Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: fly in the face of (used idiomatically: yes)
The nuts and bolts of the deal have been put together cleverly to comply with the 1982 Cable Act and with the specific terms of the 1984 consent decree from Judge Harold Greene that set up the Baby Bells . But the point of the TWE deal is that US West and its other owners could share stakes in a multimedia venture and build up competitive telephone services across America . However desirable , that might fly in the face of everything the 1984 decree was about . Grounds for Judge Greene to intervene are not hard to imagine . Permission will apparently be sought for TWE to use satellite links , which are closed to Baby Bells by the 1984 decree .
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: yes)
I ' ve heard that people who eat vegetables and fruit every day are less likely to have a heart ~ attack .
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
Moreover , Robson Rhodes the Accountants found that many firms that were proceeding along conventional lines in terms of raising finance , often suddenly moved to being financed totally under the LGS . The aim of the Business Expansion Scheme ( BES ) is to increase the availability of equity capital to companies . The main incentive to investors is income tax relief on an amount up to £ 40 000 p.a . invested in ordinary shares of unquoted ( i.e. not quoted on the main exchange , the USM , the Third market or the over - the - counter market — see Chapter 11 for definitions ) companies , and capital gains on selling the shares are exempt from Capital Gains Tax ( CGT ) . Shares can not be sold for five years , however , or the various benefits will be lost to the investor . Firms thus benefit from a solid investor base , and of course there is not the problem of high levels of gearing as with the LGS .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
Some geochemists have suspected that a much grander geochemical cycle , one encompassing the entire crust and mantle , is also at work in the planet . According to this idea , oceanic crust and sediment are subducted into the deep mantle to rise again as mantle plumes hundreds of millions of years later . On page 809 of this issue , Woodhead and colleagues report new isotope data on volcanic rocks from seamounts southeast of Pitcairn Island that seem dramatically to confirm this theory . Although isotope studies have always been at the heart of the deep - mantle recycling hypothesis , previous analyses have focused on radiogenic isotope variations ( those that result from radioactive decay , such as the isotopic composition of Sr and Nd ) ; Woodhead et al . combine such analyses with oxygen isotope analyses , and it is variations in the latter that are particularly significant .
Idiom: twist someone's arm (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 'm sorry to disappoint you , Ace , but I 'm afraid that deal does n't interest me!’ It hurt her to lie , because she 'd always been so truthful all her life . ‘ Do n't twist my arm , Kate ! I 've never liked being forced into a decision.’ ‘ I 'm not forcing you into anything , Ace .
Idiom: join the club (used idiomatically: yes)
Just prior to the 1985 Helsinki conference , the DoE was once again making some progress and , at the final meeting , it was the Foreign Office which enjoyed the casting vote . As Fred Pearce put it : ‘ The Foreign Secretary , Geoffrey Howe , had the deciding vote . His departmental brief was to assuage the diplomatic pressure from Norway and vote for joining the club . This he did not do . Sober mandarins from the environment department insist that the generating board engineered the debacle through Lord Marshall 's ‘ close contacts’ with the prime minister.’
Idiom: win the day (used idiomatically: yes)
THE government may have a majority as high as 10 at the end of the crucial Commons debate on the Maastricht Treaty tonight . That was the private calculation of some Labour MPs as two leading dissidents finally decided to abandon their threat to rebel and instead support John Major in the division lobbies . But Tory rebels still remain confident they can win the day and in doing so inflict irreparable damage on the treaty . A defeat would gravely damage the Prime Minister 's authority at home and abroad . Rebel ringleader James Cran warned today they were ‘ quite determined to give the government a bit of a shock this evening’ .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
I knew the last 10 minutes would be nervous both for the fans and the supporters , as had happened against Oldham the previous week . This time around no great pressure was exerted by the home team . Strachan had plugged away all day and was rewarded in the closing moments when he dispossessed a Southampton player on the byline , came across the penalty area and laid on a beautiful ball from Speed to slot in the net . Ecstasy ! ! Speed had done nothing else right the whole game with his overall game looking jaded .
