Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: within an ace of (used idiomatically: yes)
Both were thwarted by political considerations . In any case , UNRWA 's resettlement plan coincided with the rise of Nasserist Arabism , the desire for strength to defeat the pervasive influence of foreign powers in the Arab body politic , of which the existence of Israel was the most potent manifestation . Arab nationalism came within an ace of overthrowing King Husayn in Jordan , and the latter 's acceptance of UNRWA 's resettlement programme , which also implied agreement with Israel over the Jordan waters , might have tipped the scales against him . UNRWA remained permanently compromised with the refugee population it served as a result of these resettlement efforts . Every time any rumour sprang up concerning some kind of resettlement at any refugee camp , it reawakened old suspicions that UNRWA was an accomplice in the liquidation of the problem .
Idiom: rough and tumble (used idiomatically: no)
The New York - based journalist , who was researching a book about the U.S.P.G.A. Tour , simply stepped under the ropes and trailed the group he was following out onto the peninsula . No - one stopped him , which is surprising given that he 's not the sort who fits into a group of golfers , never mind a crowd . He 's well over six feet tall , sports a rough - and - tumble greying beard and , as a physical specimen , he 's around the same mass as , say , Norway . But out he went and plopped down in the rough surrounding the green until , finally , a marshal suggested that he might be trespassing . Waggoner quietly got to his feet and walked off down the 17th .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
He has stayed to deal with them , but still believes God means him to go at some point . George Daneel came up from Pretoria . In a four hour talk , the Doctor faced afresh his calling from God and took two vital decisions in the light of that . We finished on our knees and he prayed , ' Here I am Lord , listening and ready to obey . ' He told us how Christ had intervened in his life at his first visit to Caux .
Idiom: there's no such thing as a free lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
A BRIDE could have love on a plate — the car number 1 DO is on offer at next month 's DVLA sale in Birmingham . Then she could buy him 4 YOU . THERE 'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH DOWNFALL OF DAVID MELLOR NOW HE KNOWS WHY …
Idiom: hit the headlines (used idiomatically: yes)
Game - for - a - laugh Heather Murray came clean when she contacted Sunday Life last week to solve the mystery . ‘ Although you did n't mention any names last week I knew it had to be me,’ said Heather . Heather hit the headlines last week when we revealed she had dumped several pairs of her husband 's old socks , only to learn later he had hidden £ 500 in the sole of one . But that was not the first time her husband 's penchant for hiding cash had nearly cost her dearly . ‘ I gave away a Moses basket to my sister - in - law without realising he had planked £ 1,000 under the mattress .
Idiom: to boot (used idiomatically: yes)
Viruses attach themselves to EXE files , so if anything untoward happens and a file tries to illegally write itself onto drive C , ViruSTOP will give a warning message . Other utilities allow you to support up to four other users on the same system , each of which has a different key , allowing different levels of access to the system . Also vital is the ability to create a key disk , which you can use to boot from should you lose the real key . The level of security PortKnox gives is high , but you pay a price . Setting up the program can be time - consuming — you have to back up your entire hard disk , repartition it and encrypt it — so you 'd have to have some really important data on your machine to make it worthwhile .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
Although Evert had the day off from the Federation Cup yesterday , her presence was still felt , particularly by the Australian team , who surprisingly defeated Bulgaria 2 - 1 . Prior to the match , Evert had told the Australian captain , Wendy Turnbull , to tell her No . 1 player , Anne Minter , ‘ that if she can beat me as she did in Toronto ( in August ) , then she can beat Manuela Maleeva’ . Evert 's prediction was spot - on as Minter grabbed a thrilling 6 - 3 , 2 - 6 , 6 - 4 victory that saved Australia 's bacon after Liz Smylie had lost the opening singles rubber 6 - 2 , 6 - 1 to Katerina Maleeva . Those two results left the outcome of the quarter - final tie hinging on the doubles , in which Smylie was joined by Janine Thompson against Team Maleeva . Not suprisingly , it was a nerve - racking finale but eventually the more experienced Australians triumphed 5 - 7 , 6 - 4 , 6 - 0 , to carry their country into the semi - finals for the first time in four years .
