Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in a nutshell (used idiomatically: yes)
The policy implication of this view is a programme to help those farmers who can help themselves to grow cash crops . A quotation ( provided by Randall Baker , private communication ) from a recent Australian funded cattle ranching scheme in Fiji illustrates both the unquestioned assumption that development must imply modern commercial development and the disparaging attitude towards existing social and economic organisation : The Fijian traditional communal system of livelihood has a tendency to restrict initiative for commercial expansion and development so that there is a need to modify commercial values to meet with the demands of modern commercialism , This , in a nutshell , is what the Yalavou project sets out 10 do . ( Fiji Government 1982 : 71 ) A case study of Kenya ( Baker 1981 ) admirably illustrates many of these points , and Fig . 4 . 1 from Baker is reproduced summarising many of the points made above .
Idiom: throw caution to the wind (used idiomatically: yes)
Four hours after the fair had officially closed , there were still six women waiting to have their palms read . Kurt Koch tells the story of a thirteen - year - old girl who was told by a palmist that she would die in her thirtieth year . The girl threw caution to the wind and tried to make the most of every minute via sex , drink , numerous abortions , and late - night revels . She died of ulcerated colitis at twenty - four . More happily , a colleague told me of a seventeen - year - old girl in his last parish who was cruelly told that she would be dead in a year .
Idiom: on the bounce (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh , what do I want here ? Oh I do n't know whether I wanted that Bloody hell ! One , two , three on the bounce three , six , eight , jack what 's that supposed to be ? And a pair of tens jack , queen , king Feel alright ? Bloody man , I do n't want to see that it 's got three on it .
Idiom: catch fire (used idiomatically: yes)
You can buy it yes Why ? Because if they suddenly catch fire guess what would happen ? We shall lose him All the house will be burnt down
Idiom: go the whole hog (used idiomatically: yes)
I said , they 'll notice the pickets , ' says Bob Busby , raising his voice against the surrounding hubbub . ' Hmm , mounting pickets , are we ? Going the whole hog . ' Philip Swallow shakes his head , looking rather miserable . Then , with a slightly furtive glance at Robyn , ' Have you got a moment ? '
Idiom: reach for the stars (used idiomatically: yes)
' Oh . ' Britta had been expecting something more exciting . Neural linkage , brain to brain and brain to computer , was old science , had been pushed to the limit in the years before mankind had reached out for the stars . ' I can see that it would help to run the Corporation more efficiently , ' she said , ' although I 'm sure there are artificial intelligences that would be as powerful . But some of the things I 've seen are — well , that does n't explain them . '
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
Quinn took the photo to the table , put it under the spotlamp and found a powerful magnifying glass in the drawer . Under its gaze , the design on the hand of one of the men showed up more clearly , despite the sepia tint of the old photo . A spider 's web motif , on the back of the left hand , the spider crouching at the centre of the web . He went on through the files but found nothing else of interest . Nothing that rang a bell .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Will you hold my hand , Franca , like you used to do?’ Franca gave him her hand . She thought , men are always holding my hand these days . What does it mean ? Everyone is sorry for me .
Idiom: off the cuff (used idiomatically: yes)
And many at Twickenham today would put up a strong argument for Barnes and Jones , a triumphant Lion in Australia in 1989 , forming the play - making partnership against the All Blacks . ‘ Rob Andrew is the player in possession right now , but we are different in our style and approach . For one thing , I like to play off the cuff now and again , and pull out a few surprises.’ That 's just the type of magic necessary today to unhinge the most defiant defence in the world — and Barbarians and England captain Will Carling backs Barnes to call the winning shots . ‘ Stuart will decide the plays,’ said Carling .
Idiom: larger than life (used idiomatically: yes)
But memories were stirred this season as the Robins pulled off a brilliant first round win over Chester to put themselves 90 minutes away from another era of fame and fortune . Tradition And their larger than life goalkeeper Joe Paladino , born in St Helens of Scilian parents , admitted : ‘ Altrincham 's Cup tradition is always at the back of our minds . We ca n't help it because the fans keep telling us . ’ The keeper is super confident that another scalp will fall .