Idiom: small beer (used idiomatically: yes)
The social and psychological trends that were bound to produce Raskolnikov/ Danilov are the mere phenomenology of a transcendent mystic and Biblical cryptogram . The Book of Revelation , which Tolstoy said ‘ reveals absolutely nothing ’ , is more heavily marked than anything else in the New Testament which Dostoevsky took to prison with him , and we know that huge overarching shapes like Baal , the Kingdom of Antichrist , are beginning to appear in his writing from the early 1860s . Danilov 's double murder looks small beer in comparison . Indeed it is pertinent to ask what scope of revelatory prophecy Crime and Punishment is aiming at . An ambitious impression is created by Raskolnikov 's delirium and nightmare : .
Idiom: place in the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
Small wonder that , by the time of the Boer War , the pacifists felt like a small and beleaguered minority . Following the great betrayal of 1882 , when Gladstone presided over the annexation of Egypt , they could not even rely on the Liberal party to resist the imperialist tide . Imperial expansion was driven forward not only by the collapse of order in extra - European societies , but also by intensifying competition from Britain 's European rivals for ‘ a place in the sun’ . British Governments staked their claim to disputed areas by formalizing imperial control . As British diplomats manoeuvred to protect extra - European spheres of influence against foreign rivals , they found themselves inexorably drawn into taking sides in the hardening alliance system on the European continent .
Idiom: stop at nothing (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Possession is nine points of the law.’ I could envisage a long - drawn - out court case with us all ending up homeless and bankrupt , sleeping in cardboard boxes and begging for crumbs from the rich man 's Scandinavian table , and I do n't like raw herrings , yuk ! ‘ I put it to you,’ some old goat would bleat from under his wig , ‘ that these scheming , unprincipled charlatans , stopping at nothing to come by their ill - gotten gains , forged the very hand of a peer of the realm in a dastardly conspiracy to frustrate the worthy efforts of their local benefactor.’ ‘ Do n't call me a charlatan , you miserable old creep,’ Otley would explode . ‘ Take him down!’ the old fossil would splutter in a cloud of dust .
Idiom: talk shop (used idiomatically: no)
The G-20 has enough legitimacy for its purpose – which is more limited than the purposes of formal institutions such as the UN , the International ~ Monetary ~ Fund , and the World ~ Trade ~ Organization – by virtue of the fact that it accounts for 85 % of the world 's GDP , for example . But it is too big to be workable as a steering group . A principle of multilateral talk - shops is that conversation is not possible with more than 10 delegations in the room . With 20 delegations , each reads prepared statements ; there is no give - and - take , and the communiqué is a watered down least - common - denominator press release . The G-20 needs a smaller informal steering group , a G-6 or G-9 , which could meet on the eve of the main G-20 meeting and discuss how to organize the discussion in the larger group .
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: yes)
For them to give you the service you want they need to know about your ideas and any suggestions and comments you may have to ensure the best possible service . So why not go along and give Fiona McVey five minutes of your time while having lunch or join her for coffee in the coffee lounge on the first floor of A30 on 24 February between 12 noon and 1.30pm . ‘ Bucharest is an awful long way to go’ In Issue 14 ( 1992 ) of the Winfrith Journal , Diane Halliwell from Finance asked Winfrith staff to donate food for her trip to Romania to distribute much needed aid and supplies . Diane and her husband Geoff have now completed the trip and in this article she recounts their hazardous journey .
Idiom: bring up the rear (used idiomatically: yes)
He immediately sank down into the mud . ‘ I 'll lead,’ he said . ‘ Trumper , you 'll follow , and Prescott will bring up the rear.’ ‘ Well at least that proves ‘ e knows where ‘ e 's goin',’ whispered Tommy . ‘ Because ‘ e must ‘ ave worked out exactly where the bullets will be comin ' from , and ‘ o they 're likely to ‘ it first.’
