Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: on the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
The Treasury pocketed more than £11 billion in duty on liquor and tobacco , but now glumly forecasts losses of about £250 million in excise revenue from the Euro shoppers next year . There may also be good news for those who ca n't afford the average £70 cross-Channel fare for a car and five adults . Trade analysts believe that the competition could force prices down in UK off-licences as retail chains fight to keep take-home beer buyers on home ground . EUROPEAN finance ministers yesterday agreed to let tourists spend more on gifts in the US , Hong Kong and other non-EC countries . The decision to raise the spending limit from £36 a person to £140 means people can now legally bring in cameras , CD players and jewellery .
Idiom: in someone's pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
Tom reached in his pocket , pulled out some matches , struck one , and then lit the campfire .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
As Hunt puts it , far straighter than anyone else has ever dared do , ‘ They seemed to be of the opinion that their drivers should n't be paid . The meeting with Lotus comprehensively wasted three hours of my life . They did n't even buy me lunch — we went out to lunch , but we did n't get any.’ Fairly standard stuff for Lotus , but not exactly what Master James was used to ! Actually , to anyone close to the motor - racing scene at the end of I975 , it was fairly obvious where James would wind up .
Idiom: as the crow flies (used idiomatically: yes)
In 1419 Stephen Ostojić , King of Bosnia , made a grant of land to the south , which took in the fertile Konavli valley , which runs parallel to the coast from Cavtat to the Gulf of Kotor . The islands of Mljet ( 1345 ) and Lastovo ( 1252 ) and the string of smaller islands between Pelješac and Ombla had already been acquired . Thus , by the early fifteenth century Ragusa 's authority extended from the delta of the Neretva in the north to the Gulf of Kotor in the south , a distance of 190 km ( 120 miles ) as the crow flies . The Pelješac peninsula provided an easily defended rampart to the north , and the screen of islands protected the central zone in which the city itself lay . These frontiers held with minor changes until the republic was abolished by Napoleon in 1808 .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
The bartender lent the customary ear , then placated the guest by offering a complimentary drink and snack , using the empowerment code to authorise a small expenditure to retain the guest 's goodwill . ‘ We operate from a comprehensive manual of quality standards listing tasks and procedures,’ he says . ‘ Sometimes everyone becomes so intent on doing things by the book , the real needs of the customer may be overlooked . The way to change the situation is by harnessing staff expertise and encouraging them to become part of the process of customer service.’ TQM is not a domestic concept linked to BS 5750 .
Idiom: rock bottom (used idiomatically: yes)
The hire desk made a phonecall on the first credit card that he offered , and then told him that he 'd exceeded his limit and they could n't take the charge . So then he gave them Visa , which he 'd hardly been using at all , and twenty minutes later they gave him a car . It was a plain , basic , rock - bottom hatchback , but it would do fine for the distance and had the extra advantage of childproof locks on the rear doors . To let herself out of the back she 'd either have to clamber over the seats or squeeze out of a window , and because of the shape of the doors the windows did n't even open all the way . And it did n't much matter because , the way he had it planned , she was n't going to be in any position to try anything .
Idiom: dish the dirt (used idiomatically: yes)
Basham has had a varied career in the field of ‘ public relations’ . As MD of Warwick Communications he advises British Airways and Cable and Wireless . He is often hired to inform Fleet Street about client views or , less charitably , to dish the dirt on opponents . He is in the middle of an unseemly row with Virgin Airways and was criticized in a memo from Lord Hanson to Sir Timothy Bell at the time of the abortive takeover battle between Hanson and ICI . Basham has good contacts and , because of his Fleet Street connections , thinks he has influence .
Idiom: set your sights on (used idiomatically: yes)
GIVE us your hitlist for the top videos of the year and you could drive off in a SEAT Ibiza 1.2 SLXi . It 's time once again for the Daily Mirror British Video Awards you can share in our £ 40,000 prize line - up . Stars to set your sight on include : Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs , Robert De Niro in Awakenings , Kevin Costner in Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves and Dances With Wolves . Actresses who could hit the target include Cher in Mermaids . Maybe Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise , Julia Roberts in Sleeping With The Enemy or Jodie Foster in Silence Of The Lambs .