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Sandra was at her side , looking smug ; her name topped several of the lists . If that woman utters one word about God or evolution , thought Edward , I shall do something irrevocable . But Mrs Willmot had more important things on her mind , it seemed : she wished to enlist Edward 's support for the Parent - Teacher Association fund - raising concert in the autumn . ‘ Do you sing , Mr Glover ? We 're in desperate need of a few more tenors for the choir.’
Idiom: act of God (used idiomatically: yes)
The first speaks of the empty tomb or rising again after burial , of appearing to apostles , women disciples , and other witnesses . The second stream speaks of the Lord now delivered from the limitations and particularity of human life to be present to his people at all times and places . As an act of God , Easter is not accessible to the methods of historical investigation . The historian knows that something important occurred to transform the disciples from a huddle of frightened men into bold missionaries risking their lives for their faith . But resurrection is not resuscitation ( even in those texts where the this - worldly nature of the event is most stressed ) , but a mysterious ‘ going to God’ .
Idiom: every last (used idiomatically: yes)
On it lay a cellophaned wallet of Guyland press handouts — this was where I 'd scribbled his number . Running my eye down the page I saw that Lorne had , in his time , on stage or screen , interpreted the roles of Genghis Khan , Al Capone , Marco Polo , Huckleberry Finn , Charlemagne , Paul Revere , Erasmus , Wyatt Earp , Voltaire , Ski Masterson , Einstein , Jack Kennedy , Rembrandt , Babe Ruth , Oliver Cromwell , Amerigo Vespucci , Zorro , Darwin , Sitting Bull , Freud , Napoleon , Spiderman , Macbeth , Melville , Machiavelli , Michelangelo , Methuselah , Mozart , Merlin , Marx , Mars , Moses and Jesus Christ . I did n't have the lowdown on every last one of these guys but presumably they were all bigshots . Perhaps , then , it was n't so surprising that Lorne had one or two funny ideas about himself . Oh , what a long day .
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: yes)
The tree of knowledge The risks here are plain . Information has been around since the garden of Eden . It is not a business easy to dominate ; nor , even if it were , is Microsoft expert in it . So Mr Gates is trying to work out how his rising pile of information can best be combined with the expertise he does have , in software .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
The result was that yesterday they turned on us for information as to the number of men to be dropped , the weight of stores and the mileage and so on , all of which was essential for them to know if they were to fit out the aircraft properly . We all know Stirling 's weakness for laying on his plans by the queerest methods . His ideas of organisation are elementary to say the least . I have an idea , however , that he is apt to think out his own operations , try to lay them on without any authorisation from your HQ and then come and offer it to us on a plate . He probably tells you that it is all arranged at this end , whereas in point of fact nothing has been laid on except by verbal arrangement with him , and then we have a frightful period such as is now going on .
Idiom: feel the pinch (used idiomatically: yes)
The local authority borrowing requirement fell to £ 1.8 billion last year from £ 3.4 billion , suggesting higher poll tax receipts . Institutional investors made their biggest ever switch from short to long - term assets in the final quarter of 1991 , abandoning £ 3.8 billion of cash deposits for gilts and equities . City : Shops feel the pinch from theft GOODS stolen from retailers accounted for 1.1 p.c . of turnover last year , down by a quarter compared with 1989 , according to the latest survey by accountants Touche Ross . But when average shrinkage — the retailers ' word for shoplifted goods — is expressed as a percentage of net profit before tax , the position is much worse , reflecting the reduction in profits over the last two years .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
Columbus was not cut out for this sort of work . It is getting him nowhere . He tells himself to leave Isabella , once and for all . But there are problems : his advancing years , the patron shortage . Once he decamps , he will have to forget the western voyage .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
The animals need foddering , so out you have to go , whether or not there 's a storm brewing . Of course , when one was a child many years ago winter could be an advantage , and if the storm was bad enough they had to close the school , which was wonderful . And I recall when I was much younger when women did n't wear trousers at all , the novelty of putting on Uncle 's knee breeches , Jacket and coat , to go out to the fields . Nowadays I consider that winter comes too early in Baldersdale and stays too long . The last really bad one was in 1978 when the electricity was off for four days .
