Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
Let her be unsure and worried . Her own mother had been unsure and worried and so had she . Besides , it seemed to be terribly important to get the better of one arrogant Frenchman . She did n't like the way he had moved in on her so quickly . He had to be kept well away from her and then defeated .
Idiom: make the cut (used idiomatically: yes)
But the company has put a stop to the parties to save around £ 80,000 . Spokeswoman Fiona Bell said all costs were under ' close scrutiny . ' Norman Swash , a Middlesbrough councillor and former process worker at Wilton , said : ' Why have they targeted the pensioners when they make their cuts ? ' The pensioners are the people who have made the company what it is . This is insensitive penny - pinching . '
Idiom: do a bunk (used idiomatically: yes)
The person preparing to slam the door is Walter ( charming Gregory Floy ) , a landscape gardener who gave up his job to look after his GP wife Vivien ( Morag Hood ) and their ( inevitably ) stripped - floor , stripped - pine flat . Fed up now with being a domestic skivvy , he is seen typing out the goodbye letter before leaving for Marrakech , where he plans to write a novel based on their sex life . For the rest of this unbudgeably static play , the couple lounge around discussing the pros and cons of doing a bunk . Equipped by Morag Hood with an accent that sounds strangely reminiscent of Edward Fox as the Duke of Windsor , Vivien stops Walter in his tracks by announcing that she is pregnant . He suspects this is a ruse .
Idiom: head south (used idiomatically: yes)
The only other sound to be heard was the chirping of birds . Dunning and its January tempests seemed a world away . The smallest road I could find on my not - very - good road map headed south - east from Idar towards Kaiserslautern , through the hill country of the Bergland . Near Wolfstein the roads run along a valley floor , the hills on either side rising to above 1,000 feet . It is a rich dairy - farming district of lush pastures and scattered woodland .
Idiom: up the river (used idiomatically: no)
That , gentle people , was hardly a day at the beach . But pebble - picking was preferable to other jobs . There was one man near Tynemouth who was known as ' Dead Bodies ' , so named because he earned seven and sixpence for collecting ( by hook ) the corpses of suicides who 'd jumped from the Tyne Bridge , ten miles up - river . It was n't much but it was a living . But even the morbid gave way to humour .
Idiom: turn someone's head (used idiomatically: yes)
One morning not long ago he saw a fox walking past this same window . Vic tapped on the pane . The fox stopped and turned his head to look at Vic for a moment , as if to say , Yes?and then proceeded calmly on his way , his brush swaying in the air behind him . It is Vic 's impression that English wildlife is getting streetwise , moving from the country into the city where the living is easier — where there are no traps , pesticides , hunters and sportsmen , but plenty of well - stocked garbage bins , and housewives like Marjorie , softhearted or softheaded enough to throw their scraps into the garden , creating animal soup - kitchens . Nature is joining the human race and going on the dole .
Idiom: on the ropes (used idiomatically: yes)
and we were n't gon na provide them with the level of service that They got the They got the feeling that we were on the ropes and I , I mean if even if we are we should we should be managing that internally . No .
Idiom: speak volumes (used idiomatically: yes)
And not only that , I 'll tell you what I 've longed to tell you for some time , that I think you 're a fool for not having responded to it , for not having done something about it before now . If somebody loves you like that , for God 's sake , make the most of it before it 's too late . Although Dotty had all the words , Dawn Allenby 's face spoke volumes ; until love had struck she had been merely adequate in the role of Olwyn . It was during the tea break that Meredith began to feel agitated again . Babs Osborne was dissatisfied with her digs .
