Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: take someone to task (used idiomatically: yes)
THE BIGGEST problem facing theoretical particle physicists is boredom , claims an experimenter . The calculations needed to refine quantum chromodynamics , the theory of the strong nuclear force between quarks , are so tedious that theorists can not be bothered to do them . Irwin Gabathuler of the University of Liverpool took theorists to task at a meeting at the Royal Society in London last month . Accepting that the calculations can take years to complete , he asked : ‘ If we can spend 10 years on an experiment , why ca n't you do these calculations?’ ‘ It is unfair to ask a graduate student to spend 10 years working out a small correction,’ replied James Stirling , a theorist from the University of Durham .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I have lost my daughter,’ she told Judge John Rutter , ‘ I can not bear to lose my niece as well . I look upon her as my adopted daughter . ‘ If Anne - Marie is freed , we can help each other come to terms with our grief.’ Coombes , now 17 , of Cardiff , admitted causing two deaths by reckless driving . The court heard that the crash happened at Pentwyn , Cardiff , after the three celebrated Coombes ' first job .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
The Duchess of Gloucester , Patron , Asthma Research Council , opens the Allergy and Allied Respiratory Disorders Department at Guy 's Hospital , London SE1 . The Duke and The Duchess of Kent attend a Gala in aid of the CPRE at the Royal Festival Hall , London SE1 . The ballerina Lydia Lopokova , pencil on card , 1919 , by Pablo Picasso , which has been acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum , in Cambridge . By JOANNA GIBBON The ballerina Lydia Lopokova , pencil on card , 1919 , by Pablo Picasso , which has been acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum , in Cambridge .
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
It was he who had run ahead in pursuit of the horses , and it was he whose eyes now most keenly searched the forest edge . None of these men seemed fearsome to her , but it was Hugh , her personal guard , whom she was most inclined to trust . He was the blond man she had first seen when she opened her eyes under the tree . Whereas Michael 's round red face was hard , tough and almost brutal , and the thin man 's expression was mean and cringing , and Crane 's eager and self - centred , and the Leader 's careful and considered , there seemed to be warmth and kindliness in Hugh 's simple features . After a mile or so on the highway Hugh 's pace slackened as though he were tiring , and Marian noticed that the colour had gone from his face .
Idiom: in tandem (used idiomatically: yes)
Jim Eggleton 's murder touched a nerve throughout his small community in the rural hamlet of Russell 's Water . The 70 year old was a popular man in the area and police have been flooded with people offering information , but they 're no nearer to catching his killer . So today they announced a £ 10,000 reward offered in tandem with the Community Action Trust . Male speaker If people have been wavering about giving us information this might just be the thing to make them come forward
Idiom: when the chips are down (used idiomatically: yes)
The players have a very high regard for him . ‘ It is easy to say Lawrence is a great manager after our success . But he proved himself at Charlton Athletic when the chips were down.’ RESCUERS last night told how they coaxed a man out of a suicide bid as he drifted half a mile out to sea in a child 's dinghy . Off - duty police inspector Dave Cammish and education psychologist Mike Woods patiently talked the man into a lifeboat as darkness fell off the Saltburn coast .
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
For the shipowners ploy in offering a substantial wage increase and in leaving the amount to be resolved port by port and company by company had the desired effect . Though there were complaints in some places that 1 January 1913 came and went with no settlement in sight and though seamen on weekly boats in Hull were aggrieved at receiving less than their colleagues elsewhere , 2s.6d increases on weekly wages and 10s on monthly were fairly readily conceded , more in some places . These took the steam out of the demand for a national conciliation board and a standard wage , at least for the time being , and there were some advances in the establishment of local machinery . Cathery was called upon to negotiate with the employers to settle a Wage dispute at Leith . Wilson himself had the satisfaction of securing a permanent Joint Conference for the future settlement of wages at Hull and Goole and Tupper obtained the first negotiated settlement at Aberdeen .
