Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: at a pinch (used idiomatically: yes)
After the performance , most people had the same idea : make their way from their actually more but socially less exalted levels of red and orange and purple down to the pink VIP level . Here , at a round table , Christian Lacroix was seated with his wife , Sylvie Guillem ( now changed into a ballgown of great splendour and so contrived , with such shortness at front and fullness at back , as to make the wearer look like an emu ) , and a number of stock Parisian luminaries , like Guy and Marie - Hélène de Rothschild . They were all eating miniature versions of proper food — a sliver of lamb like a lark 's tongue , a single braised spinach leaf , a mushroom tart no bigger than a cuff - link — like guests in a doll 's house , and trying to ignore the fact that the area around their table , which might have provided space for twelve to stand at a pinch , had now about 300 people in it . New emotions were beginning to show , notably aggression and fear of suffocation . A foot above Madame Lacroix 's nodding and smiling head , a fight broke out between two photographers .
Idiom: for good measure (used idiomatically: yes)
So it was that an otherwise desultory exchange , from opposite ends of the universe , was suddenly enlivened by the discovery of common ground when Grundy observed , ‘ You 're more drunk than I am.’ In the words of a newspaper account the following day , Grundy then asked ‘ a spiky - haired youth’ to repeat a four - letter word he had used off camera . The youth obliged , adding a further string of expletives , just for good measure . Four - letter words had been uttered on television before , but never so fulsomely , so splenetically , and never at teatime . History was being made .
Idiom: keep up appearances (used idiomatically: yes)
There are always smiles , no problems in their lives and they spend their time trying to please others . But there is unhappiness underneath because they are frightened to express their anger.’ At the same time her deep sense of duty and obligation impelled her to keep up appearances for the sake of the public . A close friend says : ‘ The public side of her was very different from the private side . They wanted a fairy princess to come and touch them and turn everything into gold .
Idiom: no man's land (used idiomatically: yes)
Even the express was beginning to show signs of vulnerability to the elements . The sinks and toilets were blocked with ice and the narrow cubicles connecting the carriages were thick with snow , their door handles stinging . Each cubicle was a treacherous no man 's land , now braved by only a few passengers seeking out the dozing heat of the restaurant car which , nearing the end of its journey , had little to offer . She was , of course , crying for none of these reasons . Her daughter loved the stations .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
In fact it was the television and newspaper pictures of police batoning demonstrators which proved to be the catalyst in transforming the situation . The events in Derry crystallised the feelings of frustration and discontent among Catholics and the dissatisfaction with the lack of progress towards reform felt by a wide range of opposition groups . They also put Unionists on the defensive , prompting them to make accusations about a republican and Communist conspiracy which stoked fears among their own rank - and - file supporters . The civil rights marches created an opportunity for Ian Paisley to put himself at the head of plebeian Protestant resistance to the civil rights movement . The use of the term ' civil rights ' by NICRA inevitably invites comparisons with the Black civil rights movement in the United States .
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
such a bloody annoying bastard and if you talk they stare at you like this she never smiles . I 've seen her laugh but I think she 's taking the piss . what d'you wanna do after school like that and you step on their foot by mistake and they
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ No , I 'm fine.’ She looked around . They were on a slight hill on the edge of a little copse , and in the distance she could see the lights of boats on the sea . From where they were there was n't a soul to be seen — certainly no other campers . ‘ How did you persuade the farmer to let us use his field?’ she asked .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
Cardew was admitted to Queen Mary 's , in Roehampton , south London , earlier this month , suffering from a bowel infection . It was the first time in his 75 years that he had ever been a hospital patient . Cardew was best known for his portrayal of the comic character Cardew the Cad , a tall overgrown schoolboy who wore short trousers , cap and scarf and recalled school pranks while on stage . His break into showbusiness came in the 1930s when he joined a novelty act called Joe Boganni and the Crazy College Boys . One of his last public appearances was in October for a show at the Imperial War Museum in London to mark the publication of Stars in Battledress , a book about services entitlement during the war .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
No saving throw is ever allowed for armour . The spike on the Goblin 's head can pierce even the thickest dragon - hide and armour . Models whose bases lie under the rest of the template are hit on the D6 roll of 4 + . As with stone throwers you will have to use your judgement to decide how many models are caught . The rule of thumb is that a model is a potential target if at least half of its base area if covered by the template .
