Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: break someone's heart (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We can not afford to lose Kenton Ward.’ Housewife Vanessa MacMahon , 38 , whose three - year - old daughter Katharine has leukaemia , said : ‘ You can phone Katharine 's doctor at any time with any problem and she is only too glad to help . ‘ Kenton Ward is like our second home and it would break our hearts if it closed.’ Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley has promised no hasty decision will be taken over the hospital 's future . Rowan Atkinson
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
Trip wire was found on several of the approaches to its set . It 's used to disturb vegetation and alert badger baiters waiting with their dogs . A woman whose husband was killed in a motorway pile - up in thick fog is taking legal action against two other motorists involved in the crash . Graham Branch was one of ten people who died . 13 March 1991/ROBIN POWELL / Reporting
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
We do n't want number three now . I know , but can I just have a burst of adverts ? You know all the adverts off by heart some adverts Cleared out my locker I put all the that 's what I 'm doing Well she 's the woman , I've just realized that , look , look .
Idiom: to a turn (used idiomatically: yes)
Streets were draped in swags over the windows and doors , with branches of lemon pinned to them . Trestle tables in the courtyard were laid with crockery loaned by neighbours and foods brought by relations : carta di musica , the local unleavened bread ; pecorino sardo , the salty ewes ' cheese of the island ; olives and salami to keep hunger pangs at bay . Kid and suckling pig were done to a turn on spits attended by uncles and a rapt audience of neighbourhood dogs . Women drifted in and out of the house and nearby kitchens carrying pasta and salads , clearing plates and replenishing baskets of bread . Babies belched and slept .
Idiom: no man's land (used idiomatically: yes)
His rifle Is a Thames turd And away downwind he runs , over no - man 's - land , In a shouting flight From his own stink
Idiom: come unstuck (used idiomatically: yes)
But no matter . So when the Trunchbull sat down on the Golden Syrup , the squelch was beautiful . And when she jumped up again , the chair sort of stuck to the seat of those awful green breeches she wears and came up with her for a few seconds until the thick syrup slowly came unstuck . Then she clasped her hands to the seat of her breeches and both hands got covered in the muck . You should have heard her bellow.’
Idiom: under the table (used idiomatically: yes)
Aunt Margaret presided over the table with placid contentment , urging them to eat with eloquent movements of the eyes and hands . The children ate hungrily , relaxing over the meal ; she must , thought Melanie , be nice if she cooks so well . When the pie finally changed places with the cake on the sideboard and they all had second cups of tea , the dog , judging it would get no more scraps , came from under the table , stood on three legs to scratch its left ear , shook itself and clawed the door , whining . Finn opened the door and the dog went out , wagging its tail . ‘ It takes itself for a little walk at night .
Idiom: in full swing (used idiomatically: yes)
On the surface , such thinking may seem reasonable . In China ’s top - down political system , a unified leadership is seen as fully capable of forcing the bureaucracy to comply with its wishes . With Xi ’s anti - corruption campaign in full swing , and the example of Bo ~ Xilai ’s imprisonment serving as a warning to the new president ’s adversaries ( no matter how senior they are ) , Chinese officials at ~ all levels , it is widely believed , are likely to toe the line . Unfortunately , this view is both too sanguine and naïve . It overestimates the effectiveness of anti - corruption campaigns in contemporary China ( there have been many in the last three decades ) , and it overlooks the political sources of the country ’s economic slowdown .
