Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
When it slammed behind him she let out a long , shaky breath and felt blindly for a chair , afraid she 'd collapse without some means of support . He 'd done it again — made her lose her temper all over again , and she could n't even understand why . She 'd always known she possessed a temper , of course ; but , after one horribly painful childhood incident that was still burned into her memory like a scar , she 'd fought hard to master it , refusing ever again to let anger get the better of her . Until Dane Jacobsen had barged into her life she 'd done pretty well , too , she thought darkly — but he had a peculiar knack of stripping away those carefully constructed defences , to reveal the real emotions underneath . It could all have been so different .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: no)
The Plant Records Database is a large , developing , computer database of information relating to plants in RBGE . It will increasingly be used in support of taxonomic and other research in RBGE , and for national and international data exchange , together with new taxonomic databases . In the long term , electronic scanning and linking to an image database could provide a secure back - up to the herbarium collection , a means of transmitting images to other institutions , and a method for collaborative working between institutions using real - time computer conferencing . In the shorter term , the equipment required by the Library for Archive microfilming could be used by the Herbarium for the production of type catalogues on fiche , monographic fiche sets and other purposes . 2.7 Horticultural information
Idiom: make a move (used idiomatically: yes)
( Like many British design engineers at the time — and unlike Continental or American ones — he had no university training and had come up through the usual apprenticeship route with evening and part - time study . ) He took Pask 's conservative philosophy even further by stressing that even in less strained times Britain should not pioneer technology , but should let America develop experience and then copy the designs . He and his colleagues were well aware of the more rapid progress in America , and there were regular transatlantic visits by headquarters engineers , but only when they were quite sure of new techniques and had discussed them thoroughly with the British manufacturers were they prepared to make a move . There were some engineers who wanted more experimentation and more rapid adoption of larger sizes or re - heat , arguing that , while Britain had at last caught up with American levels of thermal efficiency in 1938 , she was now again falling behind . Given Shakeshaft 's conservatism , and the BEA 's long power station construction times , relative backwardness was indeed inevitable , since it effectively placed eleven years between the trial of new technology in America and its first adoption in Britain .
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
Nevertheless , Enercon is still working feverishly on the offshore boom , albeit only with tests on dry land for the time being .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
" I 'm new to all this , I 'm sorry . Who do n't you make a suggestion ? " She - She : " If you give the fifty cash , then seventy - five on the card plus the credit supplement which is 15 per cent else we lose on the rental or we have a spa - cheque policy which works out the same minus the 15 per cent with a ten - dollar supplement . It makes no difference with a gift this size . " …
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
The Port remains the largest importer of animal feed stuffs in Ireland and with its silo and warehouse accommodation is uniquely placed to serve Northern Ireland 's largest single industry — agriculture . Over one million tonnes of agricultural related products pass over the quays in Belfast each year . The export of high quality quarry stones and gravel mainly for road construction in South East England is a trade which is going from strength to strength . From a modest start five years ago when 30,000 tonnes were handled the business has grown to 400,000 tonnes per annum . This is a major boost to the Northern Ireland quarry industry and the Port of Belfast means to play its full part in seeing that this export trade is expanded even further in the years ahead .
Idiom: at a loss for words (used idiomatically: yes)
' And what 's this ? ' her father said , almost too quietly . ' What have we here then ? ' Ellie turned and looked at him , at a loss for any words . ' Pa , ' was all she managed . ' I did n't hear you . '
Idiom: jack of all trades (used idiomatically: yes)
Agriculture was beginning to change dramatically as well and after two hurricanes which almost wiped out the flourishing egg industry many farms built more substantial hen houses out of concrete blocks and the poultry were kept inside all the time in what was known as deep litter houses . It was also discovered that egg production could be boosted by leaving lights on in the houses all night to fool the hens into thinking that it was still daylight . The biggest breakthrough in the farm came with the arrival on the scene of a small grey tractor called a Fergie and it seemed as though almost everybody had at least one and it became the jack of all trades on the farm and implements which had previously been pulled by horses had their shafts removed and couplings were made to fit them behind the tractor . And when it was n't working on the farm a transport on the back and a bag of straw to sit on and it became the family 's personal transport . A new motor car was for many a luxury that would have to wait for another day .
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
More than one in ten of youngsters now gets clothes from Adams . WORTH A PACKET THE great British biscuit goes from strength to strength . In 1991 we munched a record £ 1.4 BILLION worth of them . Foreigners also love our digestives and custard creams .
