Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
More radical sections of the press placed further doubts against the feeling that there had been a sudden eruption of street violence . Describing London as ‘ a city of illusions , subject every now and then to a series of harsh awakenings’,The Echo ( 11 August 1898 ) believed that while some of the stones were undoubtedly exaggerated they nevertheless served a purpose : ‘ We steadily shut our eyes to the submerged lawlessness of less fortunate districts until a series of Whitechapel outrages , or Hooligan exploits , make us not only aware of what is going on , but actually afraid of our lives.’ In a similar line of argument , Reynolds 's Newspaper ( 14 August 1898 ) viewed the Hooligan panic as an indictment of the hypocrisy of a civilisation that took ‘ so painful an interest about moral handkerchiefs and hymn books for the barbarians of the wild Soudan’ while turning a blind eye towards ‘ the far wilder barbarians they may find within a few paces from their own street - doors’ . For the socialist press , in any event , the burning issue in working - class London during the hot summer of 1898 was not the Hooligans , but the water shortage which was reaching crisis proportions . With a fine eye for a ‘ newsworthy’ item , the News of the World ( 28 August 1898 ) blamed youths for wasting water by larking about with street taps , but the socialist press saw a more permanent difficulty in the negligence of the private water companies .
Idiom: rock bottom (used idiomatically: yes)
Duncan McKenzie BRIAN Clough 's Nottingham Forest and Steve Coppell 's Crystal Palace meet in a bottom - of - the - table clash at Selhurst Park today that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season . Clough 's rock - bottom Forest have not won away all season , Coppell 's second - to - bottom Palace have not tasted victory at home — but both managers can count on one thing … their jobs are safe as houses . Instead , the finger of doom is pointing at Malcolm Crosby , a Wearside hero when he led Sunderland to the FA Cup final last season , but perilously close to getting his P45 if the players that love him let him down again today at Derby . Ian Branfoot 's head is being screamed for by Southampton 's fans and Neil Warnock 's heady times at Notts County have given way to days of whine and losses .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
To the left there was a small boat - house whose locked doors gave on to the river . The bungalow showed no sign of life , and there had not been any when they had driven past on the road . Charles had persuaded Miles to stop and tried ringing the bell on the gate . No reply . But somebody had been there overnight .
Idiom: with a vengeance (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ And with a paper frill?’ asked Ianthe . ‘ It sounds lovely , but somehow I never seem to have time to make things like that ant as you know I usually go to the Humming Bird for lunch.’ ‘ I ca n't bear those two who run it — English gentlewomen with a vengeance , I always think — the kind that have made England what she is.’ ‘ I think Mrs Harper and Miss Burge do a very good job under rather difficult conditions , said Ianthe , ‘ after all the whole place is very small and the kitchen especially so.’ ‘ Quite .
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: yes)
Still it was not vital and buckles , buttons , thimbles , locks , tobacco boxes , wire , nails et al , did not have to be of brass or copper , though employees in the related industries assumed considerable numbers . The most important application of copper was in the cladding of wooden ships , until it was realised that the iron bolts also used corroded rapidly ( galvanic reaction doubtless ) and in doing so affected the timbering , causing the loss of many important vessels . The committee appointed to enquire into the copper trade and mining ( 1799 ) , said in their report that copper bolts had never been considered strong enough , and that the practice of copper bottoming was stopped by about 1750 , as a result of the losses , and the fact that at one time a third of the navy was in dock under repair . Copper plate for ships was as high as 10d . per pound in 1787 , and in 1799 , 15d . In 1798 , 874 tons of plate were used by H.M.
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
' They are undoubtedly a difficult problem for organisations like the power companies , who are perfectly entitled to take the kind of action they are taking . ' Ministry of Sound The use of a picture taken inside the Ministry of Sound club in our article on the drugs Ecstasy and Ketamine ( April 3 ) was intended merely to show young people in a club and was not intended to suggest that drugs are permitted or used at the Ministry of Sound . We readily accept that management of the Ministry of Sound takes unprecedented and most stringent measures to prevent drugs being taken into the club and we apologise for any implication to the contrary . We have agreed to pay damages and legal costs to the Ministry of Sound .