Idiom: moment of truth (used idiomatically: yes)
But suddenly there was light in my darkness , and God called me to be a missionary . No profession could be greater than that ! Since that moment of truth , I have been perfectly happy , making my preparations for leaving England and going abroad in the service of God . Happy , that is , except for one little human weakness , which I have sworn to overcome.’ His eyes shone as he spoke of his great purpose in life , and I was listening , fascinated , so neither of us heard the light footsteps approaching the cottage along the grassy path .
Idiom: to a turn (used idiomatically: yes)
Having countered their own criticism , however , they go on to argue ( p.120 ) that CA 's " apparent analytical successes are dependent upon the analyst 's stepping beyond the methodological limits allowed by the underlying ethnomethodological principles " . In their analyses of the understanding " displays " of next turns , Cameron and Taylor argue , the conversation analysts fail to follow their own prescriptions , which require them to look to the participants ' analysis displayed in the next turn . But this , Taylor and Cameron argue , " rather than offering the analyst direct access to the participants ' own publically displayed identification of units and rules , only postpones the task to a subsequent turn " ( p. 121 ) . Empirical evidence of the participants ' interpretation of next turns is not available , and conversation analysts instead fall back on circular arguments , claiming that the conversation develops as it does by " orientation " to the same organizational devices which have to be taken for granted in order to get this interpretation of the data ( p. 120 ) . Taylor and Cameron 's critique of CA methodology can be taken as a warning that purely ethnomethodological methods may not be enough to give a satisfying account of code switching .
Idiom: hand in glove (used idiomatically: yes)
Martin who?’ His accent was more pronounced now , grating in a way she had never noticed before . Was he worried that she 'd finally found her proof that he was hand in glove with Harry Martin ? She hoped so ! ‘ Why pretend ?
Idiom: force someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
He 'd obviously spent time here , perhaps as much as he could spare before their marriage . Was it still remotely possible that , in spite of everything , he 'd been looking forward to having her here with him as his wife ? So OK , he 'd probably never have married her if his hand had n't been forced , or at least not so quickly , but did n't some of his behaviour indicate that perhaps he was n't quite so averse to the situation as he pretended ? Or was that wishful thinking ? Oh , dear !
Idiom: in bed with (used idiomatically: yes)
Ross ! Where was the damn man ? Not that she wanted him here in bed with her , of course , she told herself quickly . But if they were supposed to be keeping up the fiction about being happily married — a second honeymoon , indeed!— then it was going to look a bit odd , if not downright peculiar , if he did n't spend his nights here in the cottage . However , as the minutes ticked away , and she grew gradually more sleepy , some of the tension began leaving her body .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: no)
H how would you balance that out back to the date that you 're talking about ? Well W w w we can see , you can visualise from now if we start it now , you 'd say well , everyone now knows that if anything goes wrong , this is what they will have to pay , but how are you going to take it back ? Well actually , no , I I I would disagree with you at the moment . If something goes wrong , they do n't know what they are going to have to pay because if I 'm a pension fund manager now , I do n't know what is likely to happen in the next year which is going call on me for compensation .
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Oh , lord , Charity , please do n't cry.’ But she could n't help it ; the silent tears coursed out of her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks as she stared up at him , the betrayal wrenching at her heart . ‘ Just leave me alone,’ she croaked , smacking his hand down from her chin . Again she tried to turn from him , but again strong hands stopped her . This time they rested on her shoulders , then pulled her with gentle and insistent strength into the wall of his chest .
