Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: basket case (used idiomatically: yes)
But if a country refused to implement good enough budget rules , the Community would apply penalties , eg , the withholding of EC regional funds . This does not sound much more liberal than the old idea of binding rules . The difference , says a senior commission official , is that ' binding procedures ' means interfering only with the real basket - cases ( a euphemism for Greece , Italy and Belgium , which respectively run budget deficits of 19 % , 10 % , and 6 % of their GDPs ) . But there is no question , says the official , that ' budgetary sovereignty must be given up . ' Why ?
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
Now if you just pull in a little bit too close , it 's a natural reaction of the body to direct the eyes at the vehicle which is going to cause you the danger . And even though you may physically be able to see up the road your eyes wo n't be looking there . And then So now you 're travelling a little bit too close , your eyes are glued on the back of the vehicle in front , what 's the sort of feeling you get ? A little bit tensed up ? And i you 're a bit on edge ?
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
Selected episodes in other countries will be looked at where relevant . It is hoped that a detailed study of this sort of one country will make its contribution to the general understanding of economic growth , now a topic of growing interest . On many topics , the study will continue ( or supplement ) themes treated in my previous book , THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BRITISH ECONOMY ( 1964 ) . Award Title : International Economics Study Group
Idiom: in living memory (used idiomatically: yes)
For those who can not maintain , who can not support the maintenance of the links of the trade union movement Party , we say this start packing your bags there 's the door , we 'll stick around ! Instead of shooting ourselves in the foot our people are asking , where does the fi fight start ? Against the worst and most incompetent government in living memory . The Timex workers in Dundee left without any legal protection whatsoever , and is this a forerunner for what other unscrupulous employers will use ? The attack on the trade union movement check - off our , our existence the existence of the trade union movement is under attack union membership and others the shipyard workers at Swan Hunter the thousands of local authority workers who have lost their jobs those are the issues in which our parliamentary party should be addressing now on behalf of our people !
Idiom: go to ground (used idiomatically: no)
Tomorrow Oxford United will officially reveal who they 've chosen to be their new manager . ( WES NEXT ) But to end the speculation now , let 's go over to the Manor Ground and join Tim Russon . Voice over Rugby — and Gloucester 's former captain Mike Hamlin joins former team mate Mike Teague for his first game this week with his new club Moseley .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
Money is the norm where abduction is concerned . Generally lots of it . A fifty - year - old cache of letters hardly seems to fit the bill , does it ? If you 'll pardon the pun.’ ‘ I suppose not.’
Idiom: hit the bottle (used idiomatically: yes)
But away from the glamour … away from the headlines was the sad story of two broken marriages … a new future falling flat in Australia … and worse of all a disease that haunts many a sportsman , many a famous face … alcoholism … Biddlecombe hit the bottle … the booze took him over Terry B says he did n't think he was hitting the bottle but there 's one side of you that takes over and he started to slide down hill … he became and realised it was time to get real with himself and he has n't had a drink since march This is the new Biddlecombe … a couple of stones lighter … free of alocohol A man fighting to get back on top … he 's a new life and a new job with a firm of auctioneers in Hereford …
Idiom: in broad daylight (used idiomatically: yes)
This magazine published the story of the Darlington railway ghost as one of the most thrilling of a series of ghostly anecdotes . Mr Kendal inspected the cellar in 1891 and found the place exactly as it had been when Durham used it . A few days ago I went warily — in broad daylight — down the steps to examine the cellar . The whole room , part of larger premises , is now used for coal storage but the salient features of the story , the fireplace and coal recess are in situ and it was not difficult to reconstruct the strange winter scene of over four generations ago . A James Durham died on January 7th 1917 aged 75 and I recently stood by his grave in the North Cemetery .
Idiom: sell like hot cakes (used idiomatically: yes)
The new breed of super heroes are set to wrestle the macho crown from the champions of the World Wrestling Federation even BEFORE they start taking on all comers in telly 's toughest endurance test next month . They have already got a fan club . T-shirts and posters are selling like hot cakes , and books , stickers , videos and even a monthly magazine are on the way . A multi-million pound mass merchandising machine is behind the spectacular Gladiators series and plans include action toys of the Do-or-Die Dozen . Six of the best bicep-bulging blokes and six knockout girls were hand-picked from body builders and bodies beautiful to star in a British version of the smash hit American Gladiators .
