Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: out of the blue (used idiomatically: yes)
Of every ten new over - the - counter companies , at least two go bust " It is the client who bears the brunt of this risk . One punter refers to a typically fateful day : 1 August 1988 - " … the day I returned from a holiday abroad , Harvard telephoned me out of the blue ( 8th April 1986 ) , and a chap who sounded like an enthusiastic young cockney told me how wonderful Towerbell was and that it was going places with top stars in tow ! " My diary of 8th September that year notes : Towerbell shares have flopped ! " Such risks have rarely been emphasised by telephone salesmen at Harvard and elsewhere , except through the compulsory wealth warnings stamped on all Harvard 's contract notes .
Idiom: bells and whistles (used idiomatically: yes)
These days , everything is built - in . Word processors are more like DTP packages , and spreadsheets do just about everything bar make the money for you in the first place . UK company Software Partners ( part of GST , the people behind Timeworks ) has stepped into this bells - and - whistles world with a new and quite large range of simple to use , very low cost programs that are single minded and , for the most part , single use . Have they taken a step back in time , or are the programs they have available up - to - the - minute ? We 've picked out a few packages from the Windows range , more or less at random , just to whet your appetite .
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Well , I try not to stay with the same methods . Certainly when I was setting up my studio in the country , the nice thing was that we did n't do anything standard ; we did n't take anything for granted , whether it was mics , positions of drums or anything . We started everything from scratch , which is nice , because people get so stuck in their ways : you walk into a professional studio and things are always done in a certain way . The guy says , ‘ The drums go over there … ’ and it 's nice to get out of that and just find your own sounds with no preconceived ideas . ‘ For instance , there was one little overdubbing room in Air studios which was tiny — it was about as big as an armchair — but we used to put the AC30 in there and put the mic facing the window and get this amazing sound .
Idiom: go hand in hand (used idiomatically: yes)
As the parson has ever gone hand in hand with the landlord , so has clerical socialism with feudal socialism .
Idiom: blow a fuse (used idiomatically: yes)
Mike Walters Southampton 2 , Arsenal 0 IAN WRIGHT blew a fuse yet again — and Arsenal are fast blowing their title challenge . Spontaneous combustion in a yellow shirt is one of the kinder expressions applicable to England striker Wright 's appalling bickering and back - chat at The Dell . Unless the £ 2.5 million man curbs that volatile temperament , the next manager to call on his services will be Mickey Duff instead of Graham Taylor .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: no)
If I gave an interview I was the greatest guy in the world but if I said ‘ no , I want some time to myself ’ , they would n't give me the time of day . I felt I was being pushed around and lost some enthusiasm . ’ Couples locked himself away in his Florida home after breaking Europe 's five-year grip on the Masters , refusing to answer the telephone even when President Bush called with an invitation to dinner at the White House . His estranged wife Debbie handled that side of his success . ‘ I did n't take the call , I was watching TV , ’ recalled Freddie .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
Today is the 4th of June — a day when Chinese government killed hundreds of people on a peaceful demonstration on the Tiananmen square .
Idiom: make waves (used idiomatically: yes)
This prose is emotion recollected in what began as indignation and has ended as apprehension . I am old enough to remember being an underdog . I do n't want another generation of females to grow up thinking that if they keeps their heads down , do n't make waves and wear the uniform — if , in fact , they are good girls — then the boys might let them join their games . And might even buy them a drink at the same bar afterwards . It takes effort , courage and a sense of humour to love again after a certain age .
Idiom: word of mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
BRAC 's efforts have brought attention to the concept of oral rehydration therapy in Bangladesh , and this may be regarded as a success . However , BRAC was unable to find a wholly appropriate form of oral rehydration therapy to teach to the people of Bangladesh . One conclusion might be that it is possible to define different grades of appropriateness , in which case it could be argued that the word - of - mouth teaching of the lobon - gur solution was a more appropriate form of oral therapy technology than the distribution of an insufficient number of Oral Rehydration Salt packets via restricted outlets . It is to be hoped that , in the long term , the high incidence of diarrhoea in Bangladesh may fall ( as discussed in Chapter 2 ) . In the mean time , however , the attempts to introduce Oral Rehydration Therapy to the people of Bangladesh may be regarded as a partial success , from which lessons can be learnt .