Idiom: first up (used idiomatically: yes)
One day she would do something about it , but at the moment she had so many other things to occupy her attention . SARA had been dreaming and for a moment her dream had more reality than her waking state . She was in a lift and the lift would n't stop at the right floor but kept going first up and then down , past the numbers she wanted . There was a typewriter involved too and as the lift went up and down the typewriter 's bell tinkled metallically . Why was the typewriter on the floor ?
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
Even Auld Partick . Inspired , yes , by a bus run , but the booler is definitely my own husband who is devoted to sport and allows nothing to come in the way of his bowls , both indoor and outdoor bowling . The ' aye dein '' character was the tone of voice from behind me on a bus run which was supposed to be a ' Mystery Tour'but he gave a detailed commentary on the whole journey . ' Efter we get alang here a wee bit , ye come tae a loch , then roon ' the bend is a castle , then we cairry oan up the road a bit till we cam tae anither loch … ' His wife did n't help much as she kept trying to shut him up by offering him sweets every five minutes .
Idiom: on the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
It was more exciting and comfortable to travel in the back of a Ford car than on any part of a bus , even top front . Dot sat with the yapping dogs on either side licking at her hands . The basket of flowers was on the shelf behind them . Not made of coloured crêpe paper , faded , dusty and crinkled on bent wire stems like Mrs Parvis had in her parlour . But alive and dark and greenish , fragile and fragrant , dew on the petals and the crushed stems dripping with sap .
Idiom: know the score (used idiomatically: yes)
He said it was three hours too long and was full of boring statistics and graphics . ‘ The fans do n't want all that,’ he said . ‘ They want to know the score and who scored.’ Spurs dash for Fash NEIL SILVER
Idiom: lame duck (used idiomatically: yes)
Chevenement was actually given responsibility for industry as well as research just under a year ago . This removed one source of opposition to his plans ( an independent industry ministry ) but put more pressure on him to achieve results today rather than tomorrow . And , to mix a metaphor , France 's lame ducks may have become an albatross around his neck . Chevenement 's influence has yet to be seen in the banks , now mostly state owned . His plan was to push the banks into investing more risk capital — a pressure which the banks so far have been able to resist .
Idiom: speak volumes (used idiomatically: yes)
Kinnaird , who is chairing the seminar , says he is regularly asked to find a woman for a senior management job ‘ all other things being equal’ . The trouble is that things are not equal , and he can hardly remember placing a woman in such a job . A headhunter for ten years , Kinnaird has just been commissioned by his first female client , which speaks volumes . It is hardly surprising that he can not find the people he is looking for when even the largest organisations have so few senior women . The Royal Bank of Scotland has a record in this field to be proud of , being a founder member of Opportunity 2000 and also one of just 150 companies entitled to call themselves Investors in People .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
You have n't missed anything though . Cooper gets the first header away . It 's a very very windy day here by the way and cold as well and I think that 's gon na have some affect on the game . Difficult to see which way the wind is blowing at the moment it 's quite swirling . Anyway he 'll judge that one well but it 's er falls neatly for Gemmell and a good lay off here to Kingsley Black early chance for Nottingham Forest and really Kingsley Black will be as they say rather disappointed he did n't do better there Ron Atkinson .