Idiom: buy time (used idiomatically: yes)
The almost Damascene conversion came literally overnight on September 24th–25th 1938 , according to this account , after the German rejection of the Anglo - French plan for dismembering Czechoslovakia . From then on , Halifax stood for rearmament , new military strategies and political unity ahead of the coming war . Appeasement caused by blindness was followed by delaying tactics and doublespeak intended to buy time . Britain had been unable to protect Czechoslovakia or Poland in 1938–39 , and every month before a possible invasion meant more aircraft , guns and ships . Halifax strung along various minor European royals , sub - statesmen and Italian go - betweens who offered an ‘ honourable peace’ .
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Sean and Cathal did record a demo,’ he claimed , ‘ but it was a bit of a mess and the latest news is that they might try again , maybe in September.’ As for Hughes ' own career , everything seems to be on course for world domination . Around January - February next year , there 'll be a series nattily titled Up Yours With Sean Hughes , while further Sean 's Shows are in the pipeline . A tour has been pencilled in for November but , if you ca n't wait , Sean 's management would like to remind you that there 's a video around called Sean Hughes — Live And Seriously Funny . Then they would , would n't they ?
Idiom: bear in mind (used idiomatically: yes)
But whatever your dining area consists of , organizing it , giving it character and interest can bc challenging and stimulating . In fact , the dining room should bc a particularly interesting room to decorate , because , like the bathroom , it is generally used for comparatively short periods of time , and then mostly at night . As long as its main purpose is borne in mind — that of providing a relaxed , comfortable and enjoyable area for eating which is also an attractive , unobtrusive background for any food served — it can , theoretically , be as inventive , curious , and as experimental as you like . Before you embark on the decoration , however , you need to have the practical considerations firmly in mind . Decide exactly what functions the room has to fulfil .
Idiom: holy of holies (used idiomatically: yes)
She loved Hyde Park because it was the nearest thing she 'd seen to the country side since she had arrived in the capital . The grass was green , deer ran gracefully between the trees , cows munched unhurriedly beside the many streams . The patronesses of Almack 's , Lady Castlereagh , Lady Jersey , Lady Cowper , Lady Sefton , Mrs Drummond Burrell , Princess Esterhazy and the Countess Lieven , accepted her entry into the holy of holies without question . She was Lady Hardwick 's protégée , and Lady Hardwicke was one of the grande dames who made the rules of that remarkable establishment . Topaz thought Almack 's rather dull after some of the splendid places she had visited .
Idiom: watering hole (used idiomatically: yes)
Then there were blankets to be cleaned , saddles to be lifted on and buckles galore to be done up on girths and surcingles , stirrups and cruppers , breastplates and bridles . Last , but by no means least , came the saddle - bags . The six women horse - riders led the way , single - file , and we muleteers followed , to meet some four hours later for lunch at our first watering - hole , the hilltop village of Torvizcon . Our group of four included the one man in the party , a 35-year - old barrister , a girl of 30-something , myself , and Helen , our guide — once a guest but now a member of the staff . We walked along the dry bed of the Guadalfeo ( ugly ) River : ugly only because of the plastic bags , bottles and other rubbish which had been tipped there .
Idiom: go to seed (used idiomatically: yes)
And Lydia knew it was so . Betty was here out of the kindness of her heart to minister to a wounded human being . Betty would probably rather be in the Dordogne , but she was here making sure that Lydia did n't lay violent hands on herself in the profundity of her misery , or let herself go to seed in the spiritless fashion of an old thistle . Lydia emitted a sudden giggle , helpless to prevent it . She wished she could stand in the night and laugh , but already she had been heard .