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
DAVID LYNCH will unveil Twin Peaks : Fire Walk With Me aka Twin Peaks The Movie at Cannes Film Festival this month . Lynch may make a flying visit to the French festival but he 's a busy man , preparing three new films — a real life action version of UK kids comic strip Ronnie Rocket , a version of Kafka 's Metamorphosis and a second Twin Peaks movie . But that 's not all — Lynch plans to make his Twin Peaks movie series almost as long as the TV series with a third and possibly fourth in the pipeline . Paramount have thrown caution to the wind and employed MICHAEL CIMINO to write and direct a movie entitled Heaven Is A Sometime Thing . The movie , which bears no relation ( we hope ) to Cimino 's notorious 1980 megaflop Heaven 's Gate , is the follow up to Desperate Hours , the Cimino remake of a ' 50s Humphrey Bogart classic which starred Anthony Hopkins and Mickey Rourke .
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
Indeed , this week I would like to read in the columns of Exchange and Mart : ‘ Spin - doctors for sale , one careful owner ; low mileage , immaculate grey paint.’ Election Focus : At Last— It 's My Party … At dawn on Friday , John Major came of age , shaking off the shadow of Mrs Thatcher that had dogged him for 16 months . Trevor Fishlock watched him show that nice guys can be good politicians — even Prime Ministers By TREVOR FISHLOCK
Idiom: get stuck in (used idiomatically: no)
A group of , say , four machines gives you a pretty good chance of hitting where you want at least once every turn . Try to make every shot count and concentrate on hitting important targets . If you can take out enemy war machines early on with Doom Divers then you will protect your core units and you can lob a few shots at the enemy 's best troops before the Boyz get stuck in . Bolt Throwers are more like super - archers than the other two machines . They need a clear line of sight to shoot and will tear through several ranks of an enemy unit .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
But even where a case is tried summarily , magistrates still have the power to commit a convicted defendant to the Crown Court for sentence where they feel that their own powers are inadequate . As with the bail decision , the exercise of both these sets of powers can have profound consequences , not only for the defendant but also for the rest of the penal system . In triable either way cases magistrates have first to decide which venue would be more appropriate for trial of the offence , in the light of representations made by the prosecutor and the defence . Among the factors which they are required to take into account in reaching a decision are the seriousness of the offence , and whether their own powers of punishment would be adequate if the defendant were to be convicted ( section 19 , Magistrates ' Courts Act 1980 ) . In practice , the predominant influence on the way magistrates exercise their discretion is the attitude of the Crown Prosecution Service .
Idiom: have words (used idiomatically: yes)
Secondly , the interaction of different components may also indicate that less work can be done at some other level . If higher level components can sort out the intended string from the many false positives , then LA can take fewer risks when matching word hypotheses to the acoustic input . It can aim for a high probability of having the right word somewhere in the cohort without worrying too much about the size of the cohort . This opens up for debate the question of what can be done , at each level of the system , to fix some problem . The first step has been to start classifying the problems .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: yes)
SIMON COX / The Prince / POLLY KEMP/ ' Foolina ' Voice over Anything goes in pantoland ; a curious place where grown men dress up as dames , Australian soap stars flock to these shores and the old adage about never working with children or animals is brutally ignored . This year , Cheltenham boasts a panto with a transatlantic feel — with Dorothy 's adventures in The Wizard of Oz . This version has been slightly customized for a British audience .