Idiom: see red (used idiomatically: yes)
Well done that city — Labour controlled I believe . Can we please have our walking space back and not be restricted to ‘ pavement space’ imposed on us by the stalls ? Black outlook is making us see red I WRITE with reference to the two letters from concerned residents of Chelwood Avenue , Childwall , who complain about their street lights being too bright , too effective and thus keeping them awake at night . How very lucky they are that , as poll tax payers , they do have lights .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'm lucky , very lucky indeed you know just to come away with bruised ribs . Last winter 's storm damage pay outs have battered profits for the big insurance companies , and that threatens to push up house cover premiums . Half - year profits for Sun Alliance show the firm £ 119 million in the red compared with £ 191 million in profit at the same time last year . And Eagle Star has been badly hit for the same reason ; their profits are down 170,000,000 to just 9,000,000 . Gay men and women are staging a so - called kiss in this evening beneath the statue of Eros the God of Love at Picadilly Circus ; they see it as a challenge to public decency laws .
Idiom: call it a day (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I was not prepared to use my own savings to pay for that,’ John said . ‘ It would have been a different story if the brewery had done the earlier repairs.’ John and Maureen decided to call it a day . John admits they are in a better position than most tenants , for they have their own house to move in to and are not dependent on the pub 's accommodation . He fears for the future of the pub if leases become widespread .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah . Mm , must be very sensitive . Upstairs , on the bed , vaseline on your nose . Now . Move it .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: no)
She 's got lovely colour hair and by the time she 's bloody twenty one her hair will be a mess . Much too young to muck about with her hair My mother said she 's going to go on game anyway . That 's what I felt when he 's gone and the girls is got no money She says she 's gon na get a brown paper bag for her and she said
Idiom: black and blue (used idiomatically: yes)
He laughed , a bitter sound that made her ache for all the pain it conveyed . ‘ I do n't think it 's possible to like a sadist , do you ? He beat my mother black and blue , and then when she was too worn out to fight back he turned his attention to me … until I grew big enough to beat him back!’ ‘ Oh , that 's awful!’ Unconsciously she reached out and laid her hand on his arm , wanting in some way to offer comfort for a pain that was still hurting despite the passage of time .
Idiom: hold the ring (used idiomatically: yes)
By the time Stockport had been settled Lloyd George was moving to prevent such situations from recurring . He proposed the fusion of the two coalition parties into a new party , which would be launched on an inspiring programme of strong government and social betterment . The serious economic situation and the delicate state of Labour relations demanded a stronger government to hold the ring . for the attempt at fusion took place just a month before the post - war boom began to collapse . a development that punctured the inflationary crisis and took"the heat out of the Labour militancy .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
Perhaps it is a reflection on the economic failure of communism that its greatest status symbol should have been the most precious household item of the unemployed in the West . The fact that the Ceauşescus had countless colour televisions added to the perverse aspect of their superabundance since ordinary Romanians had to put up with only a couple of hours of black - and - white television each day — and that largely devoted to the doings of the residents of the Palaţul Primaverii . But , apart from that , the Ceauşescus , collection of television sets , indeed their domestic arrangements as a whole , were not so far out of line with what any politburo member in the Bloc would have regarded as normal . Take Boris Yeltsin 's description of the official dacha he was treated to on joining the Soviet politburo in 1985 : I was met at the door by the commander of the bodyguard , who introduced me to the domestic staff — the cooks , the maids , the rest of the bodyguard and the gardener .
Idiom: no smoke without fire (used idiomatically: yes)
If the Primera does as well as the old Bluebird — 325,000 sold here helping to top 1.8 m Nissans sold here in 22 years — they wo n't complain . It 's got the pedigree to do it , if they sort out the marketing . NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE BMW is the first manufacturer to offer a no - smoking option in its new 3-Series . At no extra cost you can have a storage box and vehicle socket in place of the ashtray and lighter .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
The programme was designed to test the usefulness of the method in surface and mine environments and in drill cores . First results suggest that ammonium is a more efficient indicator of proximity to epithermal island - arc mineralisation than other commonly used lithogeochemical indicators . The use of regional geochemical maps for environmental studies in developing countries was investigated using data from ODA sponsored mineral exploration surveys in Bolivia , Kenya , Solomon Islands , North Sumatra and Zimbabwe . Regional geochemical maps provide information on background levels of metals against which environmental degradation can be monitored . The application of regional geochemical maps for land use planning was demonstrated as they indicate areas characterised by major and trace element excesses and deficiencies that may be of importance to the health of crops , animals and directly to humans . Overbank sampling was investigated as a technique for pollution monitoring .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Together , they constitute an important intellectual movement , which also happens to be a large part of the reason that American conservatism today has little that is constructive to say about managing the economy – and little purchase on the center of the American electorate . But let ’s back up historically , to the founding of what we might call modern conservatism in early nineteenth - century Britain and France . There were some – Frédéric Bastiat and Jean - Baptiste Say come to mind – who believed that government should put the unemployed to work building infrastructure when markets or production were temporarily disrupted . But they were balanced by those like Nassau ~ Senior , who spoke out against even famine relief : Although a million people would die in the Irish Potato ~ Famine , “ that would scarcely be enough . ” The main thrust of early conservatism was root - and - branch opposition to every form of social ~ insurance : make the poor richer , and they would become more fertile .
