Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: no)
Elean : You are also involved in the training of young writers , why do you do this ? There are many writers I know , especially after they have made their name , who might not think this important , unless they got an important academic job to do it . Miriam : That 's out of the question . I might be very well known , but to me it 's really nothing . My real aim is to one day see a lot of young people coming up to do exactly what I am doing .
Idiom: bottom drawer (used idiomatically: no)
If I can help you in any way , can I help you do the dishes ? The bottom drawer you can put this in . The bottom drawer . It 's half full . You know .
Idiom: fall into place (used idiomatically: yes)
He took one look at him , ran a battery of tests and told us he had cystic fibrosis.’ Kathleen closed her eyes . Now it all fell into place , the child Anthony Craven and his physio that Jack had done so competently , the way he had reacted … ‘ … anyway , with time it was obvious that he was going to need more maintenance than Gwen was prepared to give him . I came home from the hospital one day to find Johnnie all alone and desperate for physio , lying on the sitting - room floor crying his eyes out and starving hungry .
Idiom: off the beaten track (used idiomatically: yes)
In this issue we launch two new series . Kayak control is based on Simon Dawson 's work on kayak technique and questions current teaching methods . Forres forays is the first of two series of occasional articles which will detail rivers off the beaten track in Scotland . Late news Ford have ordered a recall of their roofracks for the new Escort and Orion models following three incidents , one involving canoes .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Irene worked from the simplest beginnings — a stretch , a curve , a step forwards or backwards — into tremendous variety of movement , delighting us with her physical and mental flexibility , and a sense of humour which needed no translation . Bedu 's rhythmics lessons got us all banging bongos , clashing cymbals , dashing round the gym and holding a rhythm against all comers . as if this were n't enough , we bounced on oversized ball , wielded staves for posture , learnt national dances and songs , explored the mediaeval charms of Coburg and neighbouring Bamberg or wallowed in the thermal baths of Rodach — and of course consumed enormous and excellent meals at the college , supplemented with German cakes in the town ( not to mention German wine … —. The course ended with a magnificent banquet and uproarious party , despite the prospect of a 6.30 a.m. departure next day . It was a fitting end to an experience which had been ' atemberaubend ' — breathtaking !
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
Later writers have voiced the same view . Henry James , for example , has said that with a good story ‘ the reader does quite half the labour’(quoted in Booth , 1987 , pp.49–50 ) and around this idea has developed the theory of ‘ tell - tale gaps’ . ( For a clear explanation of tell - tale gaps , see Chambers , 1977 . ) The author , consciously or unconsciously , leaves elements for the reader to provide . It is for this reason that we sometimes ‘ know’ details about a character that the author , we are surprised to find , has not given us .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
Rehearsals were due to begin for myself and my accompanist / narrator John Gould , a shy , quirky , gifted musician whom I 'd known for almost twenty years . John was selected partly because he resembled , in type , Joyce 's accompanist Bill Blezzard . It was tempting to consider asking Bill himself to share the stage , but the consensus of opinion was that people might find the combination a little ghostly , a little too reminiscent , when all along my instinct was to convey the spirit and feeling of Grenfell , without resorting to mimicry . Just before rehearsals began , James Roose - Evans announced that another of his adaptations , The Best of Friends , had suddenly had its production brought forward , due to the unexpected acquisition of Sir John Gielgud . Consequently James would be directing The Best of Friends for half the day and Re : Joyce for the other .
Idiom: draw the short straw (used idiomatically: yes)
And despite the fact that Ministry are on the brink of a Metallica - scale take - over in the US , Barker hints that he and Jourgensen are now questioning how much further they actually want to push the band . Both despise touring . Ministry guitarist Mick Scaccia , who drew the short straw and is rooming with Al , tells me that the singer likes to maintain a temperature of 100 degrees in his hotel room . ‘ He gets real sick on the road — I guess most of it is psychosomatic , because he f — in ' hates it so much.’ Furthermore , Barker and Jourgensen are keen to begin work on material for a new collaborative C&W crossover project , Buck Satan And The 666 Shooters .