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
Well I went through a ship 's bridge , broke the wheel up top , I did , cos you , at that time , see how things improve all the time , now jib and all that is , that 's thirty five feet long . Mine was only twenty feet long , the one I was driving , twenty feet long jib . Now on that twenty feet long , now I 'm up about say , you can say anything like about fifteen feet up in the in the air , might be less than that and then you got twenty feet up like that , well then there used to be wire and used to have a big wheel in top , which you could n't go over the top and with a wire , then I used to have a sling chain , my main hook and that was thirteen foot long and you take th that and on , on working on top of the lorry , see you got to be so careful and there 's men working on that lorry as well , course I broke the wheel . What happened ? They got a new one , they had another , then they had another idea then , they came round and had erm , had , turned round and said , right they done away with part of the wire and they got another big wheel so you can go right over the top next time , they done away with the big hook , so you could shackle your , your chain on to the wire , then you could go right over the top and then they get the old short chains like that .
Idiom: give someone the slip (used idiomatically: no)
At this point I had to fly and catch him up , so I flew to Khabarovsk in far east Siberia where I had to spend a night . That 's where I was first introduced to the Russian system of having a ‘ guide’ who would take care of you . She was a very nice girl named Eugena , I think , and there were guards at the end of the hotel corridors , I remember giving them the slip and wandering around Khabarovsk on my own in a snowstorm , only to be told the next day that there was quite a bit of excitement in the city during the night because a Siberian tiger had come into the city and was wandering the streets at the same time I was ! Anyway , I eventually caught up with him in Irkutsk which is central Siberia . Now the Siberian Express is very strange .
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
How sad that people can not learn from the Houys ! I was hoping that perhaps human beings would change their ways after reading the stories of my life with the Houys . But they accuse me of lying in my book . And now I realize that people still lie , steal , and fight , just as they have always done , and probably will always do . I will say no more .
Idiom: last hurrah (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We are taking it gently . It will take a couple of months to get used to it,’ one officer said . Neck and neck for the last hurrah Margaret Hall in Washington ELECTION fever reaches its climax tomorrow — with the White House candidates hurtling almost neck - and - neck towards the finish .
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: no)
‘ I bought the local paper at Bath Station and the Evening Standard at Paddington just to see how many of my team-mates had been named , but there was no mention of the squad , ’ he added . ‘ I had to fight for a place on a packed plane and , after much pleading , they finally knocked someone off their list . ‘ All that remained was to kill a few hours in town , so I went to visit an old friend . ‘ Imagine where my chin landed when I turned on his TV , called up Ceefax and saw my name on the screen . ’ Ojomoh quickly converted his ticket to a 12-month option and raced home .
Idiom: out and about (used idiomatically: yes)
Really , it was because she looked forward to getting out of the house by herself ! It was true however that Doris Smythe , an elderly widow who lived on the opposite side of their suburban road in a small rented house , did n't like too much bustle around her . Linda had always passed the time of day with her when Doris had been able to get out and about , but now the old woman was con fined to her house with arthritis . Carol went back to the others and Linda cast one quick final look at her preparations for tea and for the dinner tomorrow . The turkey was defrosting nicely in the garage , the vegetables all prepared .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
I was now very weak from lack of food , and I began to wonder why I should struggle to stay alive , when I did not want to live . It was getting dark again , and I was alone on the moor . In the distance I could see a faint light , and I decided to try to reach it . The wind and rain beat down on me , and I fell down several times , but finally I arrived at a long , low house , standing rather isolated in the middle of the moor . Hiding near the door , I could just see into the kitchen through a small uncurtained window .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: no)
The mortuary!’ He flung open the door and began to run down the street like a rabbit . Morton caught up with him at the crossroads . ‘ What is the matter?’ he asked , taking a firm hold on Rivington 's arm . ‘ You did n't tell me it was going to be anything like this!’
Idiom: carry the can (used idiomatically: yes)
Nearly all the collectable money is now in ; only a small number of diehards continue to withhold cash . That will not stop non - payers being used as convenient scapegoats . In Tory demonology they will always carry the can.’ We have seen that tonight . The article goes on:’ The reality is the Poll Tax represents just 14 per cent .
Idiom: boys in blue (used idiomatically: yes)
Mission - bleeding - Impossible . The trouble was , it was n't impossible . I could stake myself out and let Nevil come for me , relying on Malpass and the boys in blue to arrive in the nick of time . Alternatively , I could find Scamp myself , then stand back and let the cavalry come . Just as dangerous , probably , but at least it might get the whole affair over with and , to some extent , I would be in charge of my own destiny .
Idiom: up against it (used idiomatically: no)
And without incontrovertible evidence that Leila was dead , would it ever be watertight enough ? It would n't even get to prosecution . The whole weight of the State would be ganged up against it . The Khedive , the Minister of Justice , the Parquet , the British — the British would be against it , too , particularly if this damned Agreement was still on the cards . It would n't have a chance , in the circumstances , of even reaching the courts .