Idiom: easier said than done (used idiomatically: yes)
The judge of the regality court of Lennox was James Graham , an advocate closely connected to the Montrose family and its interests , but much of the day - to - day business of his court was actually performed by Woodrop , who was Graham 's substitute , and Colquhoun , the regality clerk . In 1739 Woodrop and Colquhoun precipitated a minor crisis by refusing to tolerate Weir 's absenteeism any longer , and the former in fact greatly alarmed James Graham by threatening to resign . James Graham 's solution was to suggest that the Duke of Montrose dismiss William Weir , but that was easier said than done , for Weir had been appointed in order to oblige one of Montrose 's friends , and James Graham had not made a solution any easier to obtain by promising his substitute that Woodrop should have the appointment of procurator - fiscal to give as he chose . Weir quickly got wind of the plan to remove him and discussed the matter with the bailie , James Graham , and the latter had to agree that there was no blame which could be attached to Weir 's conduct beyond his recent irregular attendance , but it was hardly possible for a court to function without a prosecutor , and although Weir was going to have to go , James Graham insisted that ‘ it should be done in the most decent manner and almost with his own consent’ . Weir had been piling one office upon another , and had recently added to his collection that of sheriff - substitute in the Nether - ward of Lanarkshire , although , as his friend Andrew Gardner urgently pointed out to the duke , this was a precarious place which was held only during the pleasure of the sheriff - depute of Lanarkshire .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: yes)
With a membership at the end of 1990 of 103,000 , there exist the closest family ties between those who have served in the RAF and those who serve today . In particular , Central Council appreciates the help , guidance and continued support of the Director General of RAF Personal Services and his staff throughout the year . The RAF / RAFA Consultative Committee is the culmination of this support which continues behind the scenes from Station Commanders onwards . The year has seen continued support of the Association by the RAFA Liaison Officers ( RAFALOs ) with membership from the serving RAF continuing to increase . RAFALOs work hard in promoting the Association on their Stations and supporting the local Branches .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
Sony CD player down from £180 to £130 . COLORVISION 68 Lord Street Sale already on , runs until January 31 . Reductions up to 50 per cent . 14in colour TV down £30 to £119 .
Idiom: spend a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
Will every British high street look the same , with the same familiar handful of names dominating the shopfronts from Penzance to Perth ? Extrapolate the trends of the last 40 years and such a depressing scenario looks like a dead cert . ( Mind you , if you had extrapolated the trend of Dixons sales in the mid-80s , you would have concluded that by the year 2020 we would be spending every penny of our income on consumer electronics . ) But wait . Look at what Geoff Mulcahy was saying earlier this year : that within electronics retailing as a whole , the big national chains were losing market share to independent , one - person operations .
Idiom: heart and soul (used idiomatically: yes)
With empty hands I stroll : Sea - deep , till doomsday morning , Lie lost my heart and soul . Leslie had left no letter for me to read in the event of his death . What more would there have been to say ?
Idiom: belt and braces (used idiomatically: yes)
Can I sell the report if I decide not to buy ? Is a survey necessary at all if the house is new or if a mortgage inspection is carried out ? This chapter tries to answer these questions , to show the deficiencies in the system , and how to use a DIY survey in conjunction with the present schemes as a ‘ belt and braces’ exercise . The foolish man built his house on sand . The rain came down and the floods came , and the winds blew and struck the house , and it fell ; and great was the fall of it !
Idiom: from pillar to post (used idiomatically: yes)
It was partly that , and partly through boredom and loneliness . I did n't really want it . Darren started going to a special school , but in ‘ 84 my drinking did start getting out of hand and I was pushing Darren from pillar to post . It was in October of that year that I got into trouble again , the first time since ‘ 78 . They classed it as attempted robbery , because I never hurt anybody .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
The only hope for firm government , willing to defend the Republic by confronting rightist subversion , vigorously prosecuting reform , yet allaying fears of social revolution , lay with Azaña , elevated to the Presidency of the Republic in May , and Prieto , the shrewd and combative leader of the Socialist Party 's moderate wing . A Prieto premiership was nevertheless ruled out by a Socialist leadership within which Largo Caballero and the ‘ bolshevizers’ were dominant . Unimpressed by Prieto 's insistence that Socialist moderation was the best defence against an ever more apparent flight by conservative Spaniards towards fascism , Largo Caballero , flaunting the label of ‘ the Spanish Lenin ' bestowed upon him by Pravda , preferred to beguile the Socialist rank and file with the prospect of an imminent collapse of capitalism and transition to socialism . As the Socialist left 's relationship with the moderates in its own party deteriorated , so links with a suddenly expanding Communist Party grew closer . In March the youth movements of the two organizations fused , the Communist Youth in effect absorbing the Young Socialists in what was advertised as an act of left - wing fraternity .