Idiom: down the tubes (used idiomatically: yes)
A further potentially widespread application is in diagnostic fibreoptic bronchoscopy in awake patients . The hypopharynx is well adapted to the presence of a foreign body , and insertion of the laryngeal mask can easily be achieved in awake patients under topical anaesthesia and sedation . When a fibreoptic bronchoscope is passed down the tube of the laryngeal mask a dynamic view of the vocal cords is possible in most patients . Bronchoscopy can be readily performed and has the added advantage of allowing the patient 's respiratory function to be monitored and 100 % oxygen to be administered if required . We believe that formal training in the use of the laryngeal mask would be beneficial to any physician dealing with such cases .
Idiom: take the fall (used idiomatically: no)
Favourite Chatam has been shortened to 7–2 from 4–1 and Jodami from 4–1 to 9–2 . Grand National winner Party Politics was cut two points to 12–1 by Ladbrokes . Jodami 's pilot Mark Dwyer bruised some ribs when taking a heavy fall at Nottingham , but expects to be fit to ride . Cool Ground worked well yesterday morning , but no decision will be made on his participation until today . Rain fell during the night at Newbury but gusting winds mean the going remains soft , with good to soft patches in the home straight .
Idiom: no holds barred (used idiomatically: no)
Look at the movies — think of Jean - Claude 's movies ! They 're just unimaginably different from anything that 's happened before and they 're changing everything . There are n't any barriers , no holds barred , nothing we ca n't do now ! ‘ You only have to want it and want it enough.’ Then she added , giving Miranda 's arm a squeeze , ‘ Just do it , darling , like the man says .
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: yes)
Through the glass in front , he watched the greying head of Marty with the topped end of a cigarette behind his left ear . Keelan was a soothing presence beside him . Their bodies touched gently and came apart as they rounded a bend . Their steadying hands met along the seat . She let her fingers linger on his and smiled .
Idiom: for crying out loud (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You 're getting too much like a playboy,’ said Mallachy . ‘ Just like your da used to call you . Forget it , Rory , for crying out loud forget it . She 's trouble , she 's of the other sort . Call it off.’
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
Beneath the black - printed legend he had become accustomed to , there was a further , even curter message , in official red ink . In black — THIS APPLICATION HAS BEEN REFUSED . In red , the colour of warning and danger — MATTER TERMINATED . Vologsky seized the form , crumpling it into a ball in his palm . In a gesture of helpless fury , he hurled it across the room .
Idiom: over your head (used idiomatically: yes)
Also , at the end of the turn when the boom is grasped , unless you are low you will be pulled straight over as the power comes on . Throwing the Rig Back When in the position shown in Fig 75 , the rig must be thrown vigorously back over your head . A good guide is to try to brush your ear with your shoulder as it throws the rig . Grasping the Boom on the New Tack
Idiom: take a leaf out of someone's book (used idiomatically: yes)
' Meat Is Murder ' opened a nationwide debate and used the power of record promotion to push an idealism still , amazingly , regarded as militant in this country . It was a brave move . The Smiths , who had always taken a leaf out of Factory 's books by designing their visual imagery behind heavy subtlety , now showed a deliberately provocative front . The music press treated ' Meat Is Murder ' with approving caution . Nobody risked showering the album with reams of ecstatic praise : ' CLose , but no cigar ' became the order of the day .