Idiom: bear in mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Generally , when taxpayers set up non - resident trusts they have in mind with regard to income tax the special anti - avoidance provisions concerned with the transfer of assets abroad , namely TA 1988 , ss739 and 740 . It is critical , however , that practitioners bear in mind the basic principles of income tax namely that if income arises in the United Kingdom it is subject to income tax or if the taxpayer is resident in the United Kingdom income which is his wherever it arises will be chargeable to income tax . It is also important to bear in mind the income tax settlement code in Part XV of TA 1988 . The Part XV code , however , is excluded if there is no element of bounty ( there is no similar exclusion with regard to TA 1988 , ss739 and 740 ) and also income arising to an underlying company owned by the overseas trust would not comprise income arising to the settlement for the purposes of Part XV . However , there is no exclusion from the application of Part XV similar to that contained in TA 1988 , s741 , ie it applies whether or not the taxpayer set up the trust to avoid tax and whether or not the transaction was a bona fide commercial transaction .
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
They were also sighted at a London recording studio preparing new material scheduled for release early next year . A spokesperson for the group told NME : ‘ The amount of interest generated by their Madstock weekender was beyond the band 's wildest dreams . They 've turned down several lucrative offers to reform in the past , but feel that now is the time for fans outside London to get a chance to see them in the flesh.’ He declined to be drawn on the group 's specific release plans , despite word that an album of remixes is imminent . THE SMITHS issue ‘ There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ , never previously released as a single .
Idiom: green light (used idiomatically: no)
Instead , we will modernise , setting clear performance targets to improve the quality of service and shift more freight from road to rail . We will tackle the problem of congestion and environmental damage by enabling local authorities to provide better quality transport . We will end the deregulation of buses , introduce bus priority measures integrated with new rapid transit systems within a ‘ green light’ programme designed to encourage people to transfer to public transport . Proper concessionary fare schemes will be developed in every area . Traffic management schemes to cut unnecessary car use and better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians will make town centres safer and more attractive .
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: no)
Similarly to the hands , feel the way the weight is distributed over both feet . By moving the feet around the board try and get your wake to be as quiet as possible and watch how it differs as you move your weight around . You can not only experiment with different feet positions and weighting but also with the angle at which the feet are placed across the board . There are numerous variations possible , so experiment with different feet angles and see which one suits your style best . The way you angle your feet determines the posture of the lower body .
Idiom: fly the flag (used idiomatically: no)
Philip Stevens tells the story of the first ceremonial convoy through the Grand Junction , travelling north from Norton Junction where the new Canal joined the Grand Junction , up through the Watford Locks , obviously finished in great haste , through the tunnels at Crick and Husbands Bosworth , and down the Foxton Flight into the Leicester and Northants . Canal : ‘ There were three boats , the first of which , fitted up ‘ in an elegant style’ and carrying a band and flying the flags of the Grand Union and the Leicester and Northants . Union , bore deputations from both companies and ‘ a large assembly of beauty and fashion’ . The other two were less opulently equipped , and carried ‘ such ladies and gentlemen who chose to be of the party’ .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
She toyed uncertainly with the idea of handing in her resignation today . What was the point in punishing herself unnecessarily by continuing to work in such a hostile atmosphere , no matter how interesting the actual job was ? Being used — as Luke had used her last night — was humiliating , and even though she had been able to turn the tables it had left a bitter after - taste . She went on typing , only half listening to Rob 's grumbles , until he said suddenly , ‘ Have lunch with me , Merrill?’ She stiffened but did n't answer immediately , pretending to study her notes with fixed concentration .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
Only Dottridge Brothers and Ingall , Parsons & Clive made any attempt at competing with the individual concerns . Again , there was no assault made on mourning stationery or the extremely lucrative trade in mourning jewellery . Both Courtauld 's and Messrs Jay 's of Regent Street could rest assured , for not one undertaker concerned himself with buying - in to the mourning warehouses , thereby turning the tables on the mercers and upholders . Nor did any undertaker take advantage of private cemetery ownership , Kensal Green and Highgate , for example , employing appointed ‘ official’ undertakers from within the trade . The trade in the nineteenth century does not stand up to close examination .