Idiom: born and bred (used idiomatically: yes)
For instance , young people on the streets but seeking to take to the road might need help to acquire a serviceable living vehicle . Development of children in traveller families often suffers because of harsh living conditions and lack of access to social , health , economic and political rights Similarly , some travellers born - and - bred are effectively homeless when their parents ' caravan becomes too crowded . But poverty arising from lack of training , employment , and benefits prevents acquisition of their own home . The Children Act could also open up much wider possibilities , affecting whole groups of travellers .
Idiom: up against it (used idiomatically: yes)
Lennie knows he has n't any time to play with if Boro are to stay in the big time . He admitted last night : ‘ I ca n't wait for the players to find their feet in the Premier League.’ The Wearsiders are up against it tomorrow , when they face Manchester City . And Lennie will have a clearer idea after the game about his side 's strengths and weaknesses . But Lennie seems to have made up his mind that it 's his midfield which needs strengthening .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
The world became much bigger and someone else discovered that it was round . The quaint system known as wireless telegraphy then , telephones , radios and now television brought another revolution and the creation of a smaller world , the global village . It is a truism to say that we have not yet come to terms with it , or with the changes in relationships it has brought . Who is my neighbour ? becomes a difficult question to answer for people who feel they know the characters in Dallas better than the folk on the floor beneath them in the multi - storey . The dark side of this revolution is known as alienation , as the technical and penetration frontiers are pushed forward , so the flood of information surges and the fragile bonds between human beings are drowned in the torrent of words and images .
Idiom: lose face (used idiomatically: yes)
Ask gently , without appearing defensive , for further information . Be persistent . Better to lose face and be open about not understanding the cryptic message , than to lose sleep at night over it . If further information is not available , establish a time when it will be . Use the same tactic to deal with name dropping and use of jargon : ‘ I do n't understand who / what you 're talking about.’
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
Mysterious indigo with its connotations of protection was a substance and colour full of symbolism in the distant places of Arabia . It carried a quality bordering on the magical . Even the modern masks of the Gulf hareems had their indigo linings which left little tell - tale purplish marks on the noses of the women who wore them . Sayeeda 's indigo - dyed satchel with its colourful , patterned shoulder strap looked like a carry - all . Out of it she drew a little distaff , much as we would draw out a pair of knitting needles .
Idiom: for good measure (used idiomatically: yes)
The case of the chainmaking trade was particularly acute because of the large numbers of women who entered it during the late 1870s from nailmaking . In 1889 a Select Committee heard another plea from a male trade unionist for the restriction of married women 's work on the grounds that ‘ when the married women turn into the domestic workshops they become competitors against their own husbands and it requires a man and his wife to earn what the man alone would earn if she were not in the shop’ . He added for good measure : ‘ During the time she is in the shop her domestic duties are being neglected’ . During the inter - war period what trade union support there was for family allowances ( generally it was feared that allowances would lead to a wholesale reduction in wages and reduce the bargaining power of male workers ) , was based on the hope that they would lead to a withdrawal of married women from the workforce . However , there may well have been other pressures on working class men as individuals , causing them to oppose the work of their wives .
Idiom: spring to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Only the gorilla is particularly close to us in evolutionary terms ( though all of the top 10 animals are mammals ) , but many of the other favourites are distinctly humanoid in appearance , either because they sometimes stand upright , such as otters and polar bears , or because they have vaguely human - like faces . Aesthetic criteria are also clearly important . Glancing through the list , words such as beautiful , graceful , powerful awesome and majestic spring to mind . And as might be expected , given BBC WILDLIFE 's emphasis on conservation , rarity is evidently a crucial factor . Apart from the cat , all of the world favourites are perceived as rare or threatened , and many are on the IUCN ‘ red list’ of endangered species .