Idiom: stand someone in good stead (used idiomatically: yes)
The relevance of an academic subject to the non - academic , outside world is a useful guideline . 3 . Because the subject is practically useful and will stand you in good stead when you set out on your chosen career . " Vocational " subjects — like medicine , engineering , law or accountancy — prepare students more directly for their first jobs . Other subjects — like maths , economics , material sciences or history — are less career - oriented and allow you more freedom to choose your career as your interests develop and labour markets change .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
Germans have a reputation for being highly logical and systematic in their approach to things . In a way , I suppose , it seems rather illogical to dismiss the value of the brochure altogether , for all types of customer , and at the same time suggest that the best way a customer can get the information s / he needs is to use a list of telephone numbers printed in the very brochure that is being dismissed . Whether a translation conforms to the source - text patterns of cohesion or tries to approximate to target - language patterns will depend in the final analysis on the purpose of the translation and the amount of freedom the translator feels entitled to in rechunking information and/or altering signals of relations between chunks . Whatever the translator decides to do , every option will have its advantages and disadvantages . Following source - language norms may involve minimal change in overall meaning ( other factors excluded ) .
Idiom: look the other way (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Never seen him before,’ Doyle replied then held open the door for Bernard . ‘ Thanks for helping her . Most people around here would have just looked the other way.’ ‘ Is she your girl?’ Bernard asked as they walked back to the bar room .
Idiom: boys will be boys (used idiomatically: yes)
and another argument which is that Yeah , it 's the , it 's the with the word natural is n't it that er you know people often use the word natural to mean good and right and therefore something you should do , but of course no not always I mean if I said to you death is natural , nobody here would think I was advocating suicide or that er we should n't have hospitals to try and save people 's lives I mean er when you say death is natural , what you mean is death is one of those things that we just have to put up with , we 'd rather we did n't but we 're all gon na have to face it in the end , some of us sooner than others er but erm but there we are . However if you say erm oh well you know erm boys will be boys that 's natural , tha that sounds as if you 're kind of making excuses for them and condoning them , so I think you 've got to be very careful about how you use the word natural and clearly it raises the whole question of how far you can , you can push erm cultural ideals against natural constraints an and what really is the issue . You see it may be that Dean 's right I must admit I think I , I agree with Dean I think he is right that the real problem is that natural selection may have fitted us by , as it were , rigging our emotional system . It may be at a , at a truly rational level we can all perfectly well do all kinds of other things rationally on a truly rational level , because there we have this this er high degree of that comes with rationality , but at a deeper , kind of gut level , the emotional feelings we , we find that it 's , it 's much more difficult , and at that point if you do n't try and change things and do things that are unnatural , you find you 're kind of going against the emotional grain and er perhaps some people find it easier than others , but perhaps everybody will feel a certain erm tug as it were , certain erm discomfort or a certain emotional alienation from themselves which er perhaps is because we 're trying to do something more basic we just were n't designed for .
Idiom: kick the habit (used idiomatically: yes)
But she has her work cut out . Not only must she cope with Cherie 's distressing withdrawal symptoms , she also needs eyes in the back of her head to curb a two - year - old 's natural mischief . Like her mechanic husband Graham — another smoker — Amanda is doing everything she can to kick the habit herself . Dangers And she said she wanted to tell her story to warn pregnant women of the dangers of smoking .
Idiom: press the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
During the Press conference Blue Ken emphasised the Conservative 's traditional ‘ Labour is soft on crime’ argument . He dealt swiftly with the question and answer session , then moved onto the real business of the day meeting the voters on the streets of Darlington . ‘ Hello , I 'm Kenneth Baker the Home Secretary,’ he boomed to the sound of grating teeth as he strode forward purposefully to press the flesh of a pensioner . The woman had no hope of escape but she did not seek one , revelling in the moment of attention from a Government Man . As the walkabout progressed a middle - aged woman told Mr Baker : ‘ The Conservatives have done a wonderful job for this country!’
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: yes)
" Uh ? Well , not exactly . " I had read nine pages on the trans - atlantic flight , but there was still some way to go . " I 've been ill . Look , when can we meet ? "
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
By the end of the course you will have prepared every kind of dish from sandwiches to a full - scale dinner . The final phase of your initial training takes you back to HMS Raleigh where you will learn things that only the Navy can teach you , such as field cookery in areas of natural disaster and practical experience of bulk cookery in our large galleys . Then you spend four more weeks learning the computer - based side of your job , mastering how to store , issue and account for food , how to plan menus and make sure that ships carry enough stocks of food on board . You will continue to train during your first posting [ normally to a shore - based establishment]when you will gain your City & Guilds 706/1 . After that you will be off to sea as one of the most important members of the crew .