Idiom: jump the gun (used idiomatically: yes)
Just for you chuck Oh they want another then they want another two pound off us for that now for postage They wo n't love , let 's , let 's , let 's get it over with see what 's happening before we start jumping the gun , throws in if there 's any good we 'll have them I know what it is I think it 's disgusting anyway , they do n't deserve custom
Idiom: down the hatch (used idiomatically: yes)
No one was really surprised when news first broke last January of his voluntary admission to a drugs rehabilitation unit . No one was really surprised when he checked out a week later after an argument about drinking beer in his room . After all , up the lads and down the hatch . But at times it 's been hard to ignore that sinking feeling that what we 've been witnessing is another case of gradual rock'n'roll suicide , that what we 're about to experience is the possible self - destruction of not just one individual but a whole band . But , for now , Happy Mondays are back and ready for the next round .
Idiom: spill the beans (used idiomatically: yes)
You 're doing a terrific job.’ With a faintly fatalistic feeling , Rory glanced up to see Adam approaching the bar . It was as if he 'd known — as if he 'd somehow been alerted to the fact that she was about to cave in , to spill the beans on their bogus relationship . His expression was as inscrutable as ever , yet she was sure she could detect a warning gleam in his dark eyes . For a second she knew an intense longing to flee — to get a million miles away from this place and everyone in it .
Idiom: steer clear of (used idiomatically: yes)
She 'll be away at a family wedding or funeral for a few days . More established resorts improve a lot on these standards , but perhaps offer less local colour and charm . If such shortcomings irritate you seriously , you should steer clear of small Mediterranean resorts of the type we offer ; become a tourist , not a traveller . One last item : you ca n't judge accommodation standards by holiday price . Our most expensive holiday is in cramped accommodation with shared facilities , no hot water or cleaning and no linen change ; it 's a yacht .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: yes)
And swallowing hard , still dazed from being flung out of the car 's pathway , Nick Stone nodded and said , ‘ Yes sir . Thank you sir.’ From a position , parked a few yards down the road from the Stones ' house , Bodie watched as Anne Hanvey finally delivered Nick to the house . It had been a worried re - union , at the school , but Bodie had reassured the woman . He watched as Anne stood outside the house , telling Chrissie of what had happened , and he did n't like the clear signs of distress that he could see on Chrissie Stone 's pale features .
Idiom: cheek by jowl (used idiomatically: yes)
Merlyn Rees , Gregor Mackenzie and John Cunningham , all of whom were friends who had served me as Parliamentary Private Secretaries , rallied at once and with Tom McNally , my Political Adviser , formed a small inner team to conduct the contest on my behalf . I told them I would prefer to give no interviews to press or television . In my view our fellow Members , who lived with us cheek by jowl , were fully aware of my strengths and weaknesses and were unlikely to be impressed by pictures of me on their TV screens dressed in a striped apron and pretending to wash up in the kitchen , as had happened during the Tory leadership election . Coincidentally , I had a very busy schedule as Foreign Secretary at that time . During the ensuing three weeks the French Foreign Minister , M. Sauvagnargues , was due to visit me in London for talks , as was the Turkish Foreign Minister .
Idiom: at death's door (used idiomatically: yes)
In the hospital was the Reverend E.C. Turner from St Michael 's Mission to the Blind , who had been attacked by dacoits a few days earlier and left for dead a few miles out of Shwebo . For several days he was at death 's door , and a grave had been kept ready in case the worst happened . He was making a wonderful recovery and in the few hours we were there we managed to get him on to an ambulance train — off to Myitkyina to be flown out to India . We motored on a further thirty miles and when the road ended were lucky to get on a goods train with our precious stock of food .
