Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: dead meat (used idiomatically: yes)
The increased demand for food to feed the growing populations of the great cities was met by speedy rail communication with the countryside , which allowed the transportation of perishable goods over long distances and promoted commercialization , specialization , and modernization in the agriculture of many countries . In France , for instance , the railways became the suppliers of Paris . In 1889 the railways supplied half the 44,969 tonnes of dead meat and half the 8,013 tonnes of cheese imported into the capital , almost all the 20,899 tonnes of poultry and game and the 15,694 tonnes of fruit and vegetables , and all the 25,215 tonnes of fish , the 12,076 tonnes of eggs , and the 5,790 tonnes of mussels . In all , 122,243 tonnes out of a total of 149,990 tonnes of foodstuffs of all kinds was carried into Paris by rail . Roger Price , in his masterly account of the modernization of rural France , has demonstrated the pivotal role of the railways in transforming the ancien regime economy of the countryside in the middle of the nineteenth century .
Idiom: batten down the hatches (used idiomatically: yes)
His complacency in domestic affairs disappeared overnight when the news arrived of the fall of the French monarchy . After receiving alarmist reports from the heads of both the Second and Third Departments , on 27 February /11 March 1848 Nicholas set up a committee under Menshikov to recommend ways of limiting the circulation of unwelcome ideas . When news arrived that not only France but also the Habsburg Empire was tottering , he became yet more strongly inclined to batten down the hatches . The Prussian ambassador who had thought Nicholas sanguine about the stability of his regime in February found him anything but relaxed in March . The ambassador reported that " The Emperor is monitoring the serious political illness which has gripped all countries , and believes his empire very far from being immune from infection " ; Nicholas was now of the opinion that"Highly reprehensible principles have been disseminated among young people who completed their university courses around three years ago , among people who have lived abroad for a long time , and also among teachers , professors , writers and journalists .
Idiom: down at heel (used idiomatically: yes)
IN THE unlikely event that Stephen Hargrave , youthful former chairman of Pathfinders Group , does not get on with his new boss Hugo Biermann — who recently reversed into the company — he now has another venture to concentrate on . The former writer and fund manager , now deputy chairman of the renamed Maddox Group , has just backed his younger brother , Paul , and a partner in buying the Hush Puppy factory in Kilmarnock from Burlington International , the shoemaker which called in the receiver last month . ' We have put in entirely our own money , ' says Hargrave , who has been far from down - at - heel since Biermann 's arrival . ' As a result , I will be wearing nothing but Hush Puppies from now on . ' City Diary : American code of malpractice
Idiom: man and boy (used idiomatically: no)
Durham and Northumberland . In the 18 years after its introduction ( 1817–35 ) there were 42 explosions and 538 deaths . Between 1839 and 1845 , 224 men and boys were killed by explosions . In 1848 an experienced mines inspector and engineer could write in A Treatise on the Winning and Working of Collieries : ‘ Explosions of gas have unfortunately become so numerous in late years that it would be impossible in the absence of specific records to enumerate them.’ And by 1874 , Richard Fynes , a historian sympathetic to the miners could write : ‘ Experience , however , proved that [ the lamps]were the most deadly instrument ever devised in mining operations and were the cause of more sacrifice of human life than ever had occurred before.’
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
It may well be that the overall shape of income distributions is roughly constant , but that is not to say there is not much movement within it intra - and intergenerationally . Concerning disincentives , the predicted effects of a negative income tax provide an example . High income tax rates above the break - even point of any tax transfer scheme make leisure relatively cheap ( the substitution effect ) but simultaneously reduce income for buying goods including leisure ( the income effect ) . If the income effect is large for those in high income tax brackets , it may not be implausible to suppose that the overall adverse work consequences are not all that large . Critics , however , argue that you have to measure the impact on the recipients of transfers as well .