Idiom: all over the shop (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We were going past a pet shop in Shrewsbury , where we had been before looking for George , when we decided to have another look around . And to my amazement , what did I see but our George , and labelled for sale at £ 395 . ‘ Although he had not seen us for six weeks , he soon recognised us and started shouting Tuffin George all over the shop.’ The matter is now in the hands of the police , after the shop owners gave them details of the two men . Reunited : Peter Struthers and George
Idiom: in full swing (used idiomatically: yes)
For coming in the opposite direction was an endless flood of motor cyclists zooming home from the North West 200 . Do n't get me wrong — I 've nothing against the leather - clad hordes , for they are a cheerful fraternity . I met a few of them at my own destination , Cushendall , where the Co Antrim fleadh was in full swing , amid glorious sunshine . ‘ Nice of them,’ said a visiting English biker , ‘ to organise a bit of music for us on our way back.’ And I 'll you what — some of the reels were just as fast as their wheels .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
Why ? Such a move would go some way towards solving the looming problems of succession . ' I 'm now the only member of the family that 's in the business , and it does n't look like my daughters want to become involved . Where businesses are owned by a family — but the family is not involved in the day - to - day running of the business — that breeds an insecurity within the business . ' Really , there are only three options — to let the company wither and die , to find a successor , or to go for a flotation .
Idiom: come clean (used idiomatically: yes)
The council was faced with half a million tax demands which had to be folded by last Tuesday . Repairs were expected to take weeks , so officers bought a new machine costing £ 4,000 . SENIOR consultants have challenged management to come clean over changes to health care in the NorthEast . They have called on the Northern Regional Health Authority to issue a categorical denial that it has any plans to merge 15 health care districts into six super districts . The move is the result of mounting concern after The Northern Echo revealed that it was feared plans to allow districts to form powerful purchasing consortiums could be the first step towards full - scale merger .
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
A new ‘ chapter’ was opened in CCG London 's success story when a sparkling new restaurant was opened in Harper Collin 's beautifully appointed offices in the heart of Hammersmith . Full credit for the success of the opening goes to Catering Manager , Laura Gilbert and her team , supported by Area Manager , Simon Tebbit . Since opening in mid - November ‘ Chapters’ has gone from strength to strength . The management team 's concern for the highest standards of service and presentation were in full evidence on 18th December when ‘ Chapters’ hosted its very first Christmas Lunch for employees of the publishing firm . Our photo shows CCG Chairman Frank Bell with Returns ' Supervisor Mrs Isabelle Lawson on the occasion of her retirement .
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I do n't blame her at all . I would have done exactly the same thing in her shoes , ’ says Joe . ‘ But when I was released , it meant we were starting from scratch . ‘ The university gave me some nice dinners and said ‘ do n't worry about coming back to work . It will take you four or five months to get your life back in order ’ .
Idiom: jump to conclusions (used idiomatically: yes)
Sir Peter Blaker Is my right hon . Friend aware that Conservative Members who remember Lady Hart will wish to be associated with her tribute to her ? Is my right hon . Friend further aware that she is supported by our party in being circumspect about jumping to conclusions before the official inquiry report to which she referred is received ? Is not this a particularly suitable case for the development of an EC attitude ? Mrs. Chalker
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Aside from the mixed signals online , in the virtual world , the critical question is whether eliminating Bin ~ Laden marks the beginning of Al ~ Qaeda ’s demise in reality . Some terrorist organizations have , of course , collapsed following the death of their charismatic leader . The case of Shoko ~ Asahara , the founder of Aum ~ Shinrikyo ( the Japanese group that organized the Sarin gas attack on Tokyo ’s subway in 1995 ) , comes to mind here . But capturing and trying violent leaders is probably a better marker of the end of such organizations – the chances of such an outcome being higher when such leaders recant their views and call on their followers to lay down their arms . Abimael ~ Guzmán , the leader of the Maoist Shining Path in Peru , and Abdullah Ocalan , the leader of the Kurdistan Workers ’ Party ( PKK ) in Turkey , are notable examples of this .
Idiom: with open arms (used idiomatically: yes)
We 'd gotten to the stage where we were selling out venues like the Hammersmith Odeon and none of us were prepared to return to the club circuit , so we quit while we were ahead . Following a period of wound - licking inactivity , Burns reemerged with a new outfit determined to combine the original SLF manifesto with a degree of maturity and sophistication they 'd striven for but never quite achieved . While the press welcomed The Big Wheel with open arms , the public were less enthusiastic and they soon fell victim to overwhelming , or should that be underwhelming , apathy . ‘ I was happy enough with The Big Wheel apart from the fact that as a nine piece the bloody band nearly bankrupted me ! The money was n't the problem though , the real pisser was investing so much time and effort for zero return and knowing we deserved more .