Idiom: laugh all the way to the bank (used idiomatically: yes)
way to work And I can raise a smile , Frankly , darling , they make it all worthwhile And we 're laughing all the way to the bank . We provide anaesthetic sex To numb your mind For the daily bump and grind We grease the
Idiom: out cold (used idiomatically: yes)
Doorman Cecil made a slow and extremely unconvincing fall into unconsciousness . ‘ Oh,’ he groaned from the deck . ‘ I 've been knocked out cold.’ ‘ Hmm,’ sighed Rex . ‘ Let 's get this over with.’
Idiom: in the wink of an eye (used idiomatically: yes)
And in the morning she would pack up and quietly leave , would never see this disturbing family again . Disappointment that Feargal was n't the man she had thought him had been replaced by a sadness for things not to be . You could look at someone and like them , be excited , hopeful , and then , in the wink of an eye , it could all turn to dust . Replacing Gwen Bear on the quilt , she got ready for bed . When she woke in the morning , she felt a profound reluctance to meet any of the family in case she got drawn into any more dramas .
Idiom: in a rut (used idiomatically: no)
In some cases , teachers in fee - paying schools knew nothing until they received a letter announcing ' the school has shut down and they are out of a job ' . Later he told a news conference that independent schools will be hit hard by recession and suffer a wave of closures . ' The notion that independent schools are in a velvet - lined rut and are immune from pressures is incorrect , ' said Mr Smith . Prep schools , in particular , were in trouble trying to match the State sector 's 7½ per cent pay rise for teachers . Since last summer at least 256 teachers had lost their jobs after 10 fee - paying schools folded , said officials .
Idiom: what's the damage? (used idiomatically: yes)
Her hair has usually been black , and worn long . She is , of course , dangerous , and should not be approached . ' ' And what 's the damage , Brunt ? ' ' Rewards on her total over one million dollars , for offences that range from felony bank robbery to first degree murder . Bounties on her head have been filed by the United States Government , the Holderness - Manolo Agency , Turner - Harvest - Ramirez , GenTech , G - Mek , the Federal Bureau of Investigation , Hammond Maninski , the Winter Corporation , Westinghouse , Co - Cola , the Tabernacle of Joseph , the National Enquirer , Interpol , the Government of the Republic of Mexico , Walt Disney Enterprises , the Denver Civic Improvements Committee , the Colorado Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church , and this station , ZeeBeeCee . '
Idiom: gather dust (used idiomatically: yes)
we have found that the opposite has been the situation . And within the Home Office and the prison service , which was scheduled to become an agency on the first of April this year , an appropriate date perhaps , Mr Chairman , but we are still in the quagmire of getting arrangements which are suitable and protecting our people , and more so the craftsmen within that particular industry . We do have the Wolfe report but unfortunately not for the want of effort , the Wolfe report is turning out like the Black report and others and I do n't say that because there was a gentleman who done a report Black and it is gathering dust , the Wolfe report is on the same shelf , I believe . But we will endeavour to represent our members and to push for their ordinary rights , their just rights more than just rights they , are earned rights and should be afforded to them . Within Royal Ordnance which I have resumed the responsibility for I do n't know , Mr Chairman , I convened a meeting of the convenors to introduce myself and to familiarize myself with the movement and the industry only for the company to announce thirteen hundred redundancies , as we were meeting .
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: yes)
' I do n't know , ' he denied in exasperation . ' Did she ? ' ' And was n't she that desperate that I did n't have the heart to tell her no ? ' Turning to face front , she suddenly saw Ellie and gave a little screech of alarm . ' Lord , but you frightened me half to death ! '
Idiom: take the fifth (used idiomatically: yes)
Erm you you came up this that 's right class one and then class two , and then class three , class four , class five , that 's right , right to the very end . And the headmaster 's room was at the very end of that corridor where the fifth class was . And er he used to pop in and occasionally take the fifth class , whether it was because it was near to his office I do n't know . So each class had mixed ability groups mixed ability Oh yes , yes yes , oh yes , it was just d if you was if you was behind then it was just too bad .
