Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
Camcorder Day One THE arrival of a brand new camcorder is a red letter day in the life of any household . The impulse to take it out of the box and start taking pictures right away can be very strong , and the user - friendliness of these machines is such that it is quite possible to do just that . It is better , though , for you to restrain your natural impatience to make a start , and take time instead to read the book of instructions before you begin pressing any of the buttons . This is important if you are to gain a proper understanding of how to obtain the best results from your new machine , and it also contains some cautionary notes to help you avoid accidentally damaging it through misuse .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
Mm . But I think you 'll find it difficult i in er Scotland with men because er er er , they are , and same as the North of England , they are rather erm er er er , er difficult about , about women coming in to do anything are n't they ? I , I remember being stared at because I was wearing trousers when I came to live in Scotland forty four years ago ! Yes ? Yes , er yes ?
Idiom: every nook and cranny (used idiomatically: yes)
What was it about unashamed luxury , Harriet sometimes asked herself , which made her feel so uncomfortable ? Most people would be only to happy to be able to enjoy such surroundings . A top line interior decorator had been given a free hand when Hugo had bought the triplex two years ago and no expense had been spared — the walls were hung with some of Hugo 's collection of Old Masters , glowing against the background of watered silk , the shelves were lined with leather bound first editions which neither Hugo nor Sally would ever open , much less read , every nook and cranny was filled with treasures and objets d'art displayed on dainty pedestals . The sofas and chairs were deep and soft enough to fall asleep in , a fireplace was topped by an Adam mantel which Hugo had had flown out from England and everywhere there were fresh flowers — long stemmed hothouse roses , orchids flown in from Singapore , daffodils and narcissi and heavy perfumed hyacinths . But to Harriet the grandeur and studied comfort were somehow artificial , the atmosphere more reminiscent of a luxury hotel than a home .
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
Building union organisation is not as dramatic as a riot , but it is still possible and does offer hope where Steve Platt offers pessimism ! Cartoon cyphers While I 'm inclined to agree with Ruth Picardie ( ‘ Mad , bad and dangerous’ , 1 May ) that ‘ insisting on positive images spells creative death’ , and that the protests over Basic Instinct have been misguided and stupid , she really is way off the mark when she compares Paul Verhoeven 's psycho dyke thriller to Tom Kalin 's Swoon or Gregg Araki 's The Living End . Of course , lesbian and gay film - makers are as capable of producing ‘ negative’ images of lesbians and gay men as their heterosexual counterparts . Some would argue that they be actively encouraged to do so — anything to break the stranglehold of ‘ positive imagery’ .
Idiom: give someone a bloody nose (used idiomatically: yes)
In our sample , in the south both have lost virtually the same amount of ground ; yet the Lib Dems have won seats by the handful . Tactical voting is given as one explanation . In their eagerness to give the government a ' bloody nose ' , opposition voters supposedly flocked to the candidate best placed to defeat the incumbent Conservative . But the evidence for tactical voting is patchy . On average , Labour 's vote rose by only 3 % more in Tory wards where Labour started off second to the Conservatives than in seats where it was third .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
First , consider carefully whether you prefer to use the Skat or to play a Hand game .
Idiom: hand to mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
Student A bird in the hand ? Teacher To live from hand to mouth . Student To live from hand to mouth ? Teacher Every cloud has a silver lining . Student Every cloud has a silver lining ?
Idiom: dead wood (used idiomatically: yes)
So Hoover was not even effective as a crime fighter . Summers does attempt to list his subject 's achievements ; it does not take him long . ‘ I forced myself to write a chapter or two about the good things he did : getting rid of dead wood in the bureau ; eliminating corruption among his agents ; setting up a fingerprint system , an FBI laboratory that could serve as a technical resource for police forces all over the country . All that was fine and good , but in the end it 's not enough to have someone who makes the trains run on time . Someone else could have done that.’
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: no)
Statutory Instruments , & c . Mr. Speaker With permission , I will put together the two motions on the Order Paper . Motion made , and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No . 101 ( 3)(Standing Committees on Statutory Instruments , & c . ) . Rating and Valuation
Idiom: dice with death (used idiomatically: yes)
John Hill from Cheltenham is a signwriter by profession … on water he 's three times a world champion … John Hill says he started racing with a ski boat and then when the engines got bigger he had to have a go at powerboating which he really enjoys … and what of the danger … the dance with water is a dice with death … Dene Stallard from Cheltenham is another Formula one racer with scars to show for a high speed crash right here at Chalon … Dene Stallard says three years ago his boat flipped on the water and he woke up in hospital …
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
You used to have to go to London to the Old Bailey , giving evidence and anything like that . I used to go out with the London detectives , and these Cockney fellers down in London , they 'd take money off anyone . It opened my eyes when I first went there . I was at the Old Bailey , spent about two weeks there — I had the London detective with me . I was staying in the police house — they had several police station - houses for CID men staying , instead of going to a hotel .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: no)
He did n't care . Philip rinsed his plate and went out again . He looked down the road but there was no sign of Lee . He was glad . He did n't want Lee coming up with him .