Idiom: wouldn't hurt a fly (used idiomatically: yes)
A longstanding grudge.’ ‘ Norman 's like me,’ insisted Helen Crawford , nêe Pinder . ‘ He would n't hurt a fly.’ Sergeant Bird 's gaze strayed idly upwards to the strip of Vapona hanging from a kitchen cupboard , then slowly retraced its path to fix on the anxious woman he was interviewing . His plate held the last few crumbs of a generous slice of pound cake .
Idiom: tie the knot (used idiomatically: yes)
ROMANTIC soldier Paul Barlow married the teenage pen - pal he fell in love with while serving in Bosnia and said : ‘ I 'm the happiest man in the world.’ Paul , 23 , wrote and proposed to 19-year - old Gillian Spencer at Christmas while he was on a six - month tour of duty with the UN . They finally tied the knot yesterday at West Derby Register Office in Liverpool . Radio operator Paul , who is serving with the Second Battalion Royal Irish Regiment , said : ‘ Gillian is the perfect bride I only hope I can be as good a husband.’ The couple will begin their married life in Cyprus , where Paul , whose home is in Liverpool , has been posted for the next 18 months .
Idiom: lend a hand (used idiomatically: yes)
If we found some human remains it would be an extraordinarily important site . Voice over The RAF 's been lending a hand helping to lift a 9 foot curly mammoth trunk from the ground . And there 's been cooperation from the site 's owners too . They 've agreed to postpone development of a rubbish dump for at least 10 years .
Idiom: new blood (used idiomatically: no)
Whether people should be retested five or more years after the initial vaccination to determine the need for a booster is not well established . Although levels of anti - HBs decline over time after vaccination , immunity apparently can outlast demonstrable antibody . Under OSHA 's new blood - borne pathogens standard , employers are required to implement and enforce the agency 's strict HBV prevention programme to protect employees from future exposure . While numerous professional and employee groups support the hepatitis B regulation , many employers have protested the financial burden they say it will impose . In response , OSHA has cited compelling evidence from the CDC in which annual casualties resulting from HBV infection are estimated at 8,700 infected health care workers , 2,175 clinical illnesses , 435 hospitalisations and 194 deaths .
Idiom: make a splash (used idiomatically: yes)
Children enjoying making a splash in water as they come off a waterslide .
Idiom: small print (used idiomatically: yes)
OUP distribution director Neil Killip said the new VAT regime had complicated an already difficult situation . ‘ OUP has spent considerably more than £ 100,000 adapting its computer system to cope with the new requirements . Our major problem was that the authorities were late in finalising the small print . We knew that VAT was going to be an issue , but because everything was so vague we found it impossible to draw up detailed plans in advance , which meant that at the last minute we had to commit unbudgeted and unplanned resources to enable us to be ready for January.’ A recent survey conducted by the accountancy firm Arthur Anderson showed that four out of 10 companies in the Community were unprepared for the new VAT regime .
Idiom: hold water (used idiomatically: yes)
Mhm And the only way of boiling the water at that time was on the stove in the house . So everything that would hold water was put on the stove and er he did and then it they took it out to the Mhm . workshop and they would cover this board with woodcuttings like s what we call spills .
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: yes)
Plus a little bit of petting f Petting including anything short of ‘ going all the way’ . A syndicated advice column in the United States carried the following : Dear Ann Landers ,
Idiom: first off (used idiomatically: yes)
Manufacturers such as Ford believe they are now narrowing the gap to perceived superior rivals like BMW and Audi . Mondeo prices are expected to be from about £ 12,000 to £ 17,000 for the luxury 2-litre ghia . ALSO due in the UK next year is the Maverick , Ford GB 's first off - roader . Built in Spain by Nissan , it will rival Vauxhall 's popular Frontera models . And in three years time Ford will unveil its challenge to the Renault Espace multi - purpose vehicle .