Idiom: go downhill (used idiomatically: yes)
Fred Clasper , the militant Merseyside convener , was a desperately worried man . Things were n't going at all well within the UK vehicle Division . Even his own notorious plant , which had consistently gone downhill for ten years under his active leadership , had been steadily increasing efficiency and output for several weeks without interruption . Morale on the shop floor was higher than it had been for a long year and an unhealthy atmosphere of optimism and hope pervaded the plant . Union members were openly expressing the view that there was a real chance that the ailing division would now pull out of its dive with the Peters ' Plan , which had been fully supported by Bunker and a two - thirds majority at the plant .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
A second grenade went off under another vehicle as army explosives specialists tried to defuse it in the nearby New Lodge Road district … Son hoped Allen would commit suicide , court told THE 14-year - old adopted son of Woody Allen had his dreams dashed by Allen 's affair with his 21-year - old sister and thought the film director should consider suicide , according to a letter read in court in New York yesterday . The letter was read by Eleanor Alter , attorney for Mia Farrow in the bitter child custody dispute between Farrow and Allen . Alter said it was written by Moses , the oldest of three adopted children whose custody is being considered by the court .
Idiom: below par (used idiomatically: yes)
Dista handed some of them over to the CSM in October , four months later . The minister continues to maintain that ‘ There was no delay’ . All four studies concluded unequivocally that Opren accumulated in the bodies of patients with ‘ below par’ kidneys . Three of the studies pointed out that this was common in elderly patients , and that this indicated they should receive lower and/or less frequent doses . Only in the August 1982 issue of MIMS did the manufacturers recommend medics to prescribe ‘ half - doses’ in the elderly .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
Even the trench behind the rampart would be brimming with oozing earth . When the supply of heavy furniture , and of the more ponderous artistic objects , had been exhausted , there began the rape of " the possessions " which had so long encumbered the Residency and the banqueting hall . Very often the last journeys of these beloved objects were accomplished to the tune of distressing protests , or of heart - rending pleas for clemency . You would have thought that there was no one better fitted in the world to understand these pleas than the Collector . He , at least , was qualified to perceive the beauty and value of " the possessions " .
Idiom: all the rage (used idiomatically: yes)
A knife here , a knife there . It would stick in between their toes , it looked so easy . In the cellars , absinthe was all the rage , one sip and you felt as though your head would come off . A few were unfortunate , they fell in love with Russians . Was n't there something wrong with Russia at any time ?
Idiom: catch fire (used idiomatically: yes)
A cooker was destroyed , but no one was hurt . Smoke damage : The kitchen of a house in Devon Close , redcar was badly smoke damaged after a cooker caught fire at about 5.35pm yesterday . Firemen from the town used breathing apparatus and a hose reel . RADICAL proposals to attract two million visitors and 2,000 jobs to the new city of Sunderland were revealed yesterday .
Idiom: on the ropes (used idiomatically: yes)
They had said nothing . They had stood in the dark until Peter had put his torch on , and then they had turned back , glad though , relieved , when they could light a match again . Stephen had gone out first , scrambling up the shaft , putting all his weight this time on the rope and wondering what would happen , whether they would ever be found alive , if the rope came unfastened from the spur of rock to which they had tied it . But not really frightened , buoyed up always by a child 's invincible courage , the courage that comes from a sense of immortality . When he came out into the bright white daylight he had a shock .
Idiom: she'll be right (used idiomatically: no)
More than the pigman gets at the farm . Pensionable too . She 's a sensible girl and she 'll be all right . There are n't many opportunities left locally for girls with good 0-levels . And you did n't want her to take a job in London . "
Idiom: steal the show (used idiomatically: yes)
His successor , Chancellor of the Exchequer ( finance minister ) Gordon ~ Brown , was well described by Blair as “ clunking . ” A man of charm and humor in private life , he is relentlessly dour in ~ public . In Britain ’s first ever “ presidential ” television debate the youthful Nick ~ Clegg stole the show for the Liberal Democrats with his freshness and directness . David ~ Cameron was polished but vague , and the jowly Brown came across as gun loaded with statistics . But the statistics were not as good as they should have been .