Idiom: over your head (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course we had a rather unsuitable contraption , described as a ‘ continental’ tent . That means it was for use in climates and countries so benign that the natives require no shelter at all , and where a tent is more or less a decorative affectation . Pitched on the machair in Sutherland , however , it proved to be as useful as holding a tea towel over your head . The concept of these ‘ continental’ Wendy Houses with little canvas porches , plastic see - through windows and PVC - checked curtains could only have been dreamed up by someone who has never been two degrees north of the equator . Still , it provided the Gray family with regular exercise , so often did we pursue it over large tracts of Scotland as the tent tried to escape home to warmer climes in the south , flapping its PVC accessories like the wings of a large , wounded goose trying to take off .
Idiom: over the moon (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Of course,’ she said simply . ‘ We 've got lots of room , and you know that I 'll do anything I possibly can for them . As for the children — well , they 'll be absolutely over the moon to see their parents once again.’ ‘ I 'm sorry … ’ he began , and then gave a heavy sigh . ‘ I 'm really very sorry that I had to leave you with my mother .
Idiom: in living memory (used idiomatically: yes)
Some of these works are small , some exceptionally large , sometimes employing thousands of people on one site . Many of these are extremely old ; many are run down . Rivers in this area are mainly comprised of domestic and industrial effluent , and many have been fishless in living memory . There is plenty of heavy industry in other cities in the authority 's areas , including coal mining and steel making . Leachate and contaminated ground water from old industrial sites are major problems in urban areas where streams are small .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
Show me . ' They entered a large hall gleaming with mahogany furniture . To the right a magnificent staircase , carpeted in deep wine red , curved round to adjoin the left hand side of the gallery above . Tapestries bearing heraldic devices hung on the walls , and medieval artefacts including statuettes , shields and facsimile books of hours , were displayed on strategically positioned tables . They passed through an open doorway beneath the stairs into a short , narrow corridor which led to the kitchen .
Idiom: take a dive (used idiomatically: yes)
Which would n't be healthy.’ Indie distribution has always been a thorny problem . Time after time , companies have taken a dive , leaving a mass of dead and dying labels in their wake . Even the currently flourishing Pinnacle Distribution did a kamikaze act just a few years ago , decimating the indie scene . Since then , Steve Mason , who did a Victor Kiam and bought the company himself , has masterminded a remarkable recovery job and such recent Top Ten singles as Nomad 's ‘ ( I Wanna Give You ) Devotion’ and Kylie 's ‘ What Do I Have To Do’ , were placed in the shops by Pinnacle .
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
You could n't do that these days , the traffic 's too bad but we used to have wooden hoops or we 'd have er iron hoops . Er and then skipping ropes , that was another thing . Er they , there were seasons for all these things and then erm balls , we used to used to play balls up against the walls . Er but er th th oh and tops , that were another thing . Yes , spinning tops .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
Pauline Mitchell , head of housing services at Darlington Council , wrote to the town 's MP Michael Fallon about the authority 's mortgage rescue package . But Mr Fallon has replied , saying he was ‘ puzzled’ at her request that the Government matched the funding given by the Two Castles Housing Association . He said the Government was funding the association in the first place to the tune of £ 3.76 m this year . He also pointed out the revenue support grant from the Government to the council of £ 27.8 m was a 12.3pc rise . As part of the pioneering mortgage rescue deal with the council , Two Castles pledged to spend £ 100,000 on relieving the burden of mortgage repayments for families threatened with repossession .