Idiom: foam at the mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
Furthermore , the insurers are judge and jury rolled into one — if they do not think that your case has a reasonable chance of success they will not indemnify you . However , the insurance usually covers not only the insured , but also the pursuit of legal claims by other members of the family . Janet Pressley , of the Legal Protection Group , legal insurers , says : ' In one case our client , his family and their dog were crossing the road , reached a traffic island and the dog went completely berserk — screaming , writhing and foaming at the mouth . ' Our client touched the ground on the island while he tried to control the dog and received a very strong electric shock . ' It was then that he realised that the whole island was alive .
Idiom: all wet (used idiomatically: yes)
I wanted her to come and she never did . She never did . I must 've spilt summat or maybe I trod in a puddle cos my trousers are all wet and cold . I dunno where I am . I think I 'm going some place but I ca n't remember where .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: no)
Well , you should have heard what he said about you , first time we met . I remember him . We were in a shabby little hole in Paddington , and when we came back from the pub that night he went walking up and down that hotel room , sticking his chest out and saying , ' I 'm the sex queen of Bloomsbury . Come and get me while I 'm still hot ! ' Ee , I can see him now .
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
' Sorry ? ' ' When do you want to come and pick it up ? ' I got my wallet out of my pocket and held it up in front of my eyes . ' You 've got it ? ' ' Kay found it when she was clearing up .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: no)
There was a very nice room in Wessex , I do n't know whether it 's still there , but it was the main room , where we recorded We Will Rock You and that was all acoustic stuff — it 's just us stamping on boards and clapping over and over again . ' There was n't a bass drum on that ? ' No , no drums whatsoever — just feet on the boards and handclaps . ' The new album starts with an entirely different version of We Will Rock You , that is to say , the traditional carol . Was that kind of polarisation with the Queen song intentional ?
Idiom: jump on the bandwagon (used idiomatically: yes)
No it 's funny unle I Mum says is it something that 's just been published this year you know , like if someone just published No . and everyone jumped on the bandwagon , or have they all made up their own ? That is the whole point of rap they 're completely personal it 's a personal rap . So we went so and so , that was dreadful !
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
You mentioned the accounts of the Maxwell Charitable Trust as having five hundred thousand of assets , I saw those accounts for the first time the other day and I found that they had five hundred and one thousand of assets of which er five hundred thousand consisted of a a purely hypothetical transfer of an asset from a Liechtenstein trust to the U K trust and that asset had no valuation done on it as far as I can make out a and no reference to any valuation appeared in the accounts , so we actually had B I M apparently owned by a charitable trust on the face of it with figures of five hundred and one thousand of assets , but in practical accounting terms and valuation terms , no evidence that those five hundred and one thousand pounds er of assets had any valuation approaching that figure . Can now , can we actually move on a bit because , that has been very valuable what you said , but in fairness to Mr Maxwell it also has to be said does n't it that up until he stole these assets er this process of throwing organisations , peoples monies into a spin dryer and pulling them out of different sort of sequences was something he regularly did and we 've had witnesses to say how well he did manage the funds and how they grew , whether when they should sell stock and when they should n't sell stock and so on . So we 're actually concentrating on the actual business of that in the final analysis , despite how he behaved , large amounts of funds were stolen and you b you 've kicked us off to a very valuable start about whether that would be harder to do faced with a Maxwell - type character if all of Good was implemented . So w we 're grateful for that . We 'd also for those new pieces of the puzzle you 've given us today over erm Liechtenstein .
Idiom: not to be sneezed at (used idiomatically: yes)
This is all very time consuming . We do still have a few such courses and they work quite well . An additional payoff not to be sneezed at is that lecturers , forced to integrate , begin to rethink their subject ! So in summary , two cheers for integration . ( Sociology )
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
The intensive study of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans derives from the molecular biologist Sydney Brenner . In 1974 , he decided that none of the developmental systems being studied really gave him what he needed for a study of development . He picked out the small nematode that had just the right characteristics , and single - handed , he established a thriving field from scratch . The adult worm is about 1 millimetre long and consists of only about 1000 body cells and thousands of germ cells . In fact , the male has exactly 959 body cells and the female 1031 .