Idiom: on the skids (used idiomatically: yes)
The instrument panel and avionics fit were much more comprehensive than the average trainer , with ADF , RNav , Decca , and HSI and even a radio altimeter . Because of the width of the cabin , nearly five and a half feet , it follows that there is plenty of room to accommodate all this without the panel becoming cluttered . Being intended for private use , the test aircraft had normal hinged doors rather than the sliding option and sat rather rakishly on low skids . The owner treated himself to the luxury of an SFIM two - axis autopilot for pitch and roll control . The AS 350B was granted CAA certification in 1978 .
Idiom: talk shop (used idiomatically: yes)
Er , I 'm in the view , that this er , Environment Department is at the moment , is doing nothing at all , anything that 's happened so far . It do n't seem to be any good at all , whatsoever . So I believe it is a rather a waste of money , it 's just talking shop , shuffling papers about , and we regret that in in the time when er resources are difficult , staffing could be put elsewhere instead of this Right , I note your comments . But do n't agree with them , but were certainly noted .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
The tigress was undoubtedly familiar with every foot of the ground , and not having had an opportunity of killing me at the rocks — and her chance of bagging me at the first hairpin bend having been spoilt by the kakar — she was probably now making her way through the dense undergrowth to try to intercept me at the second bend . Further progress along the track was now not advisable , so I followed the kakar up the glade , and turning to the left worked my way down , over open ground , to the forest road below . Had there been sufficient daylight I believe I could , that evening , have turned the tables on the tigress , for the conditions , after she left the shelter of the rocks , were all in my favour . I knew the ground as well as she did , and while she had no reason to suspect my intentions towards her , I had the advantage of knowing , very clearly , her intentions towards me . However , though the conditions were in my favour , I was unable to take advantage of them owing to the lateness of the evening .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We have seen five consecutive months of serious decline in the European market and it has to be a matter of concern to all motor manufacturers.’ Ford and other carmakers have steadily reduced their 1993 sales targets for Europe , which were once in the 14 million to 15 million vehicle range . Mr Booker said it would be ‘ very difficult’ for Ford of Europe to break even in 1993 . Mr Booker , who spoke at Ford 's advanced engineering centre in Dearborn , Michigan , said if European conditions continued to worsen , the company could be forced to shed more jobs . Patten walks into class room size row
Idiom: on the house (used idiomatically: yes)
Aidan Canavan , chairman of the Dairy Farm Project — set up with aid from the International Fund for Ireland — said : ' The centre is one of the examples where success can be achieved by people getting together to work for their community in a non - sectarian way . It is appalling it should be the scene for this attack , ' he said . Mr Walsh 's murder came just 11 hours after the UFF shot dead four Catholics and injured a fifth man as they arrived to carry out building work on houses in Castlerock . Claiming responsibility , the loyalist paramilitary organisation warned it would continue to escalate its campaign of violence until political progress was made in Northern Ireland . Secretary of State , Sir Patrick Mayhew , has issued a powerful appeal for the community to break its silence and give police vital information against terrorists .
Idiom: fall by the wayside (used idiomatically: yes)
Let his man make his way back there , and let me have the third horse and bring you the quickest way to Ullesthorpe . Give me a moment to wet my throat and take a bite , and I 'm ready!’ ‘ You 'll fall by the wayside,’ said Hugh , laughing at a vehemence he could well understand . ‘ Not I , my lord ! Let me but get my hands on one of that grisly crew , and you 'll put me in better fettle than all the rest in the world .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: yes)
The total recovery of perfusion fluid was almost equal to that infused . After centrifugation of the samples , the supernatants were immediately frozen at -70 ° C until they were analysed . As the assays might even be affected by the presence of small amounts of proteases , phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride to a final concentration of 2 mM ( Sigma Chemical , St Louis ) was added to all samples before they were thawed on ice and analysed . Further details of the perfusion system is presented elsewhere . The granulocyte granule component myeloperoxidase was measured by a radioimmunoassay from Pharmacia Diagnostics , Uppsala , Sweden .