Idiom: song and dance (used idiomatically: yes)
He describes guitar tablature in hit song sheet music as ‘ intended for players who can not read the notes’ : ‘ musical traffic signals’ ; and he assumes that the numerous mistakes in the piano scores , for which such sheet music has always been notorious , are consciously planned by publishers , to satisfy the listeners ' ‘ infantile amateurism’(Adorno 1978a : 290–1 ) . In fact , of course , such mistakes result from hasty and inexpert transcription from the real music — recordings and band parts — and are symptomatic precisely of the lack of importance of the score ; just as the tablature reflects a need to direct the player towards performance , as against the way the abstract symbolism of staff notation is focused on the needs of contemplative written composition . Such composition , which reached a peak in the large - scale abstract instrumental music of nineteenth - century Europe , coexisted even then with simpler songs and dances . But functional differentiation of genres seems to disappear in Adorno 's picture ; all art apparently must aspire to the condition of the most ‘ autonomous’ . Yet songs qua songs can not be the same as symphonies ; dances must satisfy certain basic functional requirements .
Idiom: off the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
After all , she even resented him spending his . He theorized that she went into a shop and lashed out a bob or two on something like a tin of baked beans . While she was going round she would collar some dearer item off the shelves , slipping it into one of her capacious pockets . He did n't care as long as she did n't get caught and ask him to pay the fine . He was all in favour of anything that kept their costs down .
Idiom: steal someone's thunder (used idiomatically: yes)
His main claim to fame was that , bowing to postwar pressure , things should never again be so bad . " You 've never had it so good . " He must also be remembered far his housing policy — he stole Labour 's thunder and promised 300,000 new homes a year . But they had to be cheap . So they were cheap , and nasty , and we now have a housing crisis which will endure beyond this century .
Idiom: live it up (used idiomatically: yes)
We had a sherry when we went in and erm bottle of champers on the table and balloons and Ooh . Tell you what she 's living it up more now than she did before ! Well , you have to make something . But they 've got , we 've got a new club here called The Beacon .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
Lt Col GERALD FURTADO / North Cotswold Councillor Voice over Chipping Campden — in all respects but one an unspoilt town on the edge of the Cotswolds . Its only scourge — heavy lorries — rumbling through its streets , polluting the environment and damaging historic buildings . The county council 's already provided an advisory route directing lorries away from the town centre — now it 's going one step further , banning all vehicles weighing more than seven and a half tonnes .
Idiom: out of this world (used idiomatically: yes)
Liverpool have got to play him against Middlesbrough and it is my belief that if someone comes in and does a turn for you , stick by them . Liverpool should do that with Hooper . Stress remedy is out of this world Welsh tonic for spacemen By Gerald Williams Daily Post Staff
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's one of the packages been priced on a forward basis , what does that mean/ That means that the work is not yet er complete er and therefore er we are pricing against an expectation of the likely out turn of cost . Right , well am I also right in thinking that as as a rule of thumb , fixed prices should be agreed before a third of the war , of the work is completed ? That would be desirable . So erm can you tell us what proportion of the work erm had been completed before prices were fixed erm for those packages that have been an and also what proportion of the work has been completed on those packages yet to be priced .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: no)
Clothes are different . It 's a long time before cloth wholly decays — look how long a bag of cement lasts under water when it 's used for emergency repairs to a sea - wall . Tailors ' labels usually are n't printed — the name is generally woven in ; They were n't taking any chances — they did n't want to risk the clothes being identified if anything went wrong . " " Well , something did go wrong — the behaviour of the tide . " Detective Sergeant Burgess went off to report to his Superintendent , and Redpath , who 'd been on duty since midnight , decided to try for a few hours ' sleep .