Idiom: get cracking (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 've an idea that just fits the bill.’ He gathered his friends to a meeting They got cracking and built him a cart Round stones at each end with some logs on In no time it looked just the part .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
She bought a pine table from a junk shop and slowly sandpapered it down in the garden , and then sealed it , something she 'd never done before , never even thought of doing before . I was surprised she even knew what sandpaper was ; but I could be such a fool in not knowing people . There were shaky cane chairs to go with the table , which I carried home on my head , and there Mum sat hour after hour , doing calligraphy — Christmas and birthday cards on squares of lush paper . She cleaned as never before , with care and interest ( this was n't a chore now ) , getting on to her knees with a scrubbing brush and bowl of water , behind cupboards and along skirting boards . She washed down the walls and repainted doors smudged with our fingerprints .
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: no)
Do n't forget As a Friend you will receive 10 % discount on all Ulster Orchestra records , cassettes and compact discs on sale at all Ulster Orchestra Concerts or the Ulster Orchestra Shop . BBC RADIO GOES TO TOWN THE BBC RADIO SHOW 11–16 november at the Belfast festival
Idiom: get a life (used idiomatically: no)
Sara suddenly felt pity for her stepfather , bereft of his only , well - beloved daughter . She was too young to be away from home ; he should have been sure of her company for a few more years yet . " I 've got my own life to lead , " Jenny said . " He must understand that . Anyway , I 've promised to go back to London at the week - end .
Idiom: licence to print money (used idiomatically: yes)
Consider Joel Weiner , a senior vice - president in the Kraft division ( you know it , it makes the world 's worst cheese ) of Philip Morris . Weiner says that in the Eighties we 've gone past the ‘ grazing’ stage , in which we picked at this and that all day long , to ‘ refuelling’ : the pit - stop in which we shovel food in our mouths as fast as we can . If speed is of the essence — and all marketing surveys say it is — then the microwave is the manufacturers ' version of the licence to print money . Time is money and , after money , time is what the masses crave most . Ergo , the manufacturers no longer dare market food that takes more than 10 minutes to prepare .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
In a cupboard the girl had found a string bundle which turned out to be a hammock , and she spent hours lying in it . Her mother would have been happier if she had seen her walking or going off swimming , but after all , she was resting and that 's what she had brought her here for , and perhaps she was turning things over in her mind . After one or two walks over the hills together the girl preferred to stay at home so the mother went on her own ; on one of these occasions Peony had actually tidied up and got tea ready and gone a little way along the track to meet her mother when she saw her coming up the hill . And she was quite like her old self again for the rest of that day , her mother thought , showing her a great clump of Mont Bretia she had found behind an old stone wall that went up out of sight across the turf . ‘ Perhaps it was built as a wind break,’ she said , ‘ there does n't seem to be anything to keep in or out except the wind here.’
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
But little of the necessary reading for " Schools " interested me : I had little interest in constitutional development , political theory or economic growth , none at all in the Industrial Revolution and the technical and scientific achievements that ushered in the modern age . I had a romantic , not an objective , conception of history ; Alexander the Great was foremost among my heroes , Montrose was the leader I would most gladly have followed , John Knox was my particular aversion . As a child I had watched history being made . I had seen the march of feudal armies , the victors returning in triumph , captive princes led past in chains . In The Milebrook were assegais and other trophies brought back by my grandfather after he had shattered the Zulu army at Ulundi in 1879 — but I never begrudged those peerless warriors their earlier , annihilating victory over a British force on the slopes of Isandhlwana .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: no)
But counter - pressures are at work , too . Indecision in foreign policy adds another layer to the mound of public disappointment with him . Another Desert Storm , even another Somalia — where the United Nations appeals for someone to help , and America steps up with the will and manpower to do so — might give Mr Clinton an aura of leadership that could help at home . And although the voices from the heartland are reluctant to intervene anywhere , and Congress is at sea , the press keeps up the pressure , pointing to the moral responsibility of solo superpowers to act , and the shame of dragging feet . Find one good reason
Idiom: on the back burner (used idiomatically: yes)
Tom put his career on the back burner and became a house husband , to enable Mary to pursue her career .
Idiom: hear things (used idiomatically: no)
Well , we 've been wondering whether you were still with us . I tried to phone you during the week and mum said where is my little son ? I have n't heard a single thing of him ! Yeah , I know , the week 's gone so quickly that 's the trouble ! How you doing then ?
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
EACH new indignity in the heap visited on Welsh rugby seems worse than the last . The selectors knew they were playing with fire when they decided to arrange a couple of club fixtures and they have duly been consumed in a conflagration of their own making . The New Zealanders , appropriately garbed in funereal black , arrive next week to scatter the ashes . On and off the field the national game of the Land of Song is in a discordant mess . Losing was one thing but to lose as spinelessly as the Welsh XV did to Bridgend on Saturday was to add insult to severely injured pride .