Idiom: spare someone's blushes (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Pas devant les enfants .’ The girl was staring up at the two of us , wondering what was going on . I thought the best thing to do was spare Oliver ' s blushes , so I murmured something about getting off to work . ‘ No,’ he said , and got hold of my sleeve . ‘ No.’
Idiom: word of mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
Car . Yeah . The thing is I suppose they rely on word of mouth . Yeah Yeah
Idiom: sleep rough (used idiomatically: yes)
We all knew Froggy , a caddie who had worked the circuit since the late fifties and had carried for many winners , including a couple of Open Champions — American , of course— in the mid - seventies . All his money went on beer , whisky and cigarettes , and whatever was left on the horses . He was much respected for his knowledge of golf courses , but was a throwback to the days when caddies wore old macs or tweed overcoats , slept rough in the summer , and in October committed a misdemeanour mild enough to ensure six months in jail to see them through the winter and send them out sobered up and refreshed for the new golf season . Froggy was sufficiently a part of that tradition to scorn the smart and colourful clothes that the younger caddies wore as mirror images of their masters . It was only the threat of banishment from the game that persuaded him to wear the sponsors ' bibs at the tournaments .
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
Gentle giant Q. I have purchased two 7 cm long Osphronemus gouramis , but can find no reference to them in my books . They are in a 3 ft tank with Three Spot Gouramis , a 3″ Pyjama Cat , Platies , and Tiger Barbs . Which of these fish would have been responsible for the disappearance of my six Neon Tetras ?
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Clamping down on the professional foul does not need a change of law , simply a change of emphasis by referees . However the FA is to put a proposal in Rome to modify the offside law so that'interfering with play ' becomes ' seeking to interfere with play'in the hope of reducing the number of involuntary offsides . The suggestion will be coupled with the proposal by the Scottish FA that a player no longer be offside if he is in line with the last defender when the ball is played . Edwards hangs on to shares and control of United . MARTIN EDWARDS , chairman and chief executive of Manchester United , insisted after a four - hour board meeting at Old Trafford yesterday that he would still not be rushed into selling his majority shareholding , writes Stephen Bierley .
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
What a contribution they made to winter fogs , thought Joe . It occurred to him then that Dolly might be under greater threat than he was because she could describe Blackbeard more accurately . He had seen him only in the dense fog . She had seen him , and the murdered man , in the Rockingham pub . Joe had a feeling it was n't too clever , leaving Dolly alone .
Idiom: get a move on (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ She 's right!’ Penry put his arm round her to shepherd her towards the moving row of taxis . ‘ Now get a move on , there 's a good girl.’ Leonora felt better once she was in the taxi , particularly since Penry not only held her hand , but kept his arm round her for the entire journey , taking her mind very successfully off the evening ahead by the sheer joy of just being with him after a week apart . She gazed into his face raptly as he described his clinic the day before at St Mary 's and passed on good wishes from Sister Concepta .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
When in Betws y Coed , an afternoon of muscle - wrenching mountain biking comes to mind . The afternoon in question was spent in a painful attempt ( wholly unsuccessful ) to keep up with a young woman who later turned out to be a champion rider with a European reputation . I 've had my picture taken alongside most of Snowdonia 's summit cairns and I no longer feel prodded by guide books or pressured by time to tick off one top after another . These days I march to a different tune . The national park covers an astonishing 840 square miles — I 've tended to concentrate on northern Snowdonia and even there have barely scraped the surface .
Idiom: sleep rough (used idiomatically: yes)
YOU CAN'T PROVIDE HOMECARE TO THE HOMELESS In other cases people do n't even have homes to lose . Men and women discharged from hospital with nowhere to live , or released from prison back into the community , are having to sleep rough or doss down wherever they can find a willing friend . It is hard for those wanting to make a fresh start , maintain good health and stay off drugs . Although we are often successful in securing accommodation , it is a problem which stretches our resources to the full and we are urgently raising money to buy emergency short term accommodation for people with HIV / AIDS .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
You will have to wait until he starts drawing his pension before getting yours , if you are his ' dependant ' . If you are going to be away from work for a period in the future , you will have to pay the full rate when you return to paid employment , so it might be as well to start now , and build up the maximum benefit . As a general rule , the younger you are , the more likely you are to benefit from changing over to the full rate . If you are over 45 or 50 , you are unlikely to find it worthwhile , unless you had a considerable period of paying full contributions before you got married . If you are about to take a break in paid employment , and know this will be longer than two years , it is always worth ' electing ' to pay the full rate before you leave your current job .