Idiom: out of the picture (used idiomatically: yes)
But his reference to Caro 's motives struck an answering chill in her heart , simply because she , Robbie , knew so much that Fen did not . She too had been suspicious , for Caro had deliberately misled her , letting her believe she would be sharing Water Gypsy with another woman . And Caro knew that Hugh was out of the picture . Had Caro deliberately … ? Was it possible her friend had been matchmaking — her stepbrother and her best friend ?
Idiom: fall by the wayside (used idiomatically: no)
18 months ' work down the drain,’ he said . ‘ I 'm gutted , but my eyesight 's more important than any mountain.’ The third to fall by the wayside was Lake District Mountain Rescue member and TA Lieutenant Brendan Conlon , 31 , who collapsed halfway up carrying his first load of supplies . A Sherpa also broke his ankle . Although confident , we know the odds are stacked against the climbers .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
He had given up his three stripes to join the Commandos and was now the father of two children , a boy and a girl , his wife living with her parents in Perth . As we shook hands , I said , ‘ For Christ 's sake , Duncan , you have a wife and two kids . You have given up your rank of Sergeant to run all over these hills . ‘ Oh , I shall soon get my stripes back and I shall enjoy the excitement of the Commandos ; anyway my Piper friend , I shall enjoy running all over these hills . I left for the South Coast to join Lord Lovat and the invasion that was to come . ’
Idiom: heart of gold (used idiomatically: yes)
by Mike Capuzzo In his life , as in his art , Seth Morgan created an appealing fiction — the same appealing fiction . His legacy as an artist is contained in a single novel , Homeboy , the tale of a charming , drug - addicted , dope - dealing , pimping , strip - show barker who finds salvation , gets the girl ( the whore with the heart of gold ) , and rides his motorcycle into the sunset and , presumably , a happy ending . Seth was himself a charming drug - addicted , dope - dealing , pimping , strip - show barker who found what looked like salvation and wrote the novel that won him acclaim and rebirth . Then he got the girl ( the bartender with the heart of gold ) and rode his motorcycle into … well , an ending .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: no)
We thought perhaps we can use that as a goal standard , and pick up what actually happens with our project to compare the two . So that 's where we were in the autumn of eighty - eight . By spring of eighty - nine , when the project had started , we 'd gone quite a long way down the road , we 'd decided that we wanted to be looking at what was feasible in general practice . Get this machine working over here . What was feasible general practice , and whether that was the best place to be contacting the local people .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: yes)
And in my mind I saw them reaching between their legs to clutch their precious bags . As a dim , brown light from Juliaca station filtered through the carriage , a league table of the most dangerous Latin American countries was drawn up . It went : Colombia ( ' It 's worse there , they do n't do tricks , just knife you and rob you . ' ) , Peru ( ' Machu Picchu , Okay . But lots of people are n't even risking that , just flying over the whole mess . ' )
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Poor Edie,’ Sarah said when she had gone . ‘ She 's really upset about falling out with Bert . They 've been going out on and off for years.’ ‘ I could n't believe my ears when she said she hated her father,’ Anne said . Sarah shrugged .
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: yes)
I now understand that there will be no review of the future of the Scottish regiments unless there is a dramatic change in circumstances or a change in the strategic requirements of the country . How does he reconcile that with the rather desperate hints given by the Secretary of State in recent weeks as he vainly tried to rally his troops in the recent by - election ? Is it not the case that after all the hype and hopes that were insinuated in the debate , the Scottish Office is toeing the Ministry of Defence line ? Does the Minister accept that there is an atmosphere of crisis within the defence contracting industry in Scotland ? Does he accept the make - or - break significance of the next round of type 23 frigate orders for Yarrow and the central importance of GEC - Ferranti ?