Idiom: talk dirty (used idiomatically: yes)
By December 1989 Kylie 's sugar coated image had melted for good . No matter how hard she protested that The Delinquents was not soft porn , the film transformed her into the sex - siren she secretly desired to become . There were no hard core scenes , but Kylie was talking dirty , kicking off her underwear in bedroom antics and begging co - star Charlie Schlatter 's character to make love to her . And that was only in the trailer for the movie ! The final scene in the original trailer had to be cut because Lola screams passionately : ‘ I love it when he kisses me .
Idiom: spend a penny (used idiomatically: no)
In the early 1980s , when a Berkshire county councillor , Norris would arrive in his Rolls - Royce at the Shire Hall , Reading , brandishing a copy of How to be a Minister ( written , incidentally , by Gerald Kaufman ) . During debates on gravel extraction he could be seen flicking through its pages . Norris 's reputation as a man who got things done was dented when the Tories lost a vote on extra primary school places because Norris was away from his seat ( leading to the crack that he ‘ spent a penny and cost the ratepayers £ 250,000’ ) , but he left his mark on the place . ‘ We are now the only county council with a voting button in the gents,’ says a spokesman for the Royal County . BOW - TIED wine buff , self - importantly , to long - suffering acquaintance : ‘ I 'm off to Bordeaux for Easter.’
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
Weather map ‘ not accurate’ TRADERS have protested to the BBC and ITV that television and radio weather forecasts are giving a false picture of the Yorkshire Coast . Scarborough Chamber of Trade president Ernie Gee said yesterday : ‘ We believe the misleading forecasts which have been given recently are losing the resort thousands of pounds in business.’ Mr Gee and leading Scarborough hotelier David Hindley have now had a meeting with television weatherman Bill Giles to explain the problem . Speed fine :
Idiom: hope against hope (used idiomatically: no)
New ~ Year 's Hope against Hope NEW ~ YORK – The time has come for New ~ Year 's resolutions , a moment of reflection . When the last year has n't gone so well , it is a time for hope that the next year will be better .
Idiom: on the house (used idiomatically: yes)
It is the only emotion that takes time to heal . According to Lazaris , it is very dangerous to play games with hurt — hurting others , squashing our hurt , pretending to be hurt when we feel angry —'more dangerous than you know ' . ' Emily felt hurt and betrayed by a close friend who had borrowed a considerable sum of money towards down - payment on a house and then , when Emily eventually enquired about repayment , angrily claimed that she thought the money had been a gift . Her ' friend ' abruptly broke off all contact . Although Emily knew that her friend had been manipulative , she wondered whether she herself had been selfish , and should have forgotten about the loan .
Idiom: sit on the fence (used idiomatically: no)
The pressure — it 'll be off them , they are no longer champions — but let 's remember they did finish in fourth place and I 've got a feeling that they 're not giving anything away at Oxford Speedway , because they never do . There 's going to be a few new faces next term . I might be wrong , but I do n't think so , but I have to sit on the fence you see as I get into trouble . Yes , you always do . It was n't , it was n't a bad end to the season after the way thing seemed to be going in the middle , but what do you reckon — are you going to predict that Hans Nielsen will be world champion again next year ?
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
Everything the Harrisons had was well ordered and extremely neat . In the middle of all this tidiness Fosdyke created his own particular mess . His jackets were hung on the backs of chairs , his triumphantly acquired groceries were stacked in the sitting - room , his cigar butts filled the ashtrays and his glasses had made rings on the surface of the poolside table . He spent a great deal of time on the telephone and he was often out of the house on various missions , not returning until late at night . It was at the Harrisons ' villa , named by them ‘ Sole Mio’ , that Fosdyke had entertained his hero and admired writer , Haverford Downs , on the night before Nancy Leadbetter 's party .
