the police . The executive arm of the administration interfered constantly . In view of these deficiencies , it was hardly surprising that the reformers who centred on the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich addressed themselves to transforming the courts very soon after Alexander II ascended the throne .
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
After that , he went too . " " Why did n't you come back then ? " Horatia pulled a face . " Because something happened to stop me ; " I 'll explain in a minute . Then .
Idiom: lay down the law (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Flora does n't know anything . She 's just a mass of opinions — when you dig down , it 's amazing how little she knows . Frightening , really , when you think of her on the goggle - box , laying down the law.’ ‘ Do n't be jealous.’ ‘ Oh — I 'm over that.’