Idiom: leave well alone (used idiomatically: yes)
The pockets held the usual impedimenta : two sets of house keys , a wallet , a handkerchief , a small penknife and a driving licence . The wallet contained an assortment of plastic cards and sixty pounds in notes . He was tempted to take the cash ; but in the end he decided to leave well alone . Notes could be traced . Dougal examined the floor of the gazebo , finding nothing except bird - droppings , sweet - wrappers and dead leaves .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: no)
but when the weather improves we shall , we shall go as far as Harrendle on the bus Mm I wanna go Black butchers on the square , last time we went to Harrendle Bob and Delph took us in the car and it was market day , and on the square near , where they have the market there was this er butchers , and I went in there and I got some sausages , oh , er nobody said anything about these sausages I just thought well I 'd better take something back for Fred 's dinner so I went in and got these sausages , well they were the nicest sausages I 've ever tasted in my life
Idiom: sit tight (used idiomatically: yes)
They 'll hear what happened . I want to see what they 'll do . Whether they 'll sit tight or run . If they run I want them . Alive , if possible .
Idiom: in the nick of time (used idiomatically: yes)
Sergeant Bird entered the library bearing a laden tray minutes after Anthea Darnell had left the room . Montgomery looked up gratefully at the sound of rattling cups . ‘ Like the U.S. cavalry , just in the nick of time,’ he said . ' My goodness , a whole pot ! I suppose you 've been charming that splendid lady Mrs Reynolds.’
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
Whether the performance indicators relating to these issues are relevant is more difficult . At such a high level of aggregation , for an annual period , and reported some months after the financial year , it is not easy to see how most customers would change their behaviour because of them . Taxpayers , at least through the political process , might find such hard data useful , as broad rules of thumb to confirm subjective perceptions about performance . If this were true then the fact of having to report the indicators may encourage managers to achieve their targets . In the context of punctuality of trains , it may also encourage the targets to be adjusted .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: no)
Many systems and many faces may have changed over the last year or two and I do n't imagine you would believe me if I said that none of these changes had saddened me but , in a changing market - place , the basics have n't changed and the most basic precept of all is that there are no healthy banks where there are no health customers to sustain them . ' I welcome the opportunity , therefore , of assuring all the customers of the Royal Bank here this evening that it is still our basic aim to do whatever we can to promote your welfare , and to deal with you fairly on every occasion . ' We are emerging from just about as difficult a period as I can remember in over 37 years in the business , but we are emerging with capital ratios still among the strongest of any of the world 's banks — ready and willing to lend for any viable purpose , and desperate for the chance to show both personal and corporate customers that the personal , flexible , friendly service which we have tried to give in the past and which I hope has given us the privilege of enjoying your company tonight — that same service is still very much on offer today . ' Speakers at the four dinners also included Iain Bell , Group Managing Director , Johnston Press ; Lord Younger , Chairman of the Royal Bank ; James Miller , Chairman of William Low & Co , Tony Schofield , Managing Director of Branch Banking Division , and Jim Wardrop , Manager , Business Development , International Division , Glasgow . The three other dinners were held at Kirkcaldy , Stirling and Livingston .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: no)
He was not good enough to make it into the rugby first XV but was among the top academically , taking lots of prizes , and becoming school captain . From Merchiston he went to St Andrews University : ' I largely paid my way through university through scholarships and conjuring , with a little bit of support from my father , ' he said . As Del Genie — a name borrowed from an American theology student who was also a conjuror — he did magic tricks round the town , at rotary clubs and children 's shows . ' We ran a seaside variety show for a few seasons , ' he said . His first experience in magic had been to give a show at the Miners Welfare hall at the age of 11 .
Idiom: beat the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Not so much sailing ; more like flying on the wind with maybe with a prayer . Josey Wales , the One Arm Bandit and Lone Star have been in town for a final show - down . Their aim — to beat the clock and each other in a competition to find the fastest draw in the country . Debbie Kelly reports . UFFINGTON / Oxfordshire
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
I always say ‘ one last thing’ , but I always add another last thing to a last thing because I 'm an academic by nature and that 's , that 's the curse of the profession . Bear in mind how things are still to some extent put into newspapers these days . You start , by and large , with the all the story and the headline , all the picture , all the first paragraph , and then you expand , you go into ever - increasing bits , loops in terms of adding additional information . You see these , that 's how these things are written . They 're done because the old - fashioned way of doing a , putting something together is a paste - up job , you 've got all these stories filed about all sorts of things , and then some editorial chap or chapess sits down with sort of paste and scissors and cuts the things off , and they tend to cut things off the bottom to make it all fit until it feels about right .