Idiom: lift a finger (used idiomatically: yes)
Such a noise — it seemed to split the sky open . ‘ Enough to frighten the dead,’ Miss Fazackerly said , mopping her skirt and Nick 's face with her handkerchief . He lay back limp as a rag and let her do it , the way he always let people do things for him , not lifting a finger . ‘ Poor lamb,’ Miss Fazackerly said , but Carrie looked stern . ‘ It 's all his own fault .
Idiom: through thick and thin (used idiomatically: yes)
So why should n't they seize the opportunity to boost the crowd on Wednesday ? And they can sweep aside any criticism by declaring : ‘ We are only rewarding the loyalty of our truly dedicated fans — the ones who turn up for every match , however unattractive.’ For years those fans have suffered the frustration of supporting the team through thick and thin only to see the best seats at big matches filled by the detested ‘ fur - coat brigade’ . It 's good to see their interests being looked after at long last . For those still tempted to dither , consider this .
Idiom: grasp the nettle (used idiomatically: yes)
It is a mark of Hilton 's clarity of thought and practical spirituality that he should pick up the episcopal ideal of a composite life - style and set it up as the modus vivendi for a spiritually — minded temporal lord . In the graphic image taken from contemporary devotion of the lord who aspires to kiss Christ 's mouth in spiritual devotions and in doing so neglects acts of charity and so treads on his feet , Hilton skilfully combines all the strands of thought on the roles of action and contemplation in the Christian life as the means by which the individual works out his full spiritual potential ( 25–6.273–88 ) . He immediately commands attention by grasping the nettle of the difficulty that the lord feels in combining the apparently opposing demands on his natural gifts . It is just here , Hilton points out , that his particular opportunity to show love arises . The point of his advice is not just to authorise " medeled liyf " which the lord is anyhow pursuing : He can cut from one kind of state to the other with joy ; this is for him precisely how love is to be ordained .
Idiom: bear fruit (used idiomatically: no)
This slow - growing evergreen flowers in spring . Brilliant red berries follow and these will last throughout the winter . Female , it requires the company of a scented male , S. fragrans , in order to bear fruit . Plant in semi - shade . Height 90 to 120 cm
Idiom: in broad daylight (used idiomatically: yes)
They struck in darkness : the kicked - in door , the burst of gunfire , the hooded killers vanishing like demons into the night . But not always , he remembered . They killed the poor idiot from Sallins in broad daylight … He sucked in smoke and coughed . Too late to stop now ; better him meeting them than Claire , he thought , and drew courage .
Idiom: in the works (used idiomatically: no)
No callouses disfigure my hands , the earth has yet to drink one drop from my brow , in work I am as yet still a virgin - and were it worth the effort , I might make the effort to debate these accomplishments with you at greater length .
Idiom: as luck would have it (used idiomatically: yes)
Did the whole world go mad overnight ? Not quite . Two men retained their marbles , and as luck would have it they 're both roughie - toughie types as well as military scientists — a cross between Albert Einstein and Action Man ! Armed with their newest inventions ( a super - duper jeep and hi - tech helicopter ) they vow to take on the forces of evil and blast their way to freedom — so get blasting ! Controls
Idiom: on the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
Too noisy , too smelly and too busy ALRESFORD 'S hopes for a fish and chip chop in Mitford Road have been dashed . At a New Alresford Parish Council meeting last week , it was announced that Winchester city planners have turned down the application for change of use on the grounds of noise , odours and increased vehicle movement in a largely residential area . A meeting with the area planning officer , about the changing hut on the Stratton Bates recreation ground has resulted in him recommending that the hut be replaced with a building of similar size and in the same location . However , he says that it should be built of brick and slate , access from Rosebery Road should be considered , and there should be 24 parking spaces .