Idiom: food for thought (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Obviously , I do n't want to say any more until we have the final verdict.’ Mansell was penalised for failing to stop during the Portuguese Grand Prix and he threatened to quit if FISA , the sport 's governing body , did not remove the ban . Now that the Spanish race has been and gone , it is a matter of clearing Mansell 's name and it would seem that the evidence offered gave the court food for thought . The Englishman arrived at the FIA headquarters in Place de la Concorde yesterday morning accompanied by his manager , Mike Francis , the Ferrari team manager , Cesare Fiorio , the team 's lawyer , Henry Peter , and a representative of the Italian Automobile Federation , Fabrizio Serena . Ferrari also brought along Giacomo Modugno , an Italian Olympic Committee medical commission member who , as an eye specialist , was prepared to give evidence about Mansell 's difficulty in seeing the flag signal ordering him to stop .
Idiom: go to the wall (used idiomatically: yes)
Wesley Smith We leave you with some the lighter moments from our past and the names and faces who put us on air every night . New figures have shown that a third more businesses went to the wall during nineteen ninety - two , with this region the hardest hit . It 's meant the misery of bankruptcy and unemployment for thousands of people . Kim Barnes has been taking a look at what went wrong , and at the hopes for the New Year .
Idiom: take a bow (used idiomatically: yes)
ELLY SALLINGBOE / Airshow Organiser Voice over The Vulcan Bomber ; preparing to take a final bow at this weekend 's Great Warbirds Air Display near Swindon . The veteran bomber 's just 4 flights away from passing into the history books ; a sad prospect for the pilots who 've flown them . The Government 's invited bids to save the Vulcan , but no one 's come up with the money needed to give it the necessary overhaul .
Idiom: stop at nothing (used idiomatically: yes)
That was the obsession that made me write this.’ That and money , of course . Years spent ‘ buying groceries on my credit - card advance’ instilled a determination to write a blockbuster rather than attempt anything as daunting as literature , and to stop at nothing in selling it . Goldsmith describes her true self as ‘ a plain brown wren’ . And while glamour should not , she suggests , be a requisite for a first wife , a caricature of glamour is an asset for a first novelist .
Idiom: hold water (used idiomatically: yes)
Natural moisturising factors are compounds in the middle layers of your skin that attract water from the atmosphere , giving your skin a youthful ‘ dewy’ appearance . Your natural production of NMFs tails off with age , leaving skin drier . Two substances which mimic NMFs , attracting and holding water in the skin , are urea and lactic acid . Plant extracts Modern research backs claims that plant extracts , such as lotus , used for greasy skin , are better tolerated than synthetic substitutes .
Idiom: behind closed doors (used idiomatically: yes)
This sensitive , intelligent and finely - made man sometimes allowed her to sit in his room while he practised the piano , on the understanding that he was not to be disturbed . Only gradually did she perceive the extent of his coldness . He and Minton had begun to lead almost entirely separate lives : Vaughan , anxious for a steady relationship , ate with his current boyfriend separately from Minton and led a quiet life behind closed doors . Minton , meanwhile , became more and more extrovert and seemed determined to break all the rules . Susan Einzig thought he dressed badly until one day she recognised in his ugly sweaters and ill - matched clothes a marvellous insouciance .
Idiom: save the day (used idiomatically: yes)
Goran Ivanisevic , Michael Chang , Petr Korda , Boris Becker and Richard Krajicek make up the eight . The two missing from the top eight are Wimbledon champion Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl , both injured . Paul saves the day in Cup thriller By Barry Lucas Stoke City 0 , Port Vale 0 .
