Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: nuts and bolts (used idiomatically: yes)
Adjustable spanners : You'll often be confronted with nuts and bolts of various types that need tightening or loosening — on domestic appliances , plumbing systems and so on . Obviously , in an ideal world you 'd have a different spanner for every nut , but for the time being a couple of adjustable spanners will come in very handy ( you need two because often you will have to grip a nut as well as a bolt ) . Choose one small and one medium spanner , to cope with a wide range of nut and bolt sizes . A pair of pliers : Pliers are a real jack - of - all - trades tool — they 'll grip all sorts of things you may be trying to undo or tighten up , bend things like stiff wire or metal sheet , and crimp wires together if you 're doing any electrical work . Choose a pair of combination pliers with fine and coarse serrated jaws and a wire cutter near the pivot point ; plastic hand grips make them more comfortable to use , and also provide protection against the risk of shock during electrical jobs .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: yes)
He told us how he had been encouraged by the responses received from the agri - food industry ever since he threw out a challenge to it some four months ago . But he underlined sharply too , how discouraged and disappointed he had been at the inability of his own Department of Agriculture and the Department of Economic Development to sort out their roles in the scheme of things . No doubt , having aired these feelings well in public he will be exerting pressure behind the scenes to ensure there is no further need to repeat them in open audience . He had some home truths to impart and presented them without fear or favour . The recent acquisition of Leckpatrick by Cork - based Golden Vale demonstrated the world would not stand still until the dairy industry was restructured , he told us .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
My mother , neat and slim as ever , ploughed crunchingly into the loaf - sized meringue cream cake like a polar bear breaking into a seal 's den . She gave a tiny giggle as a little dollop of cream adhered to the tip of her nose ; she removed it with one finger , licked the pinky , then wiped her nose with her napkin , glancing round the restaurant through the confusing topography of slats and uprights of the seats and screens , apparently worried that this minor lapse in hand - mouth coordination was being critically observed by any of the surrounding middle - class matrons , perhaps with a view to passing on the scandalous morsel to their opposite numbers in Gallanach and having mother black - balled from the local bridge club . She need n't have worried ; from what I had seen , getting a little bit of cream on your nose was practically compulsory , like getting nicked on the cheek in a ritualised duel before being allowed to enter a Prussian drinking sodality . The atmosphere of middle - aged ladies enjoying something wicked and nostalgic was quite palpable . ' Do n't be silly , Prentice ; of course they can .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
wor working through it all , it 's very very painful . Yeah . And it 's easier in the short term not to have In the long term you get more problems . Yea yeah . I I 've found that .
Idiom: break new ground (used idiomatically: yes)
Whatever the truth of the matter , these developments before the nineteenth century certainly served English commerce well . Payment could be made without the transfer of currency , and negotiable instruments acted as a means of credit . To a very large extent Chalmers ' codification did not break new ground in the Bills of Exchange Act , 1882 — adopted with notifications in the United States as its Uniform Negotiable Instruments Law — but reproduced existing law . One reason for the codification , however , was a fear that the case law was becoming excessively rigid ; another , that it could not bear the weight of what , by the mid - nineteenth century , was a widespread abuse of the bill of exchange ( notably , through the use of accommodation paper ) . Later the holder in due course notion was subject to abuse in consumer transactions .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
' ' Bout a mile , ' said Jean . ' I hope Big Ben and the convoy made it in time . ' About two minutes later Danny 's truck , with us following close behind , turned a corner and there was the slip road leading to the Motorway — only nothing was ever going to get far down that road for there were the four big trucks in Big Ben 's convoy lined up wall to wall across the road facing us . Even the ' Harvey Wallbanger ' was n't going to try going through that lot and Danny 's truck pulled up with its brakes squealing and hissing furiously . The driver looked back but with Jean and I in the Cortina close behind him he could n't reverse .