Idiom: have it both ways (used idiomatically: yes)
Women round him started heckling —’ She 's a woman , not a young lady’ , ‘ When did you last boil an egg’ . The man began to retreat towards the door under the hail — I 'm with you , girls , I want my wife to get a wage ; then if she do n't do her work , she do n't get paid — like me.’ As he reached the door , with a variety of helpful obstructions he shouted his Parthian shot —‘You ca n't bloody have it both ways … ’ ‘ Good riddance,’ shouted Sheila . Annie nudged her , whispering : ‘ Is n't it a gross over - simplification to say the working class is just divided between the waged and the unwaged?’
Idiom: lend a hand (used idiomatically: yes)
' No , ' said Lucy , ' I have n't been fair to you . Let 's try and sort this out . ' ' Lend a hand and play the game ? ' Jay screamed . ' You make me sick .
Idiom: straight from the shoulder (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'm not in the business of writing travelogues . In any case,’ she added hotly before Richie could open his mouth , ‘ Query is a hard - hitting magazine , not some woman 's paper!’ ‘ I 'm not joking , Maggie,’ Richie said , looking a bit shamefaced at this straight - from - the - shoulder challenge . ‘ These orders came from the top , as I told you . Old Parnham knows the count from past times and had dinner with him a couple of days ago .
Idiom: pass the time of day (used idiomatically: yes)
The emphasis is on conduct , on leading the reader ‘ on the way to heaven , without intricating him in the labyrinths and wild turnings of questions and uncertain talkings’ . The standards set are severe . We must account for every idle word , never talk with anyone or undertake any trifling employment merely to pass the time of day . The reader is enjoined to avoid all delicacy and niceness in clothing and diet . Each time the clock strikes the hour he should praise God .
Idiom: thick and fast (used idiomatically: yes)
They may , indeed , walk down the path side by side . At the moment , however , the street is deserted , so we 'll come back to this view through the window a little later . I imagine that shortly after Bill and Ricky have arrived , the other guests will start coming in thick and fast . This is what usually happens . But for now there is just you .
Idiom: catch a cold (used idiomatically: yes)
When war was finally declared , Eliot said in an interview , " the conditions of one 's life changed , and one was thrown in on oneself " . He settled in for what seemed likely to be a long and gloomy winter : there was really nothing he could do except to carry on with his job and perhaps do some unpaid war work . In October 1939 he caught a feverish cold ; he was altogether melancholy and restless , and when at the end of the year he was asked to make a radio broadcast , he refused because he could think of nothing to say . Many of his acquaintances were already engaged in various forms of " war effort " and he , too , wanted to feel " useful " in some way . Indeed , the year before , he had spoken at the Moot of his hope , according to the minutes,"for occupation in some form of national service without that official status which might shut his mouth , and that he would be free to take part in any work for the future that was possible .
Idiom: on the button (used idiomatically: yes)
And sew them on with elasticated cotton so that they ' give ' a little . Show her how to start buttoning from the bottom up . Stick a gold star ( or a dab of nail varnish ) on the bottom button and sew a little red thread on the bottom buttonhole so that she does n't mismatch them . Use the same trick to mark the right hole on belts and shoe buckles . Putting on a skirt or trousers
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ He 's a better prospect than Gazza was at the same age,’ said McDermott after the 19-year - old tormented Cambridge . ‘ I honestly believe that Lee is England material . He has a lot to learn , but something happens every time he 's on the ball . ‘ You only get that feeling with top - class players . The sky 's the limit and I 'd lay money he will go on to play for England.’