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: yes)
The whole world held its breath and waited , sensing that the battle had reached a crucial juncture . It was one of those rare moments when the clamour of war receded , the smoke cleared and a wise man could take stock of the situation quickly , accurately , and with some hope of certainty . The Chevalier Roget d'Armaniac twisted in the saddle to survey the battlefield . Before him lay a pile of dead Tilean crossbowmen , polluting the sacred soil of Bretonnia with their inferior foreign blood . Their brethren had fled screaming from the battlefield .
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
The economy has moved from point D to point E. Friedman points out that in this economy , workers are suffering from money illusion : they believe that real wages are rising when in fact both money wages and prices are rising , leaving real wages unchanged . In the long - run , this money illusion will disappear as workers come to realise that price inflation is depriving them of their perceived increase - in real income . Inflationary expectations will be revised upwards , eventually to 4 per cent according to Friedman , and the appropriate Phillips curve will shift upwards to curve B. As it does so , unemployment rises back to the NUP and the economy moves to point F. At this point , the actual and expected rates of inflation are 4 per cent , and inflation will stay at this rate so long as the new money supply growth rate is maintained . If the government remains determined to reduce unemployment to U * , it will have to increase the rate of growth of the money supply even further and so push the inflation rate to 8 per cent(at point G ) .
Idiom: for the hell of it (used idiomatically: no)
Date : Thu , 13 Jan 94 10:28:59 GMT Subject : Fantasy Cheat . Just for the hell of it last night I thought I ‘ d go through the scores so far and pick the best possible legal team . So I 'm giong to outlaw this particular selection as an entry . But I may monitor the progress of this team called the ‘ Cheats’ along with our other entries .
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
They do n't want that.’ THOUSANDS OF GUNS were looted in May , more are for sale illegally , but easily , in the ghettos . More still are for sale legally over the counter in shops like the Brass Rail on La Brea , the store that sold guns to the Black Panthers in the 1960s and where I watched white and Korean men wearing jeans queuing to buy . For $ 300 , they could buy a good pistol . For $ 599.95 , the old army issue M-1 carbine .
Idiom: get up someone's nose (used idiomatically: yes)
Quantum theorists hit boredom threshold /How much does a smell weigh ? /Well - fed baboon babies and reproduction /Ice telescope /Supernova ring sizes up Universe /Tunnel through the Galaxy 's fog Technology The chip that never forgets /Brewer 's yeast makes haemoglobin /Smart arm gets up your nose /Geothermal power research cut back /Atomic memory /Bike Bike wheel with three spokes VIEWPOINTS Talking Point
Idiom: in cold blood (used idiomatically: yes)
So be it ! We shall see who 'll come best out of it . But was it necessary to kill my men in cold blood ? Was there no other gage he could have flung in my teeth ? By God , he shall rue it !
Idiom: break the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
In in terms of having that . I 'm sure a lot of , it it 'll not take as long to sort it out , because we 've broken . We broke the back of it a lot on the work that we did for Rickmansworth . Mm . Erm It 's really only a case of each function sifting through the information that they 've pulled together from the annual report .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah , can we get more specific ? ‘ There 's just more things to be taken care of , it seems to me,’ he says , spitting a mouthful of sunflower shells into a cup . ‘ More people are paying attention , so you 've got to be more on the ball if you want to keep doing what you 're doing . It 's too easy for them to find another kid.’ Pitt stands up and asks if I want a full tour of the house .