Idiom: catch a cold (used idiomatically: no)
Dr Hamish Inglis says : ‘ Once you have had a cold you build up immunity to that particular virus . But there are over 200 different cold viruses and , if you lived to 70 , you could become infected with three different strains a year throughout your life and never meet the same one twice.’ Sneezes are not the only way of catching a cold . Viruses can live on surfaces such as tables , desks and telephones for up to three hours . People touching infected surfaces and then touching their eyes , nose or mouth will probably soon be snuffling themselves .
Idiom: like clockwork (used idiomatically: yes)
Right , so many journeys . And er y you sort of make your list of who has to go and where they 've to come from , take it into the office , and they organize it . So that it works like clockwork . Well they should Angela should be doing that lot should n't she . Well you do n't know who 's coming yet so they 're ca n't do it can they ?
Idiom: free rein (used idiomatically: yes)
Born in 1864 , Toulouse - Lautrec was physically deformed by a rare bone disease , probably the result of aristocratic inbreeding , and bad falls sustained as a child . Paradoxically , he specialized in sporting pictures until the age of twenty - four . From 1888 , however , installed in Montmartre on a private income , Toulouse - Lautrec gave free rein to his insatiable appetite for cheap flesh and seedy sensuality . But it was n't really such a leap from paintings of riders to pictures of top - hatted toffs playing around with tousled tarts . They were both demi - mondes of physical extremism , raw athleticism and slave - master relationships .
Idiom: ride high (used idiomatically: no)
It 's cut rather oddly about the shoulders , so that the collar of his shirt sticks out above it . The knot of his tie has slipped and worked round sideways , revealing a brass collar - stud . One scuffed heavy shoe is braced against the floor , the other dangles in space , with the turn - up riding high above it to reveal a thick grey sock crumpled around the ankle . But the ladies from the village who are helping out look curiously at him , and call him sir when they rescue the spoons he is sitting on . ‘ Freddie,’ says Prue , ‘ this is Howard Baker.’
Idiom: hold the line (used idiomatically: yes)
Hello Hello , London , er , Golf , Romeo , double Alpha Romeo , on a Hendon departure , please , Okay hold the line right which was the one ? Golf , Romeo , double Alpha , Romeo , on a Hendon departure five , four , one , one , seven six , frequency for that erm , one , one , nine , seven , seven
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: yes)
Celtic , who have had to bow to Rangers ' superiority in recent years , lost out again last night after the semi - final draw paired the Old Firm rivals on September 22 . With neutral Hampden Park ruled out due to renovation work , Rangers manager Walter Smith and Celtic No.2 Joe Jordan were involved in the bizarre situation of having to toss a coin to determine the semi - final venue . Jordan called incorrectly and cup holders Rangers will stage the game on their own ground 24 hours after Hibernian and Dundee United clash in the other semi - final at Tynecastle . Rangers offered a glimpse of last season 's form as they overcame Aberdeen in an action replay of the 1992 League Cup final , which also finished 2 - 1 after extra time . In a tie full of flashpoints , Rangers were awarded a penalty within 10 seconds when Ian Durrant was tripped by Brian Irvine , allowing Mark Hateley to score .
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
The fact that the firms allowed him to use the money for his own purposes and replace it was merely an indulgence . Robertson , above , also concerned an insurance agent , but there was no such obligation . In Wakeman v Farrar [ 1974]Crim LR 136 ( DC ) , the accused received a warning that he must return a lost cheque after he had received an over - the - counter payment from the Department of Health and Social Security . The cheque was thereby subject to a legal obligation within s.5(3 ) . ( c ) On analogy with Gilks [ 1972]1 WLR 1341 on s.5(4 ) the obligation in s.5(3 ) must be a legally enforceable one , and this proposition was apparently accepted in Meech [ 1974]QB 549 ( CA ) and Mainwaring ( 1981 ) 74 Cr App R 99 ( CA ) .