Idiom: hit the headlines (used idiomatically: yes)
WE HAVE been here before . The delights of all - night dancing parties with weird lights on the walls were discovered by white bohemian crowds in California in the Sixties , when they were called acid tests , and had a quasi - religious significance . It is difficult to deal sensibly with the craze unless we remember that it is the latest in a series of recognisably similar phenomena , which the law has had difficulty in regulating : the early ‘ happenings’ , influenced by LSD ; the ‘ blues parties’ , which were the last to hit the headlines ; the continuing ‘ northern soul’ craze , and no doubt others which even the participants have long since forgotten . The fashionable dress varies , as do the fashionable drugs , but there are always at least two problems for society to deal with : the fact that these events are associated with the consumption of illegal and often dangerous drugs ; and the noise they make . Some acid house parties can be heard miles away across the countryside : the inhabitants of normally quiet villages deserve protection .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
For friends such as Hussa and Maha who had spent a lifetime with the family such formalities scarcely mattered any more . But for real visitors it was a must . Once the men had left , the hareem settled down on the carpet once again . Now the welcome greetings continued . These greetings are always positive , for with these women all life is of God : whatever trials or disasters are endured , they must be God - sent so all is well .
Idiom: song and dance (used idiomatically: yes)
On the remarks that women 's contributions in the field of business , finance , religion , charity work , etc , were totally ignored , I can only assume Alexandra Wallace overlooked the extensive exhibitions on the work of the Church of Scotland Woman 's Guild , Oxfam in Scotland , Amnesty International and the Scottish Refugee Council ( I could go on ) . The weekend was , in fact , a relaxed , lively and informative occasion supported by over 30 local groups and organisations and attended by over 600 women . On a more cultural note , the Chinese and Asian fashion shows and song and dance were enjoyed by all and complemented the many important issues such as safety , women 's health and violence against women which were addressed during the weekend . The exhibition presented by the Irish women 's group focused on Irish women 's lives in Ireland and Scotland in the last century , not on ‘ promoting and peddling pro - Irish Republican publications and propaganda’ ! When it 's time for a recharge on the retreat It can be a break from stressful routine or the pursuit of inner calm , says Aileen Little
Idiom: call it a day (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You would n't know to look at me now,’ she 'd say , ‘ but I could hold them spellbound , the things I could do on that bike in a crash helmet and a pair of tights and a stars and stripes swimsuit.’ One of those held spellbound was the fairground owner , the Great Flaherty himself , who 'd lured her away from her Wall of Death rider and made her his child bride and business partner . ‘ But I still used to pose on the bike for publicity purposes,’ she 'd say archly over her tea and Eccles cakes , ‘ until the varicose veins started to show through me silver tights and Flaherty said I 'd better call it a day and let them find themselves another pin - up girl.’ Through the crowd round the barrels William saw the priest who 'd officiated at the funeral and who 'd asked him about the hymns . ‘ Would you excuse me a moment?’ he said .
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: no)
In the eye of the Common Law there is plenty of land as good elsewhere ; but the purchaser has set his heart on just this piece of land , and damages ( even if liberally assessed , which is not always the case ) are not what he wants . Or suppose the purchaser backs out . It may be of vital importance to the seller to get the money instead of the land ; but he will rarely succeed in getting more than his out - of - pocket expenses . Or suppose , again , that your neighbour has agreed with you that he will not open a public house or carry on a school of music next door , and does and threatens to continue doing one or the other ; or that you have a right to light for your windows , and he threatens to erect a building within three feet of them . In all such cases you may not be satisfied to receive even large damages for the wrong done ; and what the amount of damages is to be may be very uncertain .
Idiom: take heart (used idiomatically: yes)
But the little sod was right — or at least , his side won . This has enraged and dismayed most communicators . But the communicators can take heart . The election was won despite the spin doctors . For months , the spin doctors relied on the training imparted at such teaching hospitals as the Downing Street Policy Unit .