Idiom: small print (used idiomatically: yes)
Now at that point , when she received the letter and read the policy , erm we could have given her a better cover if it applied to that particular vehicle . But my point is the customer does n't know what they 've got . I mean in the excitement of buying a car you 're not going to read the small print , you 're not going to read the little bit that says you must have the oil changed every three thousand miles and unless you do it within two hundred and fifty miles of that and not only that , you must send evidence of the service by recorded delivery to you . That 's very onerous . Right , let 's clarify a point here .
Idiom: on the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
The soils are mainly peaty gleys and peaty rankers with some peaty podzols on drier sites . Surface runoff is rapid as is leaching from mineral horizons , and locally , in channels , there are flushed soils . The few crags on the steepest ground have associated short scree slopes which , in the well-drained conditions have peaty rankers with well-structured organic horizons . Mountains Comprising similar terrain to the previous category , but confined to the high ground above 300 to 350 metres this land includes the summits , ridge crests , plateaux , cols and upper slopes of mountains in Harris and on South Uist .
Idiom: take the bull by the horns (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We 're hoping tomorrow . There 's no rush.’ Juliet took the bull by the horns . ‘ Celia , you seem very worried about it . Why ?
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
The new tag will be valid in all but legal matters — you 'll need to change it by deed poll for that . PLAINLY SPEAKING The Plain English Campaign is again on the lookout for the incomprehensible , and consumer contracts are the latest to come under fire . A dissatisfied customer recently sent in the following example : ‘ The signatory confirms the accuracy of the above information to the best of his knowledge and hereby authorises and requests ABC Limited to furnish the bank with any evidence they so require forthwith.’ The campaign director , Chrissie Maher , says , ‘ If you come across an unnecessarily complicated piece of jargon , you can either forget it or send them one of our cards that carries the pointed message : Gobbledygook can damage your business.’
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
This is worse than being a slave . Slaves are fed whether they work or not . ' He looks like the sort of slave sold for a knock - down price ; skinny and stooped , wearing nylon trousers , damp plimsolls , and cringing in his thin anorak against the wind . It 's hard to imagine him manoeuvring hefty cargoes through Le Sentier 's teeming streets , but that is how he makes his living . When he gets the chance .
Idiom: eat someone alive (used idiomatically: yes)
She was an invalid , stuck in a rocking chair up in her room in the house . Jazzbeaux had n't met her , but she could imagine the type . A bitter old biddy , eating herself alive with bile , pretending to be crippled to tie her son to the old place , sucking all the life out of him . She knew all about demanding parents . She 'd learned about that back when she was Jessamyn Amanda and nine - year - olds had been worth a gallon of potable water on the streets of the NoGo .
Idiom: have a cow (used idiomatically: yes)
I nodded . I did remember . Lord Hulton had only about thirty suckling cows but it had taken a three - hour rodeo to test them . I looked doubtfully at the rickety structure of planks and corrugated iron . It would be interesting to see how it coped with the moorland cattle .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
Actually , I can vouch that some young heterosexual men of John 's age were also obsessed by fancy clothes , and observation today suggests that the interest has not died out . John was capable of laughing at himself in respect of attempts at beautification . He wrote to Hanns about the time when wigs had been needed for Dulcie 's ballet Fête galante , and one of the part - time dancers in the Ballet Club , a hairdresser by trade , offered to make them , from papier - mâché . Doing that on the victim 's head ' leaves your hair in one hell of a mess , so after that we all had camomile shampoos from glamorous coiffeuses in white tunics ' . Then the hairdresser , saying ' Now I 'll keep the hair out of your eyes ' , gave John ' what he called a ' natural water wave ' and stuck me with a net and brown cotton wool in my ears under the dryer .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
He makes more mess in his bedroom than she does and his is because , not only is it all papers and books and toys and everything else , it 's all his clothes as well . He do n't put any of his clothes away and if he 's looking for anything it 's all fling out of drawers and on the floor , he do n't care . And if I 've hung his coats up once I 've hung up , I 've hung them up a hundred times , he 's got a coat hanger on the back of the coat hook on the back of the door Well I gave him two when he stayed here to stay er to hang er on his door and he and I 'm not kidding you , he 's got his blue coat that he wears down the garden , you know the one with all the , he 's got erm his army jacket , a grey jacket erm tt how many has he got ?