Idiom: bite the big one (used idiomatically: yes)
What other art form can do that , trace a masterpiece back to some dodgy Beatles ' B - side ? It 's going to be like fucking University Challenge sorting out some of them , through.’ But while Ride and TFC took the indie way out of obscurity , gaining success by giggling like hell while maintaining a strong position in Sounds ' indie charts , Five Thirty bit the big one and signed to a major , East West . ‘ ABSTAIN’ CERTAINLY confirmed a lot of people 's fears for the band 's identity within corporate confines . Although widely regarded as an excellent ‘ debut’ , it did n't really capture the band 's fiery live shows .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
Landry provides little evidence that the name Sappho actually had the connotation of ‘ transgressive female desire’ . Use of the name was , in fact , standard for female poets . Her claim on this point is doubtful , to say the least . The words ‘ more contentiously’ are an admission that the whole case for lesbianism is not provable ; indeed , with respect to the poem she is discussing , neither Sappho nor Mira woos in any discernible way . Landry reads concealed eroticism in various female personifications , and in a landscape which , she admits , contains at least one heterosexual image .
Idiom: grasp the nettle (used idiomatically: yes)
So lets be quite clear that there is still a great deal of slack in the police budget , whi money that could be used to er , put policemen on the beat . Mention has been made to the paperwork , I think that it 's worth reminding ourselves that a lot of the paperwork that has been generated , is a direct result of Conservative government introduced legislation , particularly cri criminal justice er , legislation , which requires a considerable amount of paperwork , erm , to be completed by officers , quite often in long , in longhand , and not making use of technology , where in fact they er , a great deal of time and effort could be con , er could be er , saved . Members , other members have referred to the crime prevention exercise , I 'm very pleased that this council has actually grasped that nettle and is going to fund a crime prevention co - ordinator at some stage in the near future . I notice it 's not coming out of the police authority budget , it 's coming out of publi , er this , this er committee 's budget . But , we , we really need to er , put the cart before the horse , or the horse before the cart as you may say , I mean , we are now being told by the leader of the Conservative group , that er , we 're going to , we , we should be supporting the idea of amateur parish constables .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
If you have not pinned all your hopes on one job you will be less vulnerable if you are turned down . Make a point of always having more than one project on the go . This will affect your interview , as subconsciously you will not be as desperate as someone who has directed all their energy and aspirations into one make - or - break situation . A ' desperate ' candidate stands much less chance than a more relaxed candidate who goes into the interview knowing that she / he has other options . It will also help you if you are rejected as you will be too busy planning for the next project to allow yourself to come to a full stop .
Idiom: man of the cloth (used idiomatically: yes)
This old sense of the expression was not confined to men . In Shakespeare 's As You Like It , Touchstone 's marriage proposal is accepted by Audrey who reveals her desire to become ‘ a woman of the world’ . Clerics became known as ‘ men of the cloth’ because many types of cloth and weave were once kept strictly for ecclesiastical vestments . Putting them to any secular use was considered sacrilege and was punishable by death . TODAY 'S Book Of Things You Did n't Know … is now on sale , published by Simon & Schuster for £ 3.99 .
Idiom: to the nth degree (used idiomatically: yes)
It lay along the lines of Layton 's understanding of the poetic function ‘ which exists somewhere between fact and imagination,’ as Eli Mandel said of him . Not pure fact , not meretricious research , which observes and ‘ tames’ the insightful - prophetic thrust ; not ‘ mere’imagination or mental excitement — but the fruitful intercourse between the two , in an artistic equilibrium . Leonard could be fastidious to the nth degree in completing his own work — he has always said that he works ‘ one word at a time,’ and can spend months , even years , in adding finesse to it ; he is nevertheless dismissive of anything approaching scholarly exactitude , still more so pedantry . It is not clear where this comes from . There is certainly an element which highly values the proprieties of artistic freedom : a work of art must be a work of free spirit , untrammelled by rules and regulations , wherein absolute consistency — or conformity of any sort — is out of place .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
As the saying goes in the sociology of policing , they had ‘ covered their ass ’ . Moreover , in terms of formal managerial rules , the incident could be shown to have been dealt with in terms of the letter of the law . So the situationally justified actions of the constables had the same effect as the rules of the formal bureaucracy , although this outcome was reproduced in informal and symbolic ways ( on the notion of bureaucracy as symbol see Jacobs 1969 ; for other examples of ethnomethodological and phenomenological accounts of organization and rule-following see Bittner 1965 ; Johnson 1972 ; Manning 1982 ; Zimmerman 1970 , 1971 ) . CONCLUSION The thrust of the last two chapters has been to demonstrate the ordinariness of policing in Easton .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
With Fantina ? Then , he could soak in the vivid feeling of the song until the sweat stood out in gobbets on his forehead and his veins swelled in his neck like vines and Nunzia and Maria Filippa listening would wring their hands , invoking the protection of all the saints against that winged demon Fate flapping at his back . In the city one morning , as he turned the corner of the street into the shade of the acacias on the main boulevard , a woman ran out and plucked him by the sleeve , pulled him into a doorway and snatched his hand to kiss it . She was about his age , and in the chronic torpid state that overcame him daily as he faced work , he could not make his embarrassment at her gesture connect with his limbs . He submitted tongue - tied , and shivered with repugnance when he felt the warm wetness of her face .