Idiom: make a splash (used idiomatically: no)
Silas said nothing , and the subject was dropped . Later , she stood on the riverbank to watch the launching of the yellow and black rubber rafts . It was a vibrant scene , she thought , the men in bright red wet suits , life jackets and white helmets making splashes of colour against the darkness of the water , which flowed without the hindrance of boulders at this particular area . She listened while Silas gave them a talk on safety measures , reminding them that if anyone fell out he must lie on his back . He also emphasised the fact that the guide in each raft was the undisputed boss .
Idiom: have the last laugh (used idiomatically: yes)
Patrick Wright has produced a tasteful visual study of Worthless Pursuits ( Penguin , £ 5.99 ) in which subjects such as‘smoking fish’ or ‘ buying and trying to sell Old Masters’are beautifully interpreted in wacky drawings . The Joy of Fax ( Gorilla , £ 3.99 ) is a wonderful parody of the better - known sex books , illustrated in the ‘ Wicked Willie’ style of Gray Jolliffe . Feminist humour is astutely observed by Jackie Fleming in Never Give Up ( Penguin , £ 4.99 ) , where women always have the last laugh . While The Official Politically Correct Dictionary And Handbook ( Grafton , £ 4.99 ) offers amusing definitions such as‘Death : failure to fulfil one 's wellness potential’ . Others include ‘ Crazy : emotionally different and ‘ Book : processed tree carcass’ .
Idiom: in the driving seat (used idiomatically: yes)
Now when she needs a hand , Caroline turns to life chance . A partnership between Save The Children , social and youth services it helps youngsters help themselves by turning moans into action . Really we 're trying to give young people a voice , put them in the driving seat . Gradually it sort of like brings people out of themselves and do you know what I mean , they learn to do things . Whilst as a worker I might see the process , to me very important , I think there 's a lot of concrete outcomes for young people feel we have achieved this , we did this for ourselves , it 's ours , we own it .
Idiom: under the table (used idiomatically: no)
What does four twelfths mean ? Means shared out between four of us . The the people always go under the table okay . shared it between twelve of us . That 's right and how many did we share out ?
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: no)
If parents try to remember their own childhood , and the ‘ feel’ of those childish games of violence and the film or television thrillers they enjoyed , they are likely to think their influence ephemeral and innocent of sinister implications . Serious effects fail to show themselves in the majority of reasonably pacific , law - abiding citizens , who , as a boy or girl , enjoyed the sense of power and childish delight of identifying with a fictional hero . Next to the influences which we definitely know predispose children to hostile behaviour — hostile , rejecting and punitive parents , and ( in the case of teenagers ) excessive alcohol , violent peers and so on— the games and entertainments of childhood seem to pale into insignificance . What is also forgotten is parental choice . We are not passive victims of the television set .
Idiom: grind to a halt (used idiomatically: yes)
By now they knew that we were slightly mad and waved us through . However , the man with the radio at the final door worked for TAP , the state airline , not the airport , so he could not open it for us . Eventually the little bus was summoned again , and we jumped in thankfully and set off towards the plane , only to grind to a halt at Operations again . The officer there apologised in excellent English as I tersely explained that we 'd already paid . ‘ Is n't there an easier way?’
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We are beating them . And if we had more arms we 'd finish them off . We have them on the run,’ Denis insisted . ‘ Why do you think they brought in the Black and Tans ? If you read the newspapers , you 'll see that we 're winning.’
Idiom: turn someone's head (used idiomatically: yes)
Broomhead shifted his position on the cart and urged his horse on once more to no effect . They had just turned into Bacon Street when he heard a loud voice calling to him and pulled sharply on the reins . The tired horse stopped dead in its tracks and turned its head around to give him a baleful stare . Broomhead looked up in the direction of the shouting and saw a woman leaning out of a window on the top floor of Bacon Buildings . ‘ Yer'll ' ave ter come down , missus,’ he called out to her , ‘ I ca n't climb those stairs wiv me bad leg.’
Idiom: food for thought (used idiomatically: yes)
McConkey had already negotiated an attractive deal with a German TV company . Crusaders , and now it seems Linfield , will be in first round action later this month . And that has given Bangor secretary Freddie Anderson plenty of food for thought . ‘ Being realistic , it looks as if Northern Ireland 's clubs will always be in the preliminary rounds of the European Cup and the Cup Winners ' Cup and you wo n't draw a big name,’ said Anderson . ‘ If you wanted to be sceptical , you could say it would be better to finish second in the league than win it .