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
They 're a randy lot , really — they only murder unfaithful wives if they actually catch them at it.’ She looked at me , slightly surprised , as if she had not expected me to be interested . ‘ Mostly , so far as I can tell , they turn a blind eye . In some Berber tribes , pregnancies are believed to last any period — a good deal longer than nine months , certainly . I suppose this was originally to give a sterile wife a period of grace — she could tell her husband she was pregnant but owing to the machinations of some female rival , the child was ‘ asleep’.’
Idiom: pull the plug (used idiomatically: yes)
Last night Alastair Morton , the British co - chairman of Eurotunnel , said the banks could be driven to this ‘ by sheer exasperation through lack of progress in the talks’ . However , Mr Morton added : ‘ Technically it is serious . The banks can pull the plug . Practically , the banks are not wishing to pull the plug . They are not wishing to stop the project.’
Idiom: off the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
We can accumulate the figures and we can all do our sums . I do not believe that my statement means that the Germans will not necessarily take the system into the aircraft that they order . However , they could end up by having to buy the system off the shelf , in which case it would be more expensive for them . The only alternative would be to put in an inferior system , which means that the German aircraft would be less capable than those in the other three air forces . I recognise that periodic doubts are expressed about the overall German commitment to the project .
Idiom: born and bred (used idiomatically: yes)
An average of 75 % of leavers was now proceeding to University . In February 1958 Mr. Benjamin Varley died . Born and bred in Stockport , he had identified himself with the life of the town and the School . He had been Head of Geography from 1919 until his retirement in 1953 , and later became a Governor , representing the staff of the School . His greatest memorial was the History of the School , but by the terms of his Will he also bequeathed money to endow two prizes , the Hulsean Divinity Prize and the Benjamin Varley Geography prize .
Idiom: one and the same (used idiomatically: yes)
From this perspective democratic politics , and the two - party system in particular , was the problem and the cause of our economic ills . Nowadays , most political scientists no longer praise the responsibility of our party system but instead talk of , and condemn , our system of " adversary politics " , where an " electoral auction " is said to lead to an irresponsible " elective dictatorship " , which then manages the economy in such a way as to create an injurious " political - business cycle " that hinders our long - term economic growth . So , at one and the same time , we have been provided with a new characterisation of the British party system that challenges the cogency of the responsible party government model , and we have also been provided with an explanation for economic policy - making and for the decline of Britain 's economy . What , then , is the precise nature of the adversary politics thesis ? How adequately does it make sense of party politics ?
Idiom: look the part (used idiomatically: no)
He has two kinds of Test performance — five for very few , and none for a lot , and this was looking like the latter . But Fraser , steady as ever after missing five Tests through injury , found enough lift to have Sidhu sharply caught off bat and pad by John Morris . Morris 's contribution to this match is unlikely to find much space in Wisden , but he already looks the part . When Chris Lewis replaced Malcolm , ball dominated bat for the first time in the match , with nothing to show for it . Lewis bowled a yard quicker than on his debut at Edgbaston , hit an impeccable length , and moved the ball away .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
erm try and get on Yeah . You 're on a roll . Erm having said that though I think that erm perhaps the next few great achievements were perhaps more revolutionary , really , erm because they were s now , he 's now talking about overthrowing erm the feudal rule of local tyrants erm overthrowing the armed forces of the landlords , overthrowing the political power of the county magistrate and ov this one 's possibly the most important anti - revolution restorationist one I think probably , the overthrowing of clan authority of the ancestral temples and the clan elders . Erm I suppose we could talk about that highlights that a man in China is subjected to domination of three systems of authority , er the state system er which is political authority , the clan system , the clan authority erm ranging from the ancestral temple down to the head of household , and a supernatural system which is erm religious authority .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You are not completely daft after all.’ Sykes smiled wickedly . From behind his back he produced a beautiful salmon , sea - liced and weighing about 8 lb . ‘ That 's the trouble with you fair - weather Edinburgh anglers . No staying power .