Idiom: in the running (used idiomatically: yes)
He won five of the 1988 contests and a total of £42,399 , writes Genevieve Murphy . Whitaker , the European champion , rides the same three horses as last year — Next Milton , Gammon and Hopscotch . Milton 's three 1988 victories included the winner-takes-all prize of £25,000 in the first running of the Next International Masters , which will be staged again on Friday evening . This evening 's opening performance begins with the final of the first Olympic Star Spotters Championship , which aims to give riders of young horses the chance to test their potential stars . The idea has been warmly welcomed by David Broome , who has qualified Paul Schockemohle 's seven-year-old Lotus for this evening 's contest .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: yes)
There were 6,400 claims , or concessions , whose owners employed the miners . 42 tons of gold had been extracted by 1987 with one nugget weighing 63.39 kilos . Soil was scraped away and carried up ladders in bags , weighing 30–60 kilos , to be dumped at the edge of the crater . The mine has since — with violent and fatal opposition — been placed under government control . Landslides had claimed lives earlier ; chemicals used in leaching gold from earth threatened the health of the " garimpeiros " , while mercury contaminated the rivers .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: yes)
thirteenth of the sketches in the ‘ Scenes’ section of Sketches by Boz . Originally published as ‘ Sketches of London No . 19’ in The Evening Chronicle ( see MORNING CHRONICLE ) , 11 Aug. 1835 . Satirical account of the foolishly vain and incompetent amateurs who pay to act major roles in small neighbourhood theatres in London ; takes the reader behind the scenes before a performance of Macbeth in such a theatre . SB 20 . Privy Council ,
Idiom: hit the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
They had lunch with Edinburgh - born presenter John Leslie and spent the afternoon watching rehearsals for the live show . It may have been John 's 28th birthday , but it was still a long day 's work with fellow presenters Anthea Turner and Diane - Louise Jordan . The trio had to pack features about Roy of the Rovers , fly ball racing for dogs and their ' i - care ' appeal hitting the £ 1 million mark into 25 minutes . But the most onerous task fell to Anthea — trying to toss pancakes for Pancake Tuesday . She fluffed it in rehearsal , but pulled it off for the cameras .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: yes)
In this they have the basis to succeed , and one teacher noted after a drop - in day for former pupils : All those people who criticise these young girls and say they wo n't be able to cope and wo n't make good mothers ought to come in here and look at them now because they were absolutely fantastic with those children . The babies were developing properly and being well stimulated and doing the right things at the right age and they were really coping well . Because they have been treated more as adults here , the contrast between this and ordinary school makes it sometimes difficult for them to return and adapt to being treated as children again , so it is obviously preferable for them to continue on at the unit . The advantages of attending a unit of this kind or somewhere that gives similar solidarity and guidance has been shown in a study of schoolgirl mothers .