Idiom: come to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
Sexual Love It is obvious that one chapter in a workbook can not be very comprehensive on any one subject and we certainly hope that you will be involved in some further reading from the suggested reading list . However , it is possible to come to grips with the key factors to facilitate meaningful negotiation . The two most important factors about sexual relations are : Fulfilling sexual relations are the result of giving rather than getting . Men and women are different .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
Serious illness can strike anyone , and seriously ill people , as a rule , do not earn much money . The longer the seriously ill are untreated , the more costly their eventual treatment and maintenance become . Private savings , as a rule , can pay the costs of treatment only for the thrifty and the well - off . So , unless we adopt the view that those without ample savings who fall seriously ill should quickly die ( and so decrease the surplus population ) , a country with national health ~ insurance will be a wealthier and more successful country . These arguments were entirely convincing to Bismarck .
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
I mean thank God I 'm not broke I 'm not I 'm not skint I 'm alright thank you . This is just gon na secure my future when I retire . The government 's so called mum 's army proposals have come under fire at a meeting of teachers and councillors in Nottingham this afternoon . They 're angry over plans aimed at encouraging parents to take up teaching in primary schools . Just knowing children does not mean that you can teach , that you will be au fait with all the intricacies of the National Curriculum , that you have any degree of pedagogical skill .
Idiom: lie low (used idiomatically: yes)
Roy Porter His mother died when he was five . After an education in France , Wharton briefly sat as an MP in the Parliament of 1680 as member for East Grinstead , before a hotheaded pro - Exclusionist speech forced him to lie low . He became involved in business ventures , such as wreck - salvaging and deep - sea diving , though these proved unprofitable . On his father 's death in 1696 he inherited estates in Buckinghamshire .
Idiom: go overboard (used idiomatically: yes)
ALMOST a year remains before the 200th anniversary of Mozart 's death on December 5th . Yet for months the world 's promotions industry has been busy marking — and marketing — the event . All is not lost ; the mania is not an epidemic : this weekend ( January 27th ) is the 235th anniversary of the composer 's birth , and only Britain 's Radio 3 went overboard on it . But throughout the year — grandly proclaimed as ‘ Mozart Year’ by some kind of promotional General Will — the world will be in grave danger of suffering from surfeit . It will be more difficult than ever to see the composer as he really was , and is .
Idiom: neither here nor there (used idiomatically: yes)
And therefore my no listen to my point , therefore my birthday comes later than anyone else 's therefore I 'm gon na be one of the last people to learn how to drive , therefore I 'm gon na want the car as soon as possible . The last person to learn how to drive by about what , five months ? Neither here nor there . Yeah . I mean I suppose it means that I can drink and they can drive .
Idiom: cog in the machine (used idiomatically: yes)
5 . It may lead to lack of motivation . Individuals may be seen as ‘ cogs in the machine’ and one of the major criticisms of Taylor 's approach was that he had a tendency to treat workers as automatons who would respond to financial incentives automatically . 6 . Individuals lower down the organisation may be given little responsibility with few decisions delegated down the organisation to them .
Idiom: Dutch courage (used idiomatically: yes)
Adrenaline and noradrenaline produce hyperalertness , increased heart rate and blood pressure . The symptoms are close to what a soldier feels before battle . Seeking a quick fix for your anxiety , you knock back a couple of brandy and sodas : Dutch courage . Nothing wrong with this ; alcohol is a neurodepressant , knocking out the complex brain circuits involved in civilizing behaviour — the obedience to convention , the shyness , the fear of rejection . Once you have nudged these aside , your ego can dismiss ‘ what I should do’ and get on with ‘ what I want to do’ .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: no)
We could probably only charge about £ 4 a ticket , so even if we could do an Eastern European tour , we 'd lose so much money on it . In fact we just could n't do it . You see , with costs like this , even if you take a few days off you 're a million quid in the hole!’ Every once in a while an album captures the public 's imagination in a big way . Whether it 's simply the right songs by the right band at the right time , who knows .
Idiom: marching orders (used idiomatically: yes)
Before the Vancouver summit with Boris Yeltsin , the Russian leader , he was devoting a third of his time to the summit agenda . In the second two weeks of April , he was locked in meeting after endless meeting on Bosnia . One consequence of time spent on foreign policy is that there are still subjects on which the president himself has not laid down detailed marching orders to his staff . Trade policy is one of these issues . With the exception of preparation for his meeting with Kiichi Miyazawa , the prime minister of Japan , he has still not had a full - blown meeting on trade with his economic team .
Idiom: cold feet (used idiomatically: no)
There ; did it . He was aware of the lath and plaster clinging to the bottom of the joists ; put a foot through that and you 'd be right through the ceiling below ; chap could fall slap into the bath from here , probably ; or into the twins ' room , maybe ; perish the thought ; daddy coming crashing through the ceiling , give the little perishers nightmares for the rest of their lives . He swivelled from joist to joist , raker to rafter , feeling horribly like a monkey and getting very cold feet in the process even though he was breaking out in a sweat at the same time . His knees and his neck were making ghastly creaking noises and protesting like hell . He looked back at the light coming from the observatory cupboard , now a good twenty feet away , and thought about going back ; this whole prank was becoming a bit much , really .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
They would like to . Mm . I do n't know if , but it 's on the cards that one could . Oh . Roy 's idea was that er might get some highly paid job in industry .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
It sounded like a body being thrown against the wall . ' Spike , I 'm coming , ' she shouted . She turned the next corner . She ran . Spike lay propped against a wall .