Idiom: burn the candle at both ends (used idiomatically: yes)
and granddad Pat was saying that there 's , Steven Fry on the telly he was , he was saying he made , ha I think he said he made half a million pounds out of something and he was , he says I 'd like to join go into parliament as a Labour thing , granddad says oh that 'll be really sensible , he said you 'll loose half of that money if you do that yeah yeah he 's one of the few doctor 's that 's not seemingly not all for what he can get , he seems to be a genuine caring chap I mean a lot of doctor 's they burn the candles at both ends I mean the thing is though private clinics and first thing in the morning
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
He bowled Emburey at 123 , and Old two runs later . It was the third time in eight games that the margin of victory had been just two runs . The second one - day game in Guyana was played against a background of uncertainty over whether Robin Jackman was about to be asked to vacate the premises . England simply never got going . Only three batsmen got past twenty and none got to thirty , and a total of 137 was clearly a waste of everyone 's time .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
It was like enchantment ; the quiet ~ Square with the fountain , and the garden and the house , seemed the fabric of a dream , which had vanished in the clear light of day .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: no)
I have changed enough now to be shocked by the ease with which I let go of my Black identity , situated as it was in my real subordination on the basis of race and class , in exchange for an illusory equality with white men on the sexual plane . Sexual stereotyping of Black people , conscious or unconscious , was , and is , prevalent on the gay scene . In the final analysis , it is n't much fun to have your personal and sexual identity derived from the fantasies of white men . Black ' macho ' studs , or passive ' orientals ' , clones and leatherboys … . They all represent the obsessional , neurotic and fetishistic sexuality of a gay scene , created by and for white men .
Idiom: pure and simple (used idiomatically: yes)
She sucked in a huge breath , then let it out slowly again . ‘ Listen , I do n't know what you 're up to now , but let me make it quite clear that I 'm only prepared to put up with you for the sake of the station and my job . This is business — pure and simple.’ ‘ I 'm in complete agreement . For the next couple of weeks while I get to know how the station works I shall be like your shadow , Fran , but you 'll have the comfort of knowing that it 's all in the line of business.’
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
MADNESS : The Harder They Come I remember this cover of a Jimmy Cliff song from the non - Moz night of Madstock , and a bloody mess it was then . And , although I imagine a certain amount of tampering has gone on here ( I do n't recall the vocal being quite so clear , but we all like to be tampered with once in a while ) this is still a bloody mess . And that does n't make it a good single . SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
But lesser mortals are apt to need a few crutches . Here are some:[quote]Finally , however much you delay the moment of murder , let is happen by at least one - third of the way through your story . First - class writers can defy this rule - of - thumb , but anyone else doing so risks alienating readers who have come to them for a particular sort of entertainment . I have said : the moment of murder . But you do not have to confine yourself to just one murder .
Idiom: make tracks (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Just you wait,’ he said , ‘ I 'll get you buggers.’ He was a handsome chap in a sinister sort of way , Al Caponish with a dash of Dracula and a smidgen of Rambo thrown in , but he spoils himself being so nasty . When they were well out of the way we made tracks for home and I looked forward to a quiet evening . A bite to eat , some relaxing television , an hour with Dorothy Wordsworth and so to bed . ‘ Coming down the pub for a little aperitif?’
Idiom: in the swim (used idiomatically: yes)
Pre - baiting the mere the evening before fishing . After tackling up and laying your baitboxes , landing net etc , around you , and sinking your keepnet in deep - enough water , you should still have a reasonable amount of daylight left to assess your surroundings . This is very important in a swim you have never fished before ; on a known swim it reaffirms your acquaintance . You should check the rushes , bushes and tree branches , if any , behind you and establish just where you have to stand to cast without snagging when you lay the rod back . You should cast several times in daylight to get a feel of the power you need to put into the cast to reach the swim .