Idiom: in full swing (used idiomatically: yes)
Pause before following with another five sentences . This particular exercise can be done in many ways , always up to time , always with the first part of the sentence unchanged , although the second part is different : I came into the room and it was full of smoke … and I fell over the mat … and no one noticed … and switched on the light … and the party was in full swing . or again : I looked out of the window and I saw the postman delivering letters .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: no)
LETTERS Cropspray tests We refer to D. R. Goldsmith 's letter on ' Human cropspray tests'(Letters , 10 March p 677 ) . The publication by Rao et al referred to by D. R. Goldsmith in his letter , is based on reports by Ciba - Geigy of India Ltd. These were submitted to the Central Insecticides Board , Faridabad , upon the authority 's request .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet say teams should n't win at any cost If you can waste your money on a charm school Just to learn the way to say ‘ get lost’ If you can wear 500lbs of jewellery If you can drink champagne from plastic mugs
Idiom: cheek by jowl (used idiomatically: yes)
Plainly , Chicago is doing well . Inner - city areas , such as the Clybourn Avenue corridor and River North , are being revived by young professionals who have decided that the suburbs are boring . This gentrification is taking place cheek by jowl with large public - housing projects , exactly the kind of urban renewal that pessimists thought American cities would never again be able to manage . The fly in the ointment , and a huge one , is that this new Chicago , new Democratic party , and new city government is white ( or anyhow non - black ) . The most popular politician among the 40 % of the city that is black may well be Mr Savage .
Idiom: keen as mustard (used idiomatically: yes)
He , and other OSF plaudits , are concerned that Unix System Labs Inc is doing too good a job of attracting the limelight . It 's not that OSF technology is n't good , they argue , its simply that OSF , and its members , have n't done a good marketing job . Now DEC has re - affirmed its commitment to OSF/1 , it 's as keen as mustard to spread the gospel , and Straub for one is busy readying proposals he can take to OSF hierarchy . According to Straub , OSF recognises there is a lot more it could do , marketing - wise , but most of its limited resources go on research and development . He wants OSF to move to the position most companies adopt when bringing new products to market : at the same moment they back their latest technology releases with endorsements and supportive product announcements from across the industry .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
In this ethnographic imperialism if in no other way , the cultures anthropologists study and plagiarize gain their revenge . As Malinowski 's own posthumously published field diaries record , this cross - cultural experience , involving a massive exposure to what we nowadays call ‘ culture - shock’ , is likely to be as gruelling psychologically as it is physically . Foreign communities , whether tribal or otherwise , are no more anxious than you or I to be subjected to intensive and embarrassingly close scrutiny by a tiresome stranger whose aims and intentions may be , to say the least , puzzling . Although surprisingly few of our colleagues have died ‘ in the field’ , it is nonetheless fitting that field - work should have assumed the character of a tribal ordeal or initiation rite the performance of which , under appropriate conditions , is virtually indispensable if one is to gain professional status . C. G. Seligman did not exaggerate when , many years ago , he declared : ‘ Field research in Anthropology is what the blood of the martyrs is to the Church.’
Idiom: ten a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
A few were unfortunate , they fell in love with Russians . Was n't there something wrong with Russia at any time ? Anyway , they would fall in love with these Counts who were ten a penny and even pay for their drinks . I warned them . For every Tiller that admits to sneaking out , two will insist that they stayed indoors every night .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
A Time to Dare NEW ~ YORK – The upcoming G-20 meeting is a make - or - break event . Unless it introduces practical measures to support the countries at the periphery of the global financial system , global markets will suffer another round of decline , just as they did after United ~ States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner 's failure in February to produce practical measures to recapitalize America 's banking system . The current financial crisis is different from all the others we have experienced since World ~ War ~ II .