Idiom: Indian summer (used idiomatically: yes)
The Man WEIRD SLIGHT return ( see below ) of ' 70s - ism dug up by Charles Shaar Murray to describe drug dealers / big record corporations . Currently enjoying an Indian summer of popularity . Where Is Beatles Band ? PHRASE USED to describe anyone who currently resides in the Where Are They Now file ?
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: no)
My uncle 's brother 's son got involved in a shady business and disgraced the family .
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: yes)
at the moment , you can appreciate Mm , mm mm . cos if he he 's on a twelve hour shift and , those meetings tend to be have been around the same sort of time , then obviously , what we 've got ta be careful about is , adding any more hours Mm . onto what he 's already taken on here .
Idiom: throw in the towel (used idiomatically: yes)
There are five million people out of work and in 1995 this figure is expected to have risen to six and a half million . Other sections of the population appear strike bound and bent on civil unrest . The Government 's own Department of Development Aid has apparently been so devious that the judge investigating the billions of Rand evidently missing or misappropriated , which should have gone towards assisting the poorer ( black ) communities , has thrown in the towel when faced by the department 's shambolic accounting . Inflation is another problem . In three years ' time it is likely that everything in the country , including rugby ticket prices , will have escalated by 45 per cent .
Idiom: out of the woods (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Well?’ said Isambard . ‘ What do you want with me?’ One of the young men at the rear of the little procession tugged at his rein and made to wheel and ride out of the wood . Iorwerth dropped a shaft across his path , and he thought better of it , jostling back nervously into his companions . Isambard had not so much as looked round .
Idiom: go spare (used idiomatically: yes)
then he were n't at Colin 's , and he said no , you go first and when he 'd finished Robin 's , he said , I do n't want it as short as that ! He went quite spare ! And it 's what you call an economy one , you know !
Idiom: keep a low profile (used idiomatically: yes)
Events in Oxford and Bridgewater should have told him otherwise — as should the call , by representatives of 120 local Labour Parties meeting to discuss Spain , for Labour to take the initiative in forming an alliance of progressive forces to bring down Chamberlain . John Strachey , a leading Left Book Club and Communist intellectual , wrote to his schoolfriend Robert Boothby — now a left - wing Tory MP — reassuring him that the left would support a pact with the Tory dissidents , even if the Communist Party was excluded ( which it was bound to be ) . The Communists , he pledged , would keep a low profile in the interests of overthrowing Chamberlain . But all the excitement was premature . By December it was clear that nothing would happen .
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: no)
The old part of town is just full of magnificent old buildings . How I wish I could draw , Donald ! I would spend all my time trying to capture this place on paper . But there is so much poverty ! I newer knew people could live in such dreadful conditions .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
Developing - country governments have been more willing to join the cause . Some notoriously corrupt ones have inquired about membership — but they are probably more interested in good public relations than in good government . With allies like these , Mr Eigen 's faith in self - regulation is heroic , to say the least . The International Chamber of Commerce has had rules against bribery and extortion since 1977 , but most people ignore them . America 's anti - bribery law is more effective , though it is hardly fool - proof .
Idiom: see the light of day (used idiomatically: yes)
It took Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh of Heaven 17 to woo Green away from his idyllic semi - retirement with an invitation to contribute a song to their second volume of wild and wacky cover versions ' Music Of Quality And Distinction ' , to be released later in the year . Green has a go at Stevie Wonder 's ' I Do n't Know Why I Love You'('not as hysterical as the original ' ) and he used the spare studio time at the end of the session to knock off a couple of singles for himself . A version of Gladys Knight 's ' Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me ' , another ragga collaboration , this time featuring the vocal talents of Sweetie Irie , should see the light of day in the summer . In the meantime , ' She 's A Woman ' looks set to give Green his biggest hit for six years . ' Mercifully I do n't get to hear many of the other Stones and Beatles covers that have come around , but I suppose there is some validity to reworking songs .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
He suddenly stood , leaving her , pacing about before spinning to face her determinedly . ' There was another man , Jenna . ' At the look on her face he held up his hand , silencing her ready protests . ' It is nothing you can deny , ' he informed her sharply . ' You were too young to know . '
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
Lynda is wearing Scarpa Trionic Lady boots , Rohan Hot Bags , a RAB Carrington Andes down jacket , with a Karrimor fleece and North Cape thermals underneath . Ready for the worst of British weather . From left to right : Lynda is wearing Rohan Gobi trousers , a Craghoppers Tarn fleece and a Stormbreaker jacket . Simon is wearing Zamberlan Trek Lite boots , Mountain Equipment Freestyle trousers , Berghaus ACL thermals , a Calange Ultralite fleece and a North Face Celestial Peak jacket . Zelie is wearing Rohan bags , a Lowe Zipped Pullover and a Berghaus Typhoon jacket .