Idiom: hear things (used idiomatically: yes)
Returning to Cyprus on 16 February , Coleman engineered another meeting with Hurley and told him Condor would be glad to do what it could to help . ' Hey , that 's great , ' Hurley said . ' We heard some good things about you — and you 'll find we pay better than the military . We got all kinds of people shooting stuff for us out there . Mostly media people , so you probably know 'em already .
Idiom: keep a low profile (used idiomatically: yes)
After just 17 minutes he talked the house into adjourning until today on the grounds that it would be improper to attack a man on the day of his mother 's funeral . Mr Yeltsin 's mother Klavdiya , who died of a heart attack on Sunday , was buried in a Moscow cemetery . Apart from his appearance at the funeral Mr Yeltsin kept a low profile yesterday . But his office issued a decree he had signed on Monday containing a strong warning to all regional government officials that he would hold them personally responsible for obeying his orders . Mr Yeltsin 's strategy centres on a referendum on 25 April on who rules Russia but many local councils , sympathetic to parliament , are likely to try and thwart it .
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
On 30 July , while Brook was away on holiday , Bridges sent Murrie the note of his conversation of 26 July with Attlee , adding , ‘ It all sounds to me frightfully reminiscent of proposals which have been made before and , I think , discussed.’ Murrie prepared for Brook 's return an assessment of the factors contributing to the overloading of Mr Attlee 's engine room . Starting from scratch in July 1945 , the Government had embarked on a huge legislative programme and laid the foundations for another big instalment in 1946–7 . This had necessitated a large number of meetings , particularly for the Socialisation of Industries Committee and the Social Services Committee : ministers had tended to bring too many items to committee ; senior ministers had wanted to keep an eye on their more junior colleagues , and as a result a heavy burden fell on a handful . Murrie suggested Attlee should be encouraged to scrutinize carefully the number of committees being created and to circulate a memorandum discouraging ministers from raising questions unnecessarily .
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: no)
With a turnover of about £250m , Virgin Records is one of the few independents left in the music business . In August the Virgin Group sold its film and video distribution arm , Virgin Vision , to Management Company Entertainment in the US . But in spite of clear signals from Virgin Records that it wants to remain independent , speculation was rife that the purchaser might be Sony . Industry observers fear that this would be another nail in the coffin of the independent record industry . In 1988 the Japanese giant bought CBS records for $2bn and last week it announced that it would take control of Columbia pictures .
Idiom: take a dim view of (used idiomatically: yes)
Somewhere about this time the squadron we had at Bourn was shifted up north to another Group . It created quite a stir on the camp when they left , as it was decided they would take all their ground crews with them in gliders . Those of the ground crews that we spoke to were not at all enthusiastic about this mode of travel — in fact a lot of them took an extremely dim view of it . They were n't air crew , for God 's sake , they did n't join up to fly . To those of us standing on the sidelines , with our feet planted firmly on the ground , the manner of their going was quite exciting .
Idiom: black and blue (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh , the cruel devil . Look what he has done to me.’ She showed us her arms , and we saw with horror that her skin was black and blue where she had been beaten . ‘ But he has hurt me more in other ways . While I thought he loved me , I accepted many things .
Idiom: take the liberty (used idiomatically: yes)
The success of the group will improve if the time limits are sufficiently elastic to allow extra time for all the formalities . Stage 3 — the skilful stage Gradually a group outlives the formal stage and begins to ' take liberties ' with its own procedures without slipping back into chaos . Sometimes a group rebels against the rigidity of the formal stage too early and oscillates between the chaotic and formal stages . Sometimes a group gets stuck in the formal stage , convinced that formality and rules are the only antidote to chaos .