Idiom: unknown quantity (used idiomatically: yes)
A handwritten menu stood on the bar . She studied it while waiting for someone to appear and serve her . She rejected the beef curry with rice as too much of an unknown quantity — full of apples and curry powder she suspected — and decided on the steak and kidney pie with chips . Nobody could do very much to a steak and kidney pie , she thought . A barmaid appeared , a woman in her mid - twenties with streaked blonde hair and tight jeans .
Idiom: beat about the bush (used idiomatically: no)
Doers employ some or all of the following behaviours . They : get impatient with people who ‘ beat about the bush’ urge people to stick to plans and schedules and meet deadlines push ahead and get the job done when things are n't progressing well
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
The move for Haslemere to play the Tauntonians second XI resulted in a hard - fought , tenacious encounter . Haslemere started well , with solid moves starting from the back . Playing the ball through midfield meant no players were left isolated and easy options enabled possession to be kept . Good pressure produced a string of short corners , and a goal . In a sweet movement of speed and motion , the ball was left to run long to Patel who deftly feinted with his left shoulder before picking out David Mayson .
Idiom: below the belt (used idiomatically: no)
The contest turned out more like a flyweight taking on a cruiserweight , with the referee on the cruiser 's side . No matter how cleverly the flyweight boxes he is going to be stuffed . Even when the flyweight got a below - the - belt punch he was kicked by the referee to make sure he stayed down . Our claim for a more just salary scale for Bank Assistants may be down , but it is not out . The IBOA is now the sole champion of the Bank Assistant .
Idiom: to the bone (used idiomatically: yes)
The Government is facing a damaging defeat in the House of Commons over its defence policy . Fourteen MPs have signed a letter to the Prime Minister warning they 'll vote against any more big cuts in the defence budget . One of the MPs says any further reduction in spending would cut Britain 's defence to the bone . JESSICA FOWLE / Reporting ROGER KNAPMAN MP / Con Stroud
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
Of all the classes that stand face to face with the bourgeoisie today , the proletariat alone is a genuinely revolutionary class .
Idiom: bite the dust (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course , it 's come a long way since then — full colour on every page , two Megatapes each month . In fact , if it were n't for the big blue logo and Oli Frey pic on the cover , there 'd be little to indicate to an early reader that this was indeed the same mag ! So what are you going to do , now that your favourite C64 action mag has bitten the dust ? Well , hopefully , you 'll buy COMMODORE FORCE instead ! COMMODORE WHAT ? , you ask .
Idiom: fair game (used idiomatically: yes)
Korean establishments were the first the crowd seems to have made for . African - Americans in South Central mostly hate Korean store owners and there 's no getting around the fact , as Jesse Jackson tried to do when he said the assaults on Koreans were not racist . A purist could argue that it was class and function that set these store owners up for assault , but on the streets , in the full fury of those 48 hours , stretching from the mid - afternoon Wednesday verdict in Simi Valley , any Korean would have been fair game . It was the acquittal of the four policemen who beat Rodney King that touched off the most lethal urban riot in American history ( 50 dead , the majority of them black and Latino ) , but the memory of the killing of Latasha Harlins was as potent a spark in igniting the intifada . In 1990 , Harlins , a teenage black girl , was shot to death by Soon Ja Du , a Korean store owner in South Central .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
Yes , ' he said , dropping his hands , ' yes , I 'll explain . ' He came into the sitting - room , where he looked round admiringly at my furniture and books . He held out his hands to me again , but I refused to take them . Then he sat down heavily in a chair , and rubbed his eyes with one rather dirty hand . ' You see , ' he said , ' it 's disappointing .