Idiom: full tilt (used idiomatically: yes)
This time I finished third and this earned me my first indoor international , with a place in the 4 × 200 metres relay team , against West Germany . It was not , in all honesty , an auspicious debut . We ran the race as if we were competing in a 100 metres , charging full tilt at the bends . Mike Powell was handing over to me and in the general melee of the race he had run out of his box and I had run out of my lane , so we were disqualified twice ! I was mortified , because we did n't appear at the presentation ceremony and I did n't receive a medal as a memento of the occasion .
Idiom: place in the sun (used idiomatically: no)
Millns , who has signed a new five - year contract at Grace Road , was under scrutiny by England manager Micky Stewart during a victory over Essex before a foot injury struck him down , but he can not have done his claims much harm with 5 for 67 to make him — at that time — the country 's leading wicket - taker . Now he 's hoping for a winter tour , so he can emulate the achievement of his brother - in - law Andy Pick . Derbyshire 's 22-year - old batsman Chris Adams , who now holds the record for the fastest century in the county 's history , is another with hopes of a place in the Australian sun this winter . The former Repton schoolboy took only 57 minutes to reach three figures in Derbyshire 's Britannic Assurance Championship match at Worcester , three minutes quicker than Stan Worthington 's previous - best , against Notts in 1933 . With an unbeaten 75 off 38 balls in a Sunday League win over Warwicks at Leek in the same week , Adams revealed himself as one of the game 's most destructive young batsmen , and he hopes these innings will earn him consideration for the England ' A ' tour .
Idiom: first up (used idiomatically: yes)
One doctor did not come , and one did , plus two medical students and I asked some of my friends too so it was quite a mix of age and stage but went very well . I had had ten for a meal about two weeks ago , so that is my entertaining DONE for a while ! ! ! I find it quite hard going being the first up every morning and then the last to bed after walk and doing the washing up machine and so on . The German girl was excellent about helping here and there — and even swept the tenement stair , paid by us all , whereas the spoilt brat spendthrift Italian did not even lift her cup from table to sinkside … In fact I have said to her to stay tonight if she wants , as they are in sheet sleeping bags which reduces the washing !
Idiom: early bird (used idiomatically: yes)
Thanks to generous support from the Mayfield Valley Arts Trust , we are able to offer students and young people tickets as indicated for just £ 3.00 . Saver Deals : We are pleased to be able to offer an early bird festival saver for those wishing to attend all events within this year 's YEMF ( except Event 16 ) . These are offered on a ‘ first come , first served’ basis and the offer can necessarily only last as long as there are available tickets for all events . Join the Friends of YEMF in advance of the 1992 Festival and enjoy a special package of privileges including an invitation to the Friends Reception , priority booking , ticket discounts and more … !
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
So keep your eyes peeled ! Age old row Further to the letter from T. Jenkins in the February issue , I would like to point out that the AAA has had minimum ages for road races for at least 30 years . In the last few years , the AAA has made strenuous efforts to see that the age for distance rules are observed , not only for official races but also for fun runs , which are not subject to their control . In addition , the police to their control .
Idiom: steal the show (used idiomatically: yes)
Some pots can look rather sparse at first but with good compost , regular feeding and attention to watering , they soon fill out into good - sized plants . June Lilium regale , the best lily for pots , steals the show in June , although the newly planted white geraniums are already flowering . Herbs and scented - leaved geraniums look a little sparse but their leaves will soon fill out August
Idiom: point the finger (used idiomatically: yes)
His gaze fell upon the alarm board . ' I notice all the bells have stopped ringing , ' he said brightly . Sam rose shakily to his feet and pointed a fat finger at the grinning buffoon . ' They 've stopped ringing because I pulled the bloody wires out of the wall . You useless , no good , drunken — '
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
Conversations I 've had with countless men in Britain have convinced me of it . A great many of them , certainly those who are the prime candidates to read our magazine , are strikingly different as fathers than their fathers ; they 're also different lovers , husbands , bosses and sons . In the past decade , throughout the Thatcher years , millions of men came of age . They are now in their thirties and forties . Most of these men , whatever their politics , grew not only richer in the 1980s , they grew smarter .