Idiom: hold the line (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh have you ever done that ? Where , where where you ph er you use the phone and it says erm we are trying to coll connect your call , please hold the line and then it goes sorry sorry sorry
Idiom: no laughing matter (used idiomatically: yes)
I was on my way to the bank with £ 7,000 when a masked gang , carrying guns , attacked me and a friend who was with me . He was the goalkeeper for Manchester United and I joked later that I threw him the bag of money and he dropped it ! But it was no laughing matter at the time . It was terrifying . Before running off with the dough the men beat my arms with pickaxe handles .
Idiom: watch this space (used idiomatically: yes)
If you 're going to put adventures on one of the Megatapes , can they be good ( like Nythyhel ) and not rubbish ( like Black Knight and LA ) ? Not everyone has the same tastes , remember — some people do n't like reading long text messages like those in Nythyhel , but perhaps it 's time for another game with a strong storyline . Watch this space ! Dose .
Idiom: get stuck in (used idiomatically: yes)
Other armies , such as High Elves , are magnificent at defence in depth . Facing the loathsome rat - men I tend to opt for a defensive strategy and try and inflict as many casualties as possible at long range . Against the superlative archers of Ulthuan my inclination is to get stuck in as quickly as possible . Anyway these are the basic considerations you 'll have to take into account when choosing your army . In an ideal world you 'd have sufficient troops of each type to pick the perfect force for facing any particular enemy .
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: yes)
Trainer Barry Hills was the proudest man at The Curragh after his son Michael triumphed on Nicer in the Irish 1,000 Guineas . ‘ This is one of the greatest thrills of my career,’ said Hills . ‘ A Classic winner is super at any time , but having Michael in the saddle makes it a really special day.’ Cruising into the lead over a furlong out , Nicer soon sprinted clear to beat Goodnight Kiss by two lengths , with Lester Piggott 's mount Danse Royale a short head away in third . Nicer is expected to take her chance in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot next month , while Goodnight Kiss is earmarked for the Jersey Stakes .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
She fell heavily , landing on the marble hearth of the fireplace and shattering the display vase of flowers . Her legs splayed inelegantly and with her mouth wide and dry with fear , she stared up at the stranger . For the first time she saw the red tin container he had been hiding behind his back . Realised what it was . ‘ NO!’ she screamed as the stench of petrol reached her nostrils .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: no)
So put the date in the drafting book please . The eighth . and erm sorry the poem the new poem , but that we 'll spell it with a will be correct . Now in number one I 'd just like you to write down an answer in your own way to this question . What would you say the poem was about?then in number two any alternative titles as in number two in the book .
Idiom: on the dot (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Best thing that could have happened,’ said club captain Bill Logan , an eye specialist at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast . ‘ It 's like a long drink to a thirsty man’ . And the course , beautifully manicured in preparation for one of golf 's oldest championships , looked like a landscape painter 's dream as play began at 7.30 on the dot yesterday morning . In front of the clubhouse , the flags of the 20 or so nations represented among the 260 competitors hung limply in the flat calm as the early starters fidgeted nervously awaiting their call to the first tee . But they would not be still for long .
Idiom: tit for tat (used idiomatically: yes)
2 The attacker strikes from close range , but not with full power . The attack is blocked and instantly countered ; the counter is then blocked by the first attacker , who in turn counters , and so on . This tit for tat procedure helps to develop awareness of angles of attack . 3 After a few minutes , the mind can not cope with the speed , and one partner usually finishes up tangled in a knot . As an alternative to the fan strike ( right ) , the defender can retaliate by substituting a palm heel strike .
Idiom: run riot (used idiomatically: yes)
Should of For Christmas Eve I 'm gon na get the old fucking out run riot , do n't try any , fucking run mate . She 'd be up with it as well , cos if I sleep I ai n't never going to get it .. Well think of that , if you cut her , whoops .
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
New arrivals were expected to blend smoothly into the fabric of Canadian life . If they were determined to hang on to their culture then they were to do so quietly , without bothering others . The heritage language issue was a signal that Canada 's non - Anglo immigrant communities were coming of age . Jim Cummins of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education has closely followed this public controversy . ‘ It 's one thing to hear Italian or Portuguese spoken in the street,’ says Cummins , ‘ but when you give those languages status within the school system and pay for promoting them , that rankles.’
