Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
Getting negotiations on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade — the Gatt talks — back on the road is a timely boost to Mr Major 's flagging reputation . A successful conclusion would boost the world economy by £ 200 billion . Mr Delors , who harbours ambitions of succeeding President Mitterrand as French head of state , was under fire from all sides in Europe yesterday for his role in the breakdown of the Chicago talks . EC negotiator Ray MacSharry quit , claiming the Frenchman vetoed an accord just before it was to be signed on Tuesday . The row centres on subsidies to French farmers — whose votes are vital if Delors hopes to make it to the French Presidency .
Idiom: drop the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course , these are the same three options for a ball in a regular water hazard , but from a lateral water hazard there are an additional two options . Options 4 and 5 allow you to drop on either side of the lateral water hazard , not nearer the hole and within two club lengths of the point marked B , where the ball first entered the hazard . For this rule you would use a point marked C as the reference to measure two club lengths if the ball is dropped on the opposite side of the hazard . Again the penalty in each case is one stroke . PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Now we 're looking to encourage our customers to send remittance advices electronically so we can post them straight into the sales ledger , and eventually we 'll ‘ close the loop’ as regards other documents too . By picking off the documents that form the basis of the customer - supplier relationship one at a time , we can understand what we 're doing and become very effective very quickly.’ While some British Gypsum customers were eager to use EDI , others have been less quick off the mark , but the company is doing some proselytising . ‘ We pass on knowledge to our trading partners , telling them what we see to be the benefits , and what some of our other customers have found to be the benefits . Atlas EDI offers a very cost - effective and flexible way of getting started in EDI ; the biggest cost is to develop or acquire routines to import data from their other computer systems .
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: no)
Charles I and his new Archbishop , Laud , were as anxious to reform ecclesiastical society as the growing numbers of Puritans , but their remedies were diametrically opposed . The two ' Arminian ' bishops of Chichester in the 1620s and 1630s , Richard Montague and Brian Duppa , clashed as surely with the local squires as had Bishop Curteys fifty years before , but this time the enraged Sussex gentry found no support in their appeals to the king ; not surprisingly , a substantial number of them saw Charles 's pretensions as a growing threat to their own social position and local prestige . Montagu and Duppa attacked ' error ' in all its forms , whether as birds nesting inside the neglected parish church of Lancing , or too much ' popularising in the pulpit ' , the hour - long sermons by Puritan clergy unwilling to toe the episcopal line . This latter group had an increasingly strong lay support , particularly in those strongholds of a very fundamental Puritanism , Rye and Lewes . Perhaps few of the inhabitants went quite so far as the parents of Fly - Fornication Richardson of Waldron or Small - hope Biggs of Rye in their statements of religious principle , but a dominant number of the eastern rural and urban elite found their religious and political sympathies increasingly divorced from the fumbling attempts of the Stuarts to impose their image of the monarchy .
Idiom: make light of (used idiomatically: yes)
Vaughan 's gravity may have exacerbated Minton 's flippancy , his flightiness becoming a form of self - protection from Vaughan 's unremitting critical intelligence . The downward spiral in their relationship was observed by the poet Alan Ross , who lodged in the boiler room at 37 Hamilton Terrace for the better part of a year . ‘ Whereas Johnny made light of everything,’ he has recalled , ‘ Keith brooded , rather old - maidish in his habits , on art and life in his voluminous notebooks . From time to time he did break out , cruising Soho and returning drunk , with or without bedfellow . But these were rare occurrences , and when later a longstanding relationship developed it brought frustration and irritation rather than contentment.’
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
She would try to understand Mrs Maybury 's motives . Perhaps once she had a child of her own , David 's child — But it would n't be easy . David came early , ringing the bell eagerly , as if he could hardly wait . Juliet had put on a white cotton dress with black spots , and a scarlet jacket in case it rained . David showed his admiration with his expression .
Idiom: bear in mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Therefore , we support the establishment of an agricultural and rural development policy which is consistent with the objectives we have set . We want rural areas , at the dawn of the 21st century , to be competitive and multi - functional , both with regard to agriculture and with regard to opening up to the diversity of non - agricultural activities . It is important to prioritise general criteria for land planning and demographic equilibrium , and to bear in mind the conclusions of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural ~ Development on the five fundamental issues , which have been only partly taken up by the Committee ~ on Transport , Regional Policy and Tourism in its points 16 and 17 . In conclusion , I would ask the Commission to take these five points into account when establishing the conclusions on the four pillars because I believe that , for the European ~ Union , maintaining the population in rural areas must be one of the priority objectives .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
Like Goblin Fanatics , Squig Hoppers are moved as individual models and do not fight in units . Begin by nominating the direction you wish the Squig Hopper to move in and then bounce it 2D6″ in that direction . On the roll of a double the Squig moves the distance indicated but in an entirely random direction . Use the Scatter dice to establish the direction moved in the same way as for Goblin Fanatics . Squigs bounce over intervening troops and scenery and land where indicated .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: no)
‘ I 'm getting interested,’ she confided quietly . ‘ Go on.’ She was interested because somehow or other the name rang a bell . Felipe de Santis ? Why should she know the name ?