Idiom: take someone for a ride (used idiomatically: yes)
He knew time was short . And here he was , stuck with a minor policeman who did n't even have the authority to use the exclusive fast - moving middle lane of the road that was available to important officials . He began to realize the possibility that he was being taken for a ride , that he was the stooge in a deadly game in which he was not being allowed to play a part . The traffic moved slowly forward , down the Gorkova and into Red Square from the north . ' There — the Kremlin , ' said Myeloski proudly .
Idiom: in hot water (used idiomatically: yes)
Lavender , in common with most essential oils , is kind to sore , grazed or infected skin . Within days , the skin had healed . Howard has now become scrupulous about washing his socks in fairly hot soapy water ( they can not be washed in extremely hot water because he favours woollen socks , though cotton would be preferable ) and regularly airing his boots . He also puts a couple of drops of lavender essence on the toe - end of his socks as a preventative measure . A year later , during the unusually hot summer of 1990 , he developed a minor break - out which lavender cleared up within a day or two .
Idiom: stroke of luck (used idiomatically: yes)
Finally , grab yourself a makeshift whip : lash out at the face with the leather belt from your waist so that it cracks like the real thing . Or use a flexible tree branch or heavy jacket as a flail to beat the person back . If , by a stroke of luck , the knife is dropped , do n't make yourself vulnerable by bending down to pick it up ; jump in and kick it out of reach . Broken bottles are just as dangerous as knives and should be treated with equal respect . Sticks and chains , although sometimes lethal , are slightly easier to deal with , because unlike the knife and bottle , which are lethal at any distance , they are less adaptable .
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
you know sort of say , well go and get what you need to er , to make it happen Mm . well at least of all for the time being No , he do n't seem to care about it 's all material things for them int it you think about
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
For someone who has never had a panic attack it may be difficult to fully empathize with the client , but it may help if you were to consider the following scenario . Imagine that you are shopping at your local supermarket . You are happily filling your basket with the week 's groceries when you turn the corner into the next aisle and suddenly you see a roaring lion , its teeth glistening , open - mouthed and heading straight for you . Of course you 'd be panic stricken , your heart would be beating wildly , you would be sweating , shaking , feeling faint , and without a further thought you 'd be off like a shot . Now try to imagine turning into that aisle , all those bodily reactions start to go off , and yet there is nothing there — no lion , nothing for you to be terrified about and yet your heart is beating faster , you 're sweating , feeling faint , breathing rapidly , and so on .
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: no)
In specific cases exact solutions of the stress distribution resulting from a given distribution of surface traction can be found . If these are available then the problem of finding a suitable specimen shape and size does not arise . In general , however , such solutions are intractable except to mathematicians and the rule of thumb has arisen that is a specimen is about 10 diameters in length the stress at its centre under any form of end loading can be considered as uniform . There are also standard shapes for tensile test specimens , laid down by the standards bodies ( BSI , ASTM , DIN ) in various countries , which have been developed as a result of stress analysis . These apply to isotropic materials which are homogeneous and of regular shape .
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
But the impression that he had been caught off guard was so fleeting that Polly was sure she must have imagined it . The Customs officer closed the door softly , almost reverently , leaving her and the newcomer alone . She had recognised him instantly , though she had seen him in the flesh only once before and that had been across a crowded ballroom . As usual he had been accompanied by a beautiful woman . Her arm linked through his , publicly staking her claim , the woman had gazed adoringly up at him , and with ill - concealed triumph at everyone else .
Idiom: kicking and screaming (used idiomatically: yes)
HOLLYWOOD beauty Michelle Pfeiffer is taking her first holiday in TEN years . The sexy Batman Returns star says that up until now she has been too busy chasing her career to take any time off . Blonde Michelle says : ‘ My boyfriend Fisher Stevens will have to drag me kicking and screaming out of the house , but once I get on holiday I 'm sure I 'll enjoy it . ‘ For years I did n't know what to do with myself when I was n't acting . I 've always dreaded vacations .