Idiom: shut the door on (used idiomatically: yes)
Stop looking outside yourself . There is no one that will give you the keys to paradise . It is you , having shut the door on your fears which have hitherto ruled your life , who can open a new door . The first step is the hardest . Imagine that when you come home from a holiday , your house has been taken over by squatters .
Idiom: in the driver's seat (used idiomatically: no)
THERE is a new surge in demand in the States for Porsche cars after a Carolina woman revealed how the body of her '91 Carrera survived three shots from a. 44 Magnum fired by her ex-husband . Porsche Cars North America says the woman was sitting in the car with a friend when her ex-husband opened fire . Two shots hit a cross beam in the driver 's door and one skewered the roof and hit a headrest , although a steel plate in the seat saved any injury . ‘ Fleet sales have gone up considerably , ’ says spokesman Bob Carlson , adding that the Brink's-Mat security firm has just ordered 20 cars . Windsor In Flames commemorative mug
Idiom: take it from me (used idiomatically: yes)
But after that , there was old age and an incompetent grandson and vassaldom under Canute and then a King of Alba who did half his ruling from Orkney . What makes it your land ? ' ' Take it from me , ' said Thorfinn . Silence fell , briefly , again . To look at the six faces opposite was difficult .
Idiom: change hands (used idiomatically: yes)
Other male relatives dropped in to offer last - minute words of advice , or simply wish the party well . Some had brought instructions for things they wanted from the bazaars . Money changed hands . Voices buzzed , then rose in laughter or to make a point more forcibly . Kalchu and Sigarup were only half - attending .
Idiom: go hand in hand (used idiomatically: yes)
He is ordinarily a priest . What is the underlying theology which enables the churches to recognize sanctity in this way ? It is based on the assumption that the sacred is better than the secular , that the Church is essentially European and only universal by implication , that celibacy is better than marriage , that belief can not go hand in hand with doubt , that the clerical state is more sublime than the lay , and hence that women are excluded from belonging at the level at which this belonging is most valued . Not only is this thinking hierarchical , it is also dualistic . Hidden divisions are taken for granted .
Idiom: rough edges (used idiomatically: yes)
In addition , there was the studio in Carno and Laura herself in France . This meant many of the staff could be travelling for days on end , racing against deadlines , and , just when they were at their most exhausted , might receive a summons to fly to France the next day , which usually meant leaving at 5.30 am . ‘ All the people who worked with Laura in those years experienced the rough edge of her humour at some time or other , usually when you were so run down and exhausted , after four or five days travelling with no proper sleep , that you could not fight back.’ Laura 's anger would usually come in an icy blast on the telex for all to see , invariably concerned with a project she had decided she no longer approved of , ‘ It was like a burning spear going through you , you felt sick for three days . She could denigrate one 's whole being into nothingness,’ is how a senior member of her design team described it .
Idiom: in Dutch (used idiomatically: yes)
He always , well we not always often , very often , spoke Dutch with each other . Did you ? Yes , because of , we were in school together in Dutch and on the way home we were with Dutch friends , so we then , and we mostly spoke Dutch and now , since I , so it 's nearly , since now seven years have been , since I have gone to States , first year in eighty three , came back in eighty four , and since then we 've never , ever spoke Dutch . Erm , yes , yeah yes . Yes I see now , ah , yeah .
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Yeah . I get help from Dick Shurman , the co - producer ; he 's got a big record collection . And we get songs that people send into the office and once in a while we 'll come up with something that somebody just sends us . But mostly it 's either something I 've written or something old . Actually I 'm trying to find more writers who are around now , but it 's hard to find someone who does n't use all the songs for themselves.’
Idiom: speak volumes (used idiomatically: yes)
Sheffield City Council , which is handling the infrastructure for the Games , has also met problems over one of the showpiece arenas , the Pond 's Forge swimming complex . The project is three months behind schedule and will not be completed until December 1990 , with a cost over - run of 14 per cent , or £ 6 million . Davies speaks volumes Robert Armstrong on the biography destined to be a rugby union classic . BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS TO BE sure of getting value for money in rugby books it is usually good policy to lash out on a yearbook or an expensive work of reference .