Idiom: second nature (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Oh , I will,’ said McAllister gaily ; every day she spent in Vetch Street she felt more and more like McAllister , Dr Neil 's unconventional parlourmaid , and less and less like Miss Sally - Anne Tunstall , American beauty and heiress . Miss Tunstall had not possessed work - reddened hands and knees . And if , at first , she had had to remind herself to be careful not to be found out , deceit was becoming second nature to her . Yesterday she had gone to the dingy little newsagent at the corner of the street to pay the paper bill , and to buy Matey a writing pad and envelopes , when she had seen on the counter a pile of postcards depicting society beauties . To her horror the top one was of herself .
Idiom: no man's land (used idiomatically: yes)
I stood ready with the boat - hook to make sure we did n't bump against the rocks of the mooring . A couple of the crew members from Paula 's yacht , who were waiting for us , grabbed a line and made the sailing boat fast . I did n't want her to think I was angry or disappointed , and as I helped her ashore , I smiled and said , ‘ I understand,’ and , caught in the no - man 's - land between desire and fulfilment , leant forward rather clumsily to kiss her . But she avoided my lips , so that I brushed her cheek , and as I tried to find her mouth she said , ‘ No , Kit . If you kiss me , I might have to say ‘ Yes’.’
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
Hence , there were very few ‘ turnovers’ , perhaps only two in a game . At least this muted , just by a little , the effects . Judging from early games in this country , and especially by the dreadful Leicester v England match , our referees are going by the book and will blow rucks and mauls dead far more quickly . There will be more turnovers ( more rucks and mauls ended without the ball emerging ) , more frustration . Still more horrors — if rugby under the new law is difficult to play and to control on a dry day in South Africa , imagine the effect in marshy old England in the mud and rain of January ; imagine the shambles the game will become at the lower levels in those conditions with the sanctuary of the next scrum no longer available to the team carrying the ball .
Idiom: short shrift (used idiomatically: yes)
If only these people would adopt real democracy and the unfettered free market , this place could be as prosperous as Southampton . Inside the briefing room of the Royaume Uni we hovered on the edge of Dunkirk as usual . Jovial inquiries about illegal subsidies to industry , Rover for instance , got short shrift . The Duchess of Finchley 's Light Infantry was trapped behind enemy lines , but it was digging in . French press releases overran our positions , German amendments raked us with deadly fire .
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Hard to tell,’ said the Admiral . ‘ It 's all very mysterious . I went there pretty regularly on and off on shore - leave during the early and middle fifties . Then I was attached to the Foreign Office in various postings as a defence attaché . I had years in Latin America , the Far East , all over the place , and any time I came back to London , well , there was too much to do to have much time for somewhere like ffeatherstonehaugh 's , and anyway I was married by then and my wife would n't have approved .
Idiom: in the works (used idiomatically: yes)
Now they import flax , mainly from Scandinavia , and much of the cloth they weave is made from mixtures of flax or cotton and artificial fibres such as nylon , Terylene and Acrilan . B. New industries have grown from the textile business . For a brief period artificial fibres were produced in chemical works . Now value is added to the textiles in clothing factories , especially for shirts and pyjamas , and in knitwear and carpet factories . Where are the two main centres for the clothing industry ?
Idiom: take stock (used idiomatically: yes)
The RIBA acts as convenor of ACE 's Practising Architect group ( under the Chairmanship of J Wright ) which has produced opinions on draft directives ( eg . Unfair Terms of Contract and Health and Safety on Temporary or Mobile Construction Sites ) . It is also working on the production of guidelines to architectural practice in the EC , Quality Assurance , CPD and is close to finalising a draft contract for collaboration between two or more architects . In the autumn , ACE held its first major conference in Seville in order to take stock of the work achieved to date and assess the state of the profession ( by way of national reports ) on the eve of the opening of the Single European Market . EC Research Sub - Committee Because of financial constraints , it was not possible during 1992 to produce further volumes in the Architectural Practice in Europe series .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
We make camp for the night in earshot of Crystal Rapid , which in recent years has flipped more boats , taken more lives , and humbled more boatmen than any other on the river . The mystique of the rapid has been building since day one , and now , at cocktail hour , Crystal assumes demonic proportions . Garrett mixes gin and tonics and ribs Sam about the time he mired his boat on the rock island at the foot of the rapid . He was struck there for four hours with Park Service rescue helicopters buzzing around , throwing him ropes . Pete recalls 1983 , when a huge quantity of snowmelt caused the Colorado to flood , almost breaking through Glen Canyon Dam , and making Crystal virtually unrunnable .