Idiom: in cahoots (used idiomatically: yes)
( f ) Deceiving a shop assistant into charging less : Bhachu ( 1977 ) 65 Cr App R 261 ( CA ) . The assistant will also be guilty of theft if she was in league with the customer , e.g. Pilgram v Rice - Smith [ 1977]1 WLR 671 ( DC ) . A supermarket assistant , in cahoots with a customer , wrapped goods and deliberately understated the price . It was held that there was an appropriation by the assistant because she had no authority to deal with the goods in this way . ( g ) Getting a shopkeeper to cash a cheque sent to the accused by mistake : Davis ( 1989 ) 88 Cr App R 347 ( CA ) .
Idiom: get stuck in (used idiomatically: yes)
Both females were full of eggs , so I put both pairs in a 24″ × 12″ × 12″ tank to prevent the fry being eaten . The males started fighting , so I moved one to another tank , leaving two females with one male . There is no gravel in the tank , as I find that fry get stuck in it . There are plenty of floating plants for the male to build a nest in , and a cave in which he spends most of his time . At the slightest movement outside the tank the fish now whizz around , bumping into the glass and even jumping out of the tank .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: no)
Mhm . er , the government say to us . And I believe personally in this context it would be foolish , at the moment , to go down a narrow road until such time as we are ca
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Indeed , US country music stations , which number more than 2,500 , are more abundant than any other format , including rock and news . Topping even the pop charts is the balding country singer Garth Brooks , who currently outsells Michael Jackson and Guns'n Roses . Country Music Television offers round - the - clock sessions to its 15.7 million subscribers . And with two TV networks now competing for a UK cable channel , a similar service is set to take off here by the year 's end . ( For a more direct line , UK country fans might soon be able to fly non - stop from Stansted to Nashville , if a Tennessee congressman has his way . )
Idiom: have someone's number (used idiomatically: yes)
' I do n't know so much , ' Fabia replied , and went on to tell her sister about her car problems and how , because she might not be able to get home by Wednesday , she 'd told their mother that because Mariánské Láznë was so beautiful she might stay on longer — and that their mother had assumed Cara might fly to America from Czechoslovakia . ' So that 's why you 're still in Mariánské Láznë and not Prague , ' was Cara 's only comment . Then , as efficient as ever , ' You 'd better have my phone number here just in case you need to tie up with me on anything , ' she decided , and , giving her number , paused only long enough for Fabia to take it down and was then asking , ' Well ? ' ' Well what ? ' ' Do n't be dumb !
Idiom: with a vengeance (used idiomatically: yes)
The Argentinian hero then recommended Willie to Lee Trevino , and thus began Willie 's relationship with Supermex . Trevino taught Willie course yardages , Mexican - American humour and how they could win with a quip and a smile . They did n't win in 1970 , but they put that right with a vengeance in 1971 . And in 1972 Lee 's remarkable shots from around the green snuffed out the British challenge of Tony Jacklin . In 1974 Willie 's caddying career nearly ended when he succumbed to pneumonia and asthma after taking Jerry Heard around Wentworth for the World Matchplay .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
The 17 year old Yugoslav retained her French Open title and her world No 1 ranking . To do that she worked through a minefield for two weeks , finally beating the tiny Spanish girl Arantxa Sanchez - Vicario 6–3 6–4 . Having won the Australian Open and now the French it means that Seles is on a Grand Slam roll , though she swiftly pointed out that Wimbledon 's grass might be her downfall . But was she trying to confuse the plot by saying : ' I know that it is impossible for me to win four Grand Slam tournaments this year . ' Some burning sun , black clouds , rain and wind were the backdrop to another highly agreeable fortnight in Paris at just about the perfect time of year .
Idiom: under the table (used idiomatically: yes)
Thank God they were n't jazz fans . I 'd seen Bunny arrive , take one look around the pub and decide against it . He stuffed his sax case under a table and ordered a pint at the bar , moving ever so casually towards two women sitting by themselves on high stools . They 'd gone to the loo together by the time I joined Bunny . Maybe he was losing his touch .