Idiom: par for the course (used idiomatically: yes)
I listened to 6 sports reports on Saturday and not one of them mentioned who scored for Leeds . It was all about the Scum , you would think they had already won the league the way the commentators were describing the display Saturday . Such things as ‘ building insurance up for the title’ , ‘ Masterly performance’ were par for the course . One only has to look at who they were playing — a team that has only won one of their first 9 games and now have only 7 points from their first 10 . Sheff .
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
When Waggoner talks of the entrepreneurial spirit that exists on the Tour , he always comes back to Buddy Gardner , whom he sees as the typical journeyman pro . Gardner 's been out there for more than a decade , has been back and forth from the Qualifying School three times , has yet to win a tournament , and in a good year can make $ 150,000 . That 's about the going rate for the pros who have yet to crack the top-25 on the money list , wherein lies what is known in these parts as " the long green " ( and we mean the colour of dollar bills , not a snake of a putting surface ) . " Look at him , " says Waggoner of Gardner . " He plays 35 times a year and goes six weeks without seeing home .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
I had a very good social life and made about six really good friends . I made a new life for myself . ' I got there on one A - level and kept thinking I should n't really be here . I spent the whole of my first year waiting to be tapped on the shoulder and told they 'd made a mistake . ' You do lose confidence when you spend years and years at home with children .
Idiom: man and boy (used idiomatically: no)
Send me your voice however it comes across oceans . Safety , safely , safe home . The loveless men and homeless boys are out there and angry . Nightly people end their lives in the shortcut . Walk in the light , steadily hurry towards me .
Idiom: bums on seats (used idiomatically: yes)
Christie moaned , being a gold medal complainer in those days . Lousy lanes , biased officials , the worst flights , everyone down on him . Norman heard him out then said : ‘ You do n't put bums on seats . You could n't even fill a phone box . When you can , I 'll get you Concorde.’
Idiom: make a go of (used idiomatically: yes)
The first meal former doctor 's receptionist Shaunagh rustled up for him was cheese on toast with pickled walnuts . ‘ I think she 's got the attribute that every good cook should have — if you can do a few things really well , stay with those rather than attempt the impossible.’ The flamboyant star has two failed marriages behind him , but he 's determined to make a go of his third . Shaunagh revealed that before he proposed to her , he asked her if she believed in divorce . She had the good sense to say she did n't .
Idiom: come clean (used idiomatically: yes)
It worked a treat . ‘ That 's fine for a short - term arrangement,’ insists Simon , ‘ but , ultimately , people have to learn to take control of themselves .’ The dreaded bank manager often turns out to be highly sympathetic , once a customer comes clean . Arrangements can be made to consolidate debts and pay them off gradually . Citizens ' Advice Bureaux can also put compulsive spenders in touch with debt counsellors , who are able to assess their clients ' finances and thus establish an escape from what can feel like a financial swamp .