Idiom: close call (used idiomatically: yes)
The combined force of the UVF / UFF has claimed six lives in Belfast compared to 11 last year . This year the IRA has killed two people in Belfast compared to none the previous year . ‘ There has been a number of close calls this year like the recent UFF attack on the bookmakers in North Belfast,’ said a detective . ‘ In some instances it has been sheer luck for members of the public with either guns jamming or security force patrols intercepting the terrorists.’ The UFF vowed at the start of the year to step up attacks and warned : You ai n't seen nothing yet.’
Idiom: to boot (used idiomatically: yes)
Running as a Windows app , WinFax Pro operates in the same way as all other Windows fax packages . It has a fax manager loaded , to answer incoming faxes , and a fax printer driver to handle faxes you want to send . It has been much improved over the previous version and humanized , to boot . When you send a fax , a dialogue box pops up telling you in plain English just what is going on , while an animated fax machine , complete with a document feeding through it , shows you how far things have got . Some of the new features are really rather special .
Idiom: get stuck into (used idiomatically: yes)
When Orcs or Goblins march off to battle they invariably find themselves accompanied by a horde of Snotlings armed with bits of wood , broken spears , and weapons they have stolen or scrounged . On the battlefield the Snotlings latch on to a unit of Orcs or Goblins , following them about and copying their actions . When their big friends get stuck into close combat the Snotlings throw themselves on the enemy , screaming and yelling crazily , waving their wooden clubs and biting the foes with their sharp teeth . The sheer mass of Snotlings can overwhelm or tie down an enemy unit even if the tiny creatures do n't cause many casualties ! Special Rules
Idiom: speak your mind (used idiomatically: no)
" Rubies , diamonds , emeralds , pearls , and an amethyst worth one - and - a - half million dollars . " " Lorne . " Speak your mind , John . " " Lorne . If Gary 's so rich , who cares if he 's got a couple of million dollars " worth of heroin in the kitchen ? "
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
And I live in the village over there . ' He picked me up and turned me upside - down . Nothing fell out of my pocket except a piece of old bread . He ate it in two bites , like a dog , and put me back on the gravestone . ' So where are your father and mother ? ' he asked .
Idiom: sleep rough (used idiomatically: yes)
I am sorry to say that the hon . Gentleman did not just stoop to the gutter in terms of smearing my hon . Friend : he used a series of inaccurate figures . To my surprise , many of them were echoed by the hon . Member for Hammersmith . We have had several exchanges in the House in the past year or so on the number of people sleeping rough . I remember arguments at the beginning of 1991 about the precise number . But we knew , because we were closely in touch with the voluntary organisations which are in the front line , of the efforts that we were making to tackle the problem of rough sleepers .
Idiom: tread the boards (used idiomatically: yes)
The York Waits , a six - strong group of entertainers , is to receive a coveted international honour for their contribution to keeping old traditions alive by reconstructing music from the last five centuries . Good company : The Royal Shakespeare Company is paying a first visit to Durham City but not to tread the boards . The renowned company is staging an exhibition , ‘ Rogues , Vagabonds and Sturdy Beggars’ , which illustrates its history . The exhibition opens on Wednesday for three weeks in Durham Town Hall .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
In limited circumstances the courts may be prepared to imply the agreement to run the risk ( e.g. ICI v Shatwell ) . The reluctance of the courts to imply an agreement can be seen in the cases where the plaintiff has accepted a lift with the defendant who is incapable of driving . The defendant drove the plaintiff and her mother to London to see the Coronation lights . They visited several public houses and the defendant 's ability to drive was clearly impaired . One passenger decided that the driver was drunk and got out of the car .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
In the 1960s and early 1970s , the left on Tyneside regarded trade union politics as massively more important than local government politics . The leading lights of the working class were plant convenors and lodge secretaries , not elected councillors , who were generally , and not wholly inaccurately , regarded as a collection of third - rate nuggets . In 1975 when North Tyneside and Ben well CDPs attempted to locate ‘ change agents’ with sufficient force to have some impact on the structural origins of the situation in the two locales , the obvious target was the rank - and - file organizations of the traditional industrial working class . It would be very difficult to arrive at the same conclusion in 1988 . During this syndicalist period the ‘ official’ movement was wholly committed to participation in the programme of modernization in which it participated with regional capital and the associated regional élite ( see Ben well CDP , 1978 ) .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Nearly all of them use a formulaic phrase : ‘ I dug him downstairs and his belly rolled over to there.’ My father points to halfway up his forearm . I know most of his stories by heart . When he tells them now , I listen for variants and improvements . They are finished works of art , full of mimicry and telling gesture .