Idiom: turn heads (used idiomatically: yes)
' Two Martinis . ' The hovering waiter sped away . Edouard never turned his head . He looked at Isobel . She knew he was remembering the last time they had drunk Martinis together and what she had said to him then .
Idiom: big hitter (used idiomatically: yes)
What ? Now , but it could be a new car . Let 's say , let 's say , let 's say that Graham , who 's a bigger hitter than me , and got more influence , and more influential client bank than me , his idea of a new car is a new X J S , a nice Jag , me , my dream car , I 've never had a new car , is a nice Lada soft - top coupe , with G T X heated rear window , Okay . And it comes to the first of August , and Graham gets his car , his new X J S , and I get my new Lada , and we 've been out at midnight doing all this , but we come to the branch in the morning , and he parks his X J S there , and I park my Lada next to it . I reckon we both feel the same do n't you ?
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
Whatever may have occurred earlier , it seems most likely that the sustained recovery of population did not take place until the late fifteenth or the early sixteenth century . This conclusion would be supported by the evidence of the Phelps Brown index of real wages . The figures in this series are complete for the period covered by this book apart from a short gap between 1403 and 1411 . They show considerable fluctuations in the annual level of real wages , but are markedly higher in the early fifteenth century than they had been in the late fourteenth . In some years in the 1430s wages failed to keep pace with high prices , but they rose again in the next two decades .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: yes)
She has only one of her sons staying at home in South Ronaldsay and is concerned that she may never be allowed to care for the others . She adds : ‘ I think it 's unlikely that the children will be allowed to come home.’ Since Lord Clyde said in his inquiry report that the social workers had acted in good faith , the social workers would have to keep her children to prove they did the right thing in the first place , she said . Paul Lee , the director of the Orkney Islands Council social work department , said that was untrue . ‘ The seven children are in care as a result of a children 's panel decision .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
We queued up for our boots , our poles , our skis and met our instructor , Hans , and the rest of the eager beavers in our party . The first thing that struck me was the weight of everything . Not just the skiing equipment but the sweater leaning on the anorak , the goggles leaning on the nose and the woolly hat leaning on your ears . Admittedly I 'm not really the right shape for it all . If you can imagine a benevolent and myopic stork in goggles and woolly hat , then you 've just about got the picture .
Idiom: in the offing (used idiomatically: yes)
shareholders . The last two registers afford important information , not obtainable from Companies House , in relation to beneficial ownership and not just registered ownership , and are particularly valuable to a searcher who suspects that some major transaction,(e.g . a take - over bid ) is in the offing . Furthermore , the register of charges which the company is required to maintain may be more illuminating than that at Companies House since it must now contain entries of all charges on the company 's property whether or not they require to be registered at Companies House and copies of any instrument creating or evidencing a charge must also be kept . Both the register and the copies are open to inspection by any creditor or member without payment and by any other person on payment , copies being obtainable on payment .
Idiom: Indian summer (used idiomatically: yes)
Days Like These By IAN IRVINE 4 October , 1941 LORAN HURNSCOT writes in her diary : ‘ Mist and cold , after yesterday 's Indian summer . It was one of the perfect days — the high tide of this present time . I went out for a walk , then picked blackberries on Periton Hill , in that far clump at the edge of the downs .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: yes)
But with a new enthusiasm : ' We 're cautiously optimistic , ' he said . ' We wo n't be entirely happy until the final decision is made , but this is a major hurdle we 've crossed , obviously . At the end of the day it 's a political decision from the council of ministers , but it seems to be going there with a firm endorsement of support from the commission . ' As to wish - lists , Claridge agreed that projects like the much - maligned Mallaig to Fort William road would be a priority , but unexpectedly broadened the range of funding possibilities . Harbour developments by local trusts , training , assistance to tourism — all have already been mentioned by others hopeful of appropriating some Eurocash .
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: yes)
His acceptance speech , made on the following evening , was well delivered but generally perceived as lacking in detail . Although the President promised to use his second term for a new " crusade " to secure peace and prosperity within the USA , he offered few new prescriptions for the ailing economy , preferring instead to concentrate on a broad agenda which included less government and lower taxes . Repudiating as " bad judgment " his 1990 decision to raise taxes — a move which had contravened his 1988 election pledge — Bush promised across - the - board tax cuts of an indeterminate size , unspecified spending reductions , and a plan to reduce the size of the country 's debt during his second term . By the end of August the opinion polls suggested that Bush had reduced , but not eliminated , Clinton 's lead . Iran - contra investigation