Idiom: up and running (used idiomatically: yes)
In view of this considerable outlay it will be essential to attract as many members as possible . 2 Neighbourhood Watch The Neighbourhood Watch has been up and running in the Baberton Mains Estate for some time but up in Juniper Green things have been much slower . However , a number of small watches have been set up or are in the process of being set up and by the summer about 80 % of the village will be covered . This is due to the hard work of the community policeman , Kenny McLennan , and the constant encouragement of Councillor H.D.G. Fraser , it is hoped that the final few streets not yet covered by the Scheme will be included by the end of the year .
Idiom: ahead of the game (used idiomatically: yes)
The precautionary principle is the better known of the two , and increasingly figures in environmental and health legislation . It is normally understood as the Hippocratic Oath applied to the global ecology : above all , do no harm . By contrast , the proactionary principle is associated with self - styled futurists , for whom being “ human ” is defined by our capacity to keep ahead of the game when taking calculated risks , whether by benefiting from success or learning from failure . The difference between the two principles is most clearly apparent in their implications for the relationship between science and technology . Precautionary policymakers invoke scientific uncertainty to curb technological innovation , whereas their proactionary counterparts encourage innovation as an extension of scientific hypothesis testing .
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
But a spokesman was uncertain where , or if at all , the man fitted into the series of events . Six paratroopers accused of running amok in the mainly republican town of Coalisland , Co Tyrone , after an IRA bomb badly injured a colleague were yesterday cleared of all charges . But magistrate Maurice McHugh bound over five of the soldiers to keep the peace for 18 months because he felt they were not entirely innocent . Storm steals show from star trio THE combined might of Hollywood 's top tough guys Sylvester Stallone , Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis last night found one enemy they had no chance against — the British climate .
Idiom: under the weather (used idiomatically: yes)
For example , it is possible that clinical cases are only an extreme form of a normal reaction to the short winter days . It must be realized that many people are less excited about going to work in the dark rather than the light — a dull start to the day . Also it might be that those who suffer from SAD differ from most people only because they are more susceptible than the rest of the population to feeling ‘ under the weather ’ when they do not see daylight , particularly in the morning . If this is correct then there are important implications for people who are ‘ near the borderline ’ , if it is decided not to change the clocks between the summer and winter , but rather to retain Daylight Saving Time throughout the year . The extra hour of daylight in the winter evenings that this would mean would also be accompanied by an extra hour of darkness in the winter mornings .
Idiom: never you mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Mrs Van Smirren , the County Commissioner for Lincolnshire South , also came and Brown Owl gave her a phonetic alphabet worksheet . But Brown Owl forgot that one of the questions on it asked how old you are and that it is rude to ask a lady how old she is . When Mrs Van Smirren returned the sheet , instead of writing her age phonetically she put ‘ never you mind’ . There were Rainbow Guides , Guides , Guides and Brownies from Eagle and Skellingthorpe . I think they all enjoyed it .
Idiom: turn someone's head (used idiomatically: yes)
Repeat the gentle stroking movements , as in Step 2 , two or three times . 4 . Gently turn your partner 's head to the right and repeat Steps 2 to 3 on the left side . 5 . Gently move your partner 's head to the middle so that he or she is lying straight once more .
Idiom: at a stretch (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'm scared . When I first got into this thing I did n't ask too many questions . I needed the money and it sounded O.K. But sitting around for hours at a stretch without a word from anybody I was able to do a lot of thinking.’ She shivered slightly . ‘ Too much thinking .
Idiom: birds of a feather (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh no , no . She 's told them how easy it is . She 's told them what to do , birds of a feather . Yeah , . Well I do n't see why not , if he , if he did .
Idiom: take the bull by the horns (used idiomatically: yes)
Your mother had an amazing imagination — that 's where yours comes from — she could have done so much better with her life … ‘ Anyhow , the problem was that we hardly ever saw any young men , so how on earth could she start courting ? Of course , being the determined woman she was , Nora decided to take the bull by the horns and organise things for herself . We used to sit in the garden for hours going over her various plans to get married . She had a new one virtually every day .
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: yes)
' ’ This may fool it into thinking you are not afraid and therefore more powerful than it is.’ ‘ He thought about this for a moment . ‘ Imagine running at one of those things , shouting and waving your arms . They can weigh up to eighteen stone , it says , of solid muscle.’ He read to himself for a few minutes while William perused the review section , but his agitation could not long be contained in silence .
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ In fact , I 'd go as far as to say you 've got the worst case of it I 've ever seen.’ ‘ Thanks very much for the diagnosis , Doc,’ Rory returned wryly . ‘ But you 're way off the mark . Now — are we going to get on with planning this party , or are you just going to sit there and make stupid remarks?’ Candy shrugged .
Idiom: lift a finger (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Nothing else , not yet.’ ‘ What 's the Agency say down there?’ ‘ They say it 's the Iraqis , but no one is going to lift a finger of complaint even , until the case is watertight.’ ‘ What do you want here?’ Ruane 's giant stockinged feet were on the desk .