Idiom: get a grip (used idiomatically: yes)
Heaven knew she was no stranger to men 's admiring glances , but they 'd never had this effect on her before — nor anything remotely like it ! And just how was she supposed to stay aloof when her wayward body kept ignoring the commands of her brain ? ' Get a grip , Aurora , ' she told herself sternly as she rummaged in the cupboard . ' You may as well accept that he 's going to be around for a while — until he finally accepts that the club 's not for sale . That 's going to be hell on earth if you keep dissolving into a mushy heap every time he so much as looks at you . '
Idiom: see eye to eye (used idiomatically: yes)
Michael Largey was buried at the City Cemetery today after a funeral service at St Theresa 's Church , Glen Road . BILLY Bingham and Jack Charlton know each other inside out . They do n't always see eye to eye but they respect one another . The odds are stacked against the shrewd Bingham but , stung by Charlton 's dismissive analysis of Northern Ireland 's chances , he is biting back . And it 's not the first time this has happened .
Idiom: come to a head (used idiomatically: yes)
Her father , Stefano , who had listed himself as joint coach , is now once more directing her training on court , while Laurie Schuett , a trainer from the Palm Beach Sports Institute , Florida , has been drafted in to work on her fitness . Capriati 's early - season troubles seemed to have eased when she beat world champion Monica Seles in the quarter - finals of the Lipton Players International in Key Biscayne a month ago . But matters came to a head following her surprise defeat by the 83rd - ranked Veronika Martinek , of Czechoslovakia , in Hilton Head two weeks later . There was obvious tension between Slozil , Steffi Graf 's former coach , and Capriati and between the coach and Mr Capriati , who did not believe his daughter was spending enough time practising on court . Miss Schuett has been hired to travel with Capriati throughout the summer , with a particular responsibility for helping the teenager shed some puppy fat before it becomes a lasting problem .
Idiom: old hat (used idiomatically: no)
That Labour leader John Smith should try to take advantage of the current tide of moral unease in Britain is perfectly understandable , since his party 's policies generally are hard to distinguish from those of the Liberal Democrats and even of the Conservatives . You rightly say in your editorial today ( ' Moral fabric in need of repair ' ) that the sentiments he expresses are not the sole property of democratic socialists . But what is almost laughable is his ascribing ' the strength of our intellectual case ' to the tired old - hat waffle you print in the article today , ' Onward Christian socialists ' . Mr Smith assures us that this ' strength ' is because the Labour Party owes more to Methodism than to Marxism . It shows .
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
However , some find it hard to adapt as the required writing style is different as are planning horizons and work routines . As the wide range of qualities and skills quoted above illustrate , relevant experience can be obtained from almost any background ; personality is really of far more importance , together with a sense of empathy and the ability to be adaptable . It goes without saying that an ability to write and speak fluently is vital . 6.9.5 THE USE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANCIES In some situations , it is more cost effective to use a PR consultancy , especially in areas where the organisation is inexperienced ( e.g. the City or Parliament ) .
Idiom: under the influence (used idiomatically: yes)
They vary in characteristics and in the amount of responsibility they require . Close and intimate friendships are characterised by commitment and vulnerability . We are committed and open to each other in a way which brings us under the influence of the other 's ethics and direction in life . Checking the Foundation One thing is clear , the major requirement for deepening a friendship should be the possession of the same basic goals for our lives .
Idiom: cheek by jowl (used idiomatically: yes)
Two girls , who both turned out to be called Fiona , were still unpacking the stock . The flavour of the booth was political : memoirs by forgotten Cabinet Ministers , Night and Day by Nicholas Ridley , The Hand on the Tiller by Sir Norman Fowler and Leading Man by Cecil Parkinson , stood shoulder to shoulder with a company of Archers . What Every Woman Wants by Edwina Currie stood cheek by jowl with a thriller by Douglas Hurd . There were stacks of unreadable pamphlets produced by the Party 's Young Turks , and a remaindered copy of a Michael Heseltine . Joshua asked one of the Fionas if she sold fiction .