Idiom: the icing on the cake (used idiomatically: yes)
If the same anticorrelation can be applied to the longer - term decline in the Sun 's diameter , it may provide a clue to the dearth of sunspots during the height of the Little Ice Age , 300 years ago . Then the Sun 's angular diameter was about two thirds of a second of arc greater than it is today . And as the icing on the cake , Gilliland also reported a smaller , but clearly present , fluctuation in solar size which ties in with the 11-year sunspot cycle . The periodic variations are unambiguous . As for the longer - term decline in solar diameter , the discovery that started the whole ball rolling , Gilliland was cautious in his claims .
Idiom: not worth the candle (used idiomatically: yes)
You may have to face up to a display of feelings of hurt or rejection ; but if your parent is a naturally unselfish person ( and not mentally impaired ) who had simply failed to realise your need for this degree of privacy and emotional ‘ living - space’ , she will probably be only too anxious to co - operate . If not , you may have to steel yourself to deal with surprise and indignation from her . If that is the case , and she becomes upset , you could be very tempted to drop the whole issue , feeling that it is just ‘ not worth the candle’ . But this is one candle you can not possibly afford to extinguish in your life , for without it you may lose much of the valuable to - and - fro of friendship , which can protect you from isolation , and act as a safety - valve when you are under strain . Your parent 's agreement should be obtained too , if possible , for arrangements to be made for someone suitable to come and spend a day or evening with her regularly so that you can go out .
Idiom: go to ground (used idiomatically: yes)
The old woman lay in her hammock , sleeping ; it was a time when she had taken a heavy dose , and he was able to lead Ariel out and let her walk before him , now and then turning to make sure he was not about to do something to her , put a halter on her or hit her , and she made for the fence and pointed over it and asked him with her hands and eyes if she could go there , beyond the stockade , into the receding forest , where the bromeliads pushed out their stiff blades , and the monkeys nibbled at mango fruits and threw them down when they were unripe with tiny rows of toothmarks like some sharp - fanged fairy child 's , where the birds of many colours screeched . A deeper pink suffused his face , colouring the skin between the freckles of pale orange that the tropical sun had cast there , and he took her by the wrists and said , in English , ' Maybe , we 'll see , maybe one day . ' Then he pulled her to him , and kissed her and this time stayed kissing her , and when she did not struggle , he pressed on , and went down to the ground with her and months of longing for her flooded him almost instantly , so that he had no time to swing with her long , cool firmness as he had dreamed of so often , but the instant release in contact with her swept away all his turbulence . Then , only a beat later it seemed to him , shame and anger raced back to take possession of him again , and so overcome by these conflicting feelings was he that he had no consciousness of her in all this , until he became aware , to his surprise , that she was shaking him out of his stupor , bringing him to her again with her mouth and her hands . He fell forward on his knees and tried to implore his God to save him .
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
But I used it as little as I could , though if the wind stayed in the south - west I thought I 'd probably have to use it for the later part of today 's outing . I did . I had a grand day at sea , but although the tide helped me to get back the wind did n't , and I used the engine to get back into the Crouch . It is a dull landscape here , because of the training walls that keep sea and coast — at least to some extent — apart , but navigation was not difficult . I had to make for Wallasea Ness , which marks the entrance of the River Roach to the estuary of the Crouch .
Idiom: lend a hand (used idiomatically: yes)
Ian is having the day off . He 's fixed up to take someone out — Joanna , I think . So I 'm wondering if you could possibly lend a hand.’ Sophie stifled a gasp . Of all the nerve !
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
No , it does n't say any more than that . No , it does n't say That 's more or less what it said in my book except erm they need to be shaded from early morning sun if there 's been a frost . Well we 've had plenty of frosts but there 's been no early morning sun . I know there 's been wind
Idiom: sweetness and light (used idiomatically: yes)
The whole point is that if power falls into the wrong hands it usually hurts the railway cause . And that in turn does damage to the whole railway movement as the publicity hits both local , regional and , occasionally , national press . Societies should always be aware when they are launched that life is not always sweetness and light when the pressure is on and constitutions should be framed so that disputes do arrive the framework for settlement already exists . Like the modern marriage the facility exists for a contract to be formed and so too steam can learn from that lesson . Make no mistake running a railway is big business .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: no)
—. YOUR MONEY IT 'S RECESSION BY THE BOOK IAN MILLER EVEN CATALOGUE shopping — one the cheapest ways of buying household goods — is not recession - proof .
Idiom: go off the boil (used idiomatically: yes)
Car production and trade figures released today , highlight the difficulties that British manufacturers are having in selling their products overseas . Lower interest rates would keep the pound down and keep exports competitive . Most of the advice Kenneth Clarke 's receiving is to cut rates , his job now is to decide whether Britain 's economy is more in danger of boiling over or going off the boil completely . Evan Davies , B B C News . British U N Soldiers at a base in Central Bosnia have been forced to move out under heavy mortar fire .