Idiom: plain sailing (used idiomatically: yes)
Surely , I thought , if we can do this with pensions can we not do the same with social security ? If the absurdity of the present position of the Death Grant were exposed to the public gaze , would not reform become easier ? I recognized that all would not be plain sailing . Changing supplementary and housing benefit would be more contentious than reforming occupational pensions . Nevertheless , I felt that an open inquiry should be the aim .
Idiom: hold your horses (used idiomatically: yes)
No I had n't . Alright , hold your horses then Mr Curtis . to two points You can pick that
Idiom: keep tabs on (used idiomatically: yes)
A group of American venture capitalists laid down the law to European hopefuls at the Etre conference in Vienna a couple of weeks ago . There 's no way they 'll get US venture capital backing unless they move to the US . Venture capitalists like to keep close tabs on their investments , going down to the offices of the fledging chief executive officers once a week , putting their feet up on the desk and playing father confessor . There 's no way they can do that if the person is in Europe . The failure of any European venture capital base to materialise , the flight of European money into US venture funds and European tax codes continue to cripple European entrepreneurs , they say .
Idiom: no strings attached (used idiomatically: yes)
The enthusiasm for partnership by individual secondary schools can be of great advantage to primary schools and their pupils . With just a little encouragement secondary schools will share their swimming pool , their mini - bus , laboratories and workshops and allow the primary school to tap into specialist knowledge and expertise . The ethics of a primary school developing an exclusive relationship with just one secondary school are dubious but most of these schools are happy to share facilities on a ‘ no strings attached’ basis . Of no value at all are offers of ‘ fun days’ and ‘ fun activities’to take place during the school day . The sole purpose of the events seems to be to boost recruitment and improve the public relations image of the secondary school .
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
They attempt to direct the ball ' close to the batsman ' so that he is denied the room to swing the bat freely and hit the ball hard . A bowler who strays wide of the off or leg stumps gives the batsman ' width ' and enables him to glance , cut , and deflect , opening up scoring opportunities in a 360 degree circle around the bat . By pitching the ball up and bowling in the channel he makes his opponent hit back along the line of the approaching delivery and play the ball into the ' V ' — the arc of the field which lies between extra cover on the off side and a straightish mid - wicket on the leg side . If the batsman seeks to score behind the wicket off a full length ball which is in the channel , he must hit ' across the line of the delivery , ' minimise his chances of making contact and increase the risk of his being bowled or dismissed lbw . The beauty about making the batsman hit into the V is that the bowler can pack his fielders in that area of the field and make it extremely difficult for the batsman to score more than a single .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
We was n't breaking the law so they had to put up their batons and go away without beating anybody … And so we go . But the more we go on with this type of service , this soft praying and quiet singing , and not ringing the bell or catching the Spirit , the more we realize that we ai n't solving the problem . All we was doing was taking away the ceremonies natural to our worship . All we was doing was watering down the beauty and appeal of our church .
Idiom: tie the knot (used idiomatically: yes)
JULIEANNE McConville ( 20 ) , has been modelling most of her life . She won a beauty competition in her local newspaper in 1981 after being nominated by a neighbour . Her prize was a trip to London to see Charles and Diana tying the knot . A business student at Jordanstown , Julieanne said she loved every minute of the work but that she was glad she was also continuing with her education . NICOLA Delacour ( 18 ) , from Newtownards used to work in a building society but has now been modelling for nearly a year .
Idiom: get a life (used idiomatically: yes)
' It 's hard to imagine a Zikr being a bit of a joker , is n't it ? Still , they ca n't always be chanting and dancing . They 've got lives of their own too . ' ' It 's not that . ' ' No ?
Idiom: on the mend (used idiomatically: yes)
Touch wood Yes . we are on the mend . It 's er well it 's a relief to feel well just erm .