Idiom: get stuck into (used idiomatically: yes)
fetch all the tools up and everything Go get your dad one . for victory , because I 'd like to get stuck into that and out of the way before I come up next Friday . Is the train acceptable to sleep on ?
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
Should you be speaking to them personally ? Well research suggests that something like eighty eight percent , that 's research by Klaus and Bass , Klaus and Bass nineteen eighty - eight , actually I may have got that date wrong so I 'm not sure you should quote the date , anyway it 's Klaus and Bass . Eighty three percent of communication in a in a sample organisation was face to face rather than with memoranda . The general preference was that if the message or the information was ambiguous , it was preferable to use oral forms of communication . So if it 's an ambiguous message go and tell somebody about it so it can be clarified .
Idiom: come full circle (used idiomatically: yes)
The doctors , the architects , and , after 1987 , the legal profession were all to face the same mood of antagonism . No group in society , however , symbolized the alienation of key institutions from the government more clearly than did the university teachers . The wheel had come full circle since the heady days of expansion after the Robbins Report in 1963 . In the sixties , the universities acquired a public esteem unique in British history . Now , in the bitter 1980s they found themselves facing the impact of annual cuts in real funding , and pressures to apply new codes of managerial techniques and short - term profit - making out of tune with the traditional practices of British universities .
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: yes)
He should also be an accomplished communicator so that players are able to comprehend complicated positional roto - combinations with defensive and forward deviations outside the norm . U = UNDERSOIL HEATING Unbelievably , there are some among us who will stop at nothing to keep a game on . In the past , when a postponement was to our obvious advantage , I have had to physically restrain fanatical supporters from going out in freezing conditions to shovel snow off the pitch . Any supporter doing so is now banned for life .
Idiom: press the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
The juice of a raw potato contains anti - inflammatory properties which will soften , tighten and slightly whiten skin . As a treat for puffy eyes and dark shadows , grate half a raw , peeled potato , then leave it on a saucer until the juice collects . Drain it off , pressing the flesh to squeeze out as much juice as you can ; chill the juice before patting it gently around eyes . Leave it to dry , then rinse off . A slice of raw potato placed over a bruise helps to take the blue - blackness out .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
Sometimes , when one meteorite is discovered another may be visible nearby , but much more commonly four searchers may ride abreast over long stretches of blue ice and drifting snow before anyone sees a meteorite . Few thrills can compare with that . After travelling halfway around the globe to one of the remotest spots on Earth , encasing oneself in goosedown against the cold , mounting a snowmobile and riding through the vastness , the glimpse of a dark object starts the heart pounding . Racing toward it , the excitement grows as one sees it is not a shadow , not a glacial cobble , but a meteorite — a piece of rock from another planet ! Sometimes in the wind and cold of the ice fields , a meteorite hunter ( who is never allowed to touch a specimen by hand or glove ) may misidentify a weathered specimen and ship a terrestrial ‘ trash rock’ to Houston .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: yes)
I did n't know what to do with it . so surprised But I said , well look , I think I 'd better put it in my bag , do n't you , it wo n't do any harm there . And , he looked at me , and said , I 'm sorry . But then behind me came a lot of other lads ,
Idiom: white hat (used idiomatically: yes)
Did you get a hat then ? No , I had a look ha , in Rackhams again . Erm , I saw a few white hats but erm I tried a couple on , I thought one would have suited me , but it did n't . Did n't suit me at all . Anyhow , so I did n't , I did n't bother .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
That apart , however , the strengths and weaknesses identified by members of the library committee in the implementation of the school 's library / resource policy have much in common with themes identified in the other three schools , and these will be drawn upon to inform the final section of this chapter . School G School G is a mixed 11–18 comprehensive with 1,500 pupils on its roll . It is situated in a new town and has a high proportion of pupils from the lower socio - economic status groups . Prior to its involvement in the ESSE / L Project , School G had already developed its library resources and had nurtured some significant resource - assisted curriculum initiatives .