Idiom: hand to mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
Everything would be done for party interests — and nothing for the nation . ‘ We would live in an election atmosphere month after month.’ Mr Hurd recalled the last Lib - Lab pact in the late 1970s as ‘ a period of shabbiness and indecision’ and a time without social or economic achievement in which the Labour government lived from hand to mouth . ‘ No one should suppose that the Liberals would carry any more weight this time . ‘ They wo n't stop Labour 's worst excesses or their disastrous economic plans .
Idiom: beard the lion in his den (used idiomatically: yes)
One look at the intricate pattern was enough to tell her she could follow it with no trouble at all . She looked at the clock , frustrated to find it was only a little after eleven . Bearding the lion in his den just to ask about some knitting was a bad idea . She 'd have to be patient until lunchtime , then soften up Penry Vaughan with a snack before she made her request . Ten minutes before midday Leonora retired to the kitchen , tiptoeing past the closed study door .
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
The country 's establishment was blamed for duplicity in the American war effort in Afghanistan , backing both sides – the United ~ States and the Taliban – at the same time . There was considerable public anger in Pakistan at the way British Prime ~ Minister David ~ Cameron handled such suspicions , some of which was directed at President Asif Ali Zardari , who decided to proceed with a planned official visit to London despite Cameron 's harsh language . Public anger at the charges coming from America and Britain about Pakistan 's Inter - Services ~ Intelligence ( ISI ) increased as round - the - clock television coverage showed the devastation and suffering caused by floods in the country 's northwest , the worst in more than 80 years . The military launched a major effort to help those affected . Its commander , General Ashfaq Pervez ~ Kayani , whose tenure in office was recently , and unusually , extended for an additional three years , was alone among Pakistan 's senior leaders in visiting the flood - affected areas and showing concern about the suffering .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
It was not me who stated these truths — it was our correspondents in response to our survey . Are you suggesting that I should ignore them ? Your reference to balanced reporting is surprising , to say the least . In the last three issues , we have supported the Rover scheme , the adidas Challenge and British juniors and tournaments in a very positive way . In this issue alone , we have a feature on Ekaterina Roubanova , reports on all LTA winter series events , a feature on Jeremy Bates and a report on the Maureen Connolly trophy .
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
While this is not measuring the effectiveness of the advertising , merely memory of it , it is possibly indicative . Research on visual memory , moreover , shows that recognition of pictures , after one quite short exposure , is normally very high over quite a long period . It is generally accepted — but only as a rule of thumb — that an average of two - and - a - half to three OTS ( opportunities to see ) is a fairly minimal level for a burst of TV advertising . ( This is equivalent to some 200 TVRs , for a coverage of 70 per cent and , therefore , an OTS frequency of 2.9 , since OTS is equal to TVRs divided by coverage . ) It is only fair to say , though , that work by some econometricians ( see page 103 ) has suggested that optimum rates of TV advertising require far less frequency than this , at least for well - established brands .
Idiom: for a song (used idiomatically: yes)
She almost wished he was not . ‘ You 'd better come in then.’ She led the way into the communal hall which she personally had taken upon herself to brighten up with a vase of dried flowers and a couple of good , but ancient , rugs which she had picked up for a song at an auction sale . In the full light she was surprised to see he was much younger than his bulky , overcoat - clad figure had led her to believe — and a great deal better looking . Not handsome exactly .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ When you have to cut your own screws from old nails like we do , I tell you it 's a real eye - opener.’ I do n't think he should really be telling me all this , but he is demob happy and there is something of the anonymity of the confessional in this dimly lit train compartment , lurching slowly over the snowy plateau of the Kola Peninsula . I am a pawn and bishop down after 12 moves , but have only half an eye on the game now , which seems to make me play better , or Sergei play worse , for he has pushed up his queen too far and is having trouble defending it . Senior officers on the Russian submarines are paid a supplement in US dollars these days — $ 7 a day while they are at sea , which strikes me as an astonishing fact . ‘ But it is necessary to stop them running away,’ Sergei explains .
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: yes)
One place lower would be 6 and of course 6 can not be greater than 6 . The set has no " high " limit , it keeps on going . Study this example which has high and low limits . Numbers that fit the answer set have the low limit 3 , and high limit 7 . No other whole numbers fit both conditions .
Idiom: leave someone in the lurch (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I needed a complete break from the game and wanted to devote more time to my family and business . Some people claimed that I had another job lined up but time has proved them wrong . ‘ I know it was a shock for the club but I would n't have gone if it meant leaving them in the lurch . ‘ I knew I was leaving them with the basis of a good side and a first - rate manager in Nigel Best . ‘ His name and face would n't have been familiar to the majority of Irish League fans and he still does n't look for a high media profile .