Idiom: grind to a halt (used idiomatically: yes)
Er , consumer confidence fell away and U K consumers kept more of their cash in their pockets er , in fact , erm , they saved over two and a half billion pounds more in the first quarter of ninety one than they had in the same er , quarter of last year . One immediate casualty of the change in conditions was advertising . Recruitment adversiding advertising for example virtually ground to a halt as businesses started to shed er , people , rather than to look for them . So what happened to our trading profit ? In this analysis er , if you set aside the effect of our sale of Elsivir er , the variance was forty nine million seventy percent of which relates to the U K. The drop in profits from our newspapers was the biggest and probably the most widely expected a substantial proportion of their costs are fixed and , er , they therefore are particularly sensitive to , er changes in volume .
Idiom: under the microscope (used idiomatically: yes)
By determining the composition of the object , it can be compared with natural sources of clay ( in the case of ceramics ) or stone and can indicate where the object originally came from . This method of examination involves cutting a very thin slice from the object , which is fixed to a microscope slide and ground down until it is only 0.02 mm thick . This can then be studied under a microscope , and the minerals present can be identified . Various types of spectrometry , such as optical emission spectrometry , infra - red absorption spectrometry , and atomic absorption spectrometry , can also be used to identify the constituent components of an object . Such analyses use various methods to induce a sample from the object to produce a spectrum of light .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
He thrust his hands deep into his pockets , hunching his shoulders as he continued , ' I met her at the party I threw to celebrate taking over control of the company . I was elated with the thrill of success . Not only had I gained the technical degree I 'd been chasing , but I 'd finally achieved a position in a business when I could use that expertise to its full potential . The only sadness was that my parents , who had supported me so fully in the earlier days , were n't there to enjoy my success . ' He paused as if inviting comment but then , when Gina remained silent , her expressive face betraying her thoughts without need of speech , resumed in a softer tone .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
KINNOCK - BASHER MAGGIE PULLS OUT STOPS . And , yes , I have a dream — make that a scotch , ta — that kids will know my headlines off by heart . IMMIGRANTS FLOOD IN CLAIMS HEATHROW WATCHER . GREEN PARTY WOMAN IS A NIGHTCLUB TART .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
Not a great flaw , but insistently it troubled the eyes of guests coming new to his acquaintance . ‘ My lord sheriff , reverend gentlemen,’ said the earl , ‘ you come very aptly , if Robin has reported your errand rightly , for I confess I 've been tempted to lift the lid on whatever it is they 've brought me from Ullesthorpe . It would have been a pity to break those very handsome seals , I 'm glad I held my hand.’ And so am I , thought Hugh fervently , and so will Cadfael be . The earl 's voice was low - pitched and full , pleasing to the ear , and the news he had communicated even more pleasing .
Idiom: on the stump (used idiomatically: yes)
At once they noted , and were acutely depressed by , the sombre monotones of the battle area . To some it was ' yellow and flayed , without a patch of green ' to others a compound of brown , grey and black , where the only forms were shell holes . On the few stumps that remained of Verdun 's noble forests on the Right Bank , the bark either hung down in strips , or else had long since been consumed by half - starved pack - horses . As spring came , with the supreme optimism of Nature , the shattered trees pushed out a new leaf here and there , but soon these too dropped sick and wilting in the poisonous atmosphere . At night , the Verdun sky resembled a ' stupendous Aurora Borealis ' , but by day the only splashes of colour that one French soldier - artist could find were the rose tints displayed by the frightful wounds of the horses lying scattered about the approach routes , lips pulled back over jaws in the hideousness of death .