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: no)
Thus , for a short interlude , the religion of the monarch could be said to be neither papist nor Protestant ; and while it was safe to admit to either persuasion , it was wise to support neither too vigorously . Anthony Drew , the vicar of Polruan , was a good example of the effect such conflicts had upon the clergy . He was a big , bald man who had toed the papist line for the past few years under Mary , and was now willing to return to Anglicanism should that be the wish of his Bishop . A physically brave man ( he was a noted wrestler and had instructed Harry Pascoe in the art at one time ) he was doctrinally circumspect , so he conducted the marriage service in such a way that he could not be labelled as either a papist or a puritan . Afterwards , when the vows to love , honour and obey had been given by the brides , and the grooms had slipped rings onto their fingers , they sang the Jubilate Deo , which was a great favourite :
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
Lowering of bank rate The economic growth rate was provisionally assessed by the National Statistical Institute ( INSEE ) at the beginning of 1991 at an annual rate of 1.5 per cent , compared with a figure of 2.8 per cent for 1990 . In an effort to stimulate the economy the Banque de France on March 18 lowered its intervention rate by 0.25 of a percentage point to 9 per cent(the first reduction since October ) " in line with the softening of rates on the money market and favourable elements regarding inflation " . This followed a bank rate cut by Spain on March 15 of 1 percentage point , to 13.5 per cent , easing pressure on the franc and the pound sterling , the weakest currencies in the European Monetary System ( EMS ) . New urban measures
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: no)
The life - style of such girls increasingly emphasises the use of safe and natural products for cosmetic and presentational purposes , particularly where the usage context is an intimate one . d ) Culture : mothers are under massive social and cultural pressure to succeed in their maternal role . There is therefore the potential for personal distress if anything goes wrong . Products will be sought that minimise the risk of failure , however small , and carry general acceptance in a particular role . Cotton wool fulfils these criteria ; paper tissues ( which disintegrate more easily and leave " bits " ) do not .
Idiom: stand up and be counted (used idiomatically: yes)
He was set to go in the autumn , but he did not run away from that one — he got the editors of five friendly newspapers to run away for him . Opposition Members desperately hope that he will not run away this time . Let us hope that for once he will stand up and be counted and go down fighting — as go down he assuredly will . Let us have no more of these silly guillotine motions . Let us have a general election .
Idiom: under the table (used idiomatically: yes)
The noise of the aircraft stopped , there was a screech , as from an aircraft diving . ' Duck ! ' cried out Dr Hill . He , Sister Hancock and I ducked under the operating table . Sister Bell threw herself over the body of the child , the repetitive tap of the bullets told us were we being especially dive - bombed , and shot up . Prayer saw us through till all was quiet again .
Idiom: on the button (used idiomatically: yes)
If the driver suddenly needs to call for extra revs , he can overrule the settings at any time by pushing the foot pedal . When he takes his foot off the pedal again , the revs will fall back to their preset level again . A second push on the central button removes the setting altogether and allows the driver to return to foot control of the tractor . The system is a well thought - out one and seems to work well . Our test tractor did have some difficulties in keeping the revs constant down at the 700–1,000rpm mark , but this was an early model and Same UK says the problem has been cured on current machines .
Idiom: play for time (used idiomatically: yes)
SIMON BRETT / Dealer Voice over Neville Chamberlain has gone down in history , either as the politician who was duped by Hitler , or as a shrewd statesman who was playing for time , so Britain could re - arm . But when he was n't conducting affairs of state , there 's nothing he enjoyed more for getting away from it all , than fly fishing . Neville Chamberlain was a regular visitor to Cirencester , where he caught trout on the River Churn .
Idiom: tread on someone's toes (used idiomatically: yes)
There are a few people who claim even to know about the lobbying process in Brussels . I would have think it 's probably still acclaimed but it does highlight a need and I 'm not going to tread on the Treasurer 's toes in this instant but certainly that will add to the financial burden of running the Association but if its to increasing its lobbying power and authority over those in positions of influence , then above all we do need a very large membership . Er it has been brought to my attention that the R S P B erm which I think you all know that , for one reason or another , can call upon the membership of eight hundred and seventy thousand individuals and our sport was something between two point five to three million active participants , slightly depending on the definition , has only about two percent as personal members of the R Y A contributing directly . I mention those figures , the need for a large membership is self evident and I know that you are making tremendous efforts to increase that membership .
Idiom: child's play (used idiomatically: yes)
( Active sportsmen — and active bandsmen ' too , for the companies encouraged the colliery bands — were felt to be less likely to engage in ' subversive ' union and other activity , and inter - village rivalries were encouraged : Waller , 1983 , p. 197 , p. 208 . ) Alongside the positive aspects of the social control of the villages were the negative . The villages were patrolled by company uniformed ' policemen ' whose ' duties were primarily concerned with the maintenance of the appearance of the village , keeping the lawns tidy and litter off the streets , for example'(Waller , 1983 , p. 98 ) , but Waller 's respondents also reported company ' policemen'who watched over children 's play , recorded untidy properties ( ' It seems clear that the threat of dismissal was thought to hang over men who did not keep their gardens tidy in several villages ' — p. 100 ) , and ensured that dogs were not kept as pets ( thus preventing the men from engaging in the popular contemporary sport among miners of training and racing greyhounds and whippets ) . To one resident , at least , the atmosphere was that of a ' prison camp'(p . 103 ) , and this was enhanced by the fear of eviction if the miner lost his job . The colliery villages were clearly places in which control of the workforce was strong , beyond the normal social relationships between employers and employee which were established at the pit itself .
Idiom: cold feet (used idiomatically: yes)
Near it , Scott took the British flag from under his clothes , and put it up . In his diary , Scott wrote : This is a very bad day . We are all tired , and have cold feet and hands . It is -30 ° Centigrade and there is a snowstorm . Great God !
Idiom: blow off steam (used idiomatically: yes)
It seemed as if some supernatural force was intent on operating the branch . At Hallington ( the first station from Louth ) people heard sounds of a distant train approaching the village . It was rumoured that the ‘ train ' actually came into Hallington Station and blew off steam ( even though the track had been lifted for some years ) . Having heard the stories , the author decided to investigate them for himself together with a friend . One night in August 1969 , therefore , the two men drove to Hallington to reconnoitre the line .
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: yes)
Well worry no more , ‘ coz Budswap is here ! Dealing exclusively with C64 budget titles , Budswap offers the chance to exchange unwanted games for different titles , and it only costs a pound ! The list of games on offer is constantly updated , and none are ever refused . According to proprietor Jeffery Keen there 'll be a fair turnover of titles , and all money raised will be ploughed back into the business . It 's highly unlikely , he argued , that people will unload their rubbish and leave him with games no - one wants .
Idiom: lay a finger on (used idiomatically: yes)
I do n't like those sort of games ; they are hurtful and painful to others … ’ She had hurt him , therefore he must have cared … Ruth 's heart lifted but plummeted when his voice dangerously threatened , ‘ You tell your lover and business partner when he returns that I will ruin him if he ever lays a finger on Maria Luisa again . Do you understand that?’ Ruth wanted to die .
Idiom: into thin air (used idiomatically: yes)
The wizard waved his magic wand and disappeared into thin ~ air .
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: no)
Have you , technically , presumably erm , Gooch could appeal , you can be timed out if you 're not on the , on the field by that time , but then of course you 've got another erm eighty yards or so to walk to up to the far end . Are you , it is difficult to cross at Lord 's , er , I mean it is as you say , it 's quite a trek from the er , from whichever dressing room you 're in , down the steps , through the Long Room , there 's always someone coming the wrong direction then . There 's Lawrence now , a left - hander , down to the rear and this one he turns away and it goes straight to short leg and erm , everybody claps up and sits there well , well fielded there by Morris at short leg . comes along , it 's a tremendous support , I 'd love to be a bowler on England 's side cos you get clapped for an whatever happens . .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: no)
THE Duchess of York yesterday left cancer - stricken Polish children lost for words when she handed out copies of her Budgie books in English . As she dished out three dozen copies of Budgie Goes To Sea , Fergie even boasted : ‘ I wrote this myself , you know.’ Nine - year - old Lukas was totally bemused by the book . He turned to his mother and said : ‘ But I ca n't understand this.’ It followed news of a £ 3 million deal with Nintendo distributors Bandai to market Budgie — supporting a Polish fortune - teller 's revelations that Fergie was about to become a wealthy woman .