Idiom: with a view to (used idiomatically: yes)
Iris was a familiar and friendly face around PAS and is sadly missed . When starting out in the aircraft spares business , twenty Tiger Moth wings were acquired , which after a period in storage were deemed to be taking up too much space , so reluctantly they were taken out into the back yard and burnt . Shortly afterwards Rollasons contacted PAS with a view to purchasing the wings from them , as at that time they were desperate for Tiger Moth wings . From that day on Bill and Kath have hardly ever thrown anything away . This attitude is reflected in the enormous flexibility that PAS has in supplying not just complete assemblies , but small internal parts of those assemblies .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
Annoyed , he joined Buckthorn and Dandelion and the three of them returned together . As they came up to the warren bank he suddenly caught sight of Fiver . He was sitting half - concealed under the low spread of a yew tree on the edge of the copse , some way from the holes of the warren . Putting down his carrot , Hazel ran across , scrambled up the bank and joined him on the bare ground under the low , close boughs . Fiver said nothing and continued to stare over the field .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
Local residents were evacuated in case there needed to be a controlled explosion . Police recovered a red pullover and handgun from the scene . One witness , a taxi - driver , said : ‘ The police car stopped the van right in front of ou ‘ The policeman ran after him , but as he turned the corner he was shot twice in the back . ‘ We ran out and he was just lying there on the ground . We did n't touch him , what can you do in that kind of situation?’
Idiom: pull someone's leg (used idiomatically: yes)
He was so beside himself she had to laugh . ‘ Do n't worry , I 'm Labour . I was only pulling your leg’ His face collapsed with relief , and then he took her arm again . ‘ You gave me the fright of my life there .
Idiom: all the rage (used idiomatically: yes)
We might well have to wait for six months before we found a prahu which was heading in the right direction . We anxiously resigned ourselves to a long wait , and as the weeks passed we gradually got to know the handful of long - term foreign residents in the town , all of them eccentric survivors from days of former glory . Hans Weber , a frail , piercingly blue - eyed Swiss , had been a sea - captain here in the early 1900s specializing in smuggling Bird of Paradise feathers back to Europe when they were all the rage for ladies ' hats . There was the redoubtable Mary O'Keefe — daughter of the famous sea - captain who became known as King O'Keefe of the South Seas . We also found Karl Bundt , born of an incestuous union of titled aristocrats who had fled the opprobrium of European society for the Moluccas before the First World War .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: yes)
It is fairly easy to make the switch from he to something like s / he or him / her in English because the change affects these items only . But in a language such as Arabic , where gender distinctions are reflected not only in nouns and pronouns but also in the concord between these and their accompanying verbs and adjectives , the resulting structures would clearly be much more cumbersome than in English . With all the good will in the world , an Arab writer or translator can not side with this admittedly more enlightened approach to gender without sacrificing the readability of the target text . Gender distinctions are generally more relevant in translation when the referent of the noun or pronoun is human . Gender distinctions in inanimate objects such as'car ' or ' ship'and in animals such as ' dog'and ' cat'are sometimes manipulated in English to convey expressive meaning , particularly in literature , but they do not often cause difficulties in non - literary translation .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
Anyone looking for an exotic finish to a room need go no further than Ravissant . Draped to form an eye - catching window treatment or a canopied bed , these gold - dotted saris are quite unique . Colours include this design in red and mauves , or choose from a range of blues , yellows and greens , £ 200 . Matching cushions available , about £ 30 Scrap Scrap 's getting fat .
Idiom: moment of truth (used idiomatically: yes)
Hartlepool slipped back in to the lead with 3 penalties from the boot of skipper , John Stabler and then the unthinkable happened . Now , the Gloucester players are being made to watch our pictures tonight , so no slipping behind the settee lads . This is your moment of truth ; more like moment of terror as West Hartlepool ran through for a second try . 6 points to 21 . What can coach , Keith Richardson say about this ?
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: yes)
None of the horsemen tried to force a passage across the barricaded bridge . Instead the Red Lancers , many of whom were Belgians , trotted eastwards in search of a ford . On the river 's northern bank a troop of black - uniformed Prussian Hussars shadowed the Red Lancers , and it was those Hussars who , rounding a bend in the Sambre Valley , discovered a party of French engineers floating a pontoon bridge off the southern bank . Six of the engineers had swum to the northern bank where they were fastening a rope to a great elm tree . The Hussars drew their sabres to drive the unarmed men back into the river , but French artillery had already closed on the southern bank and , as soon as the Hussars went into the trot , the first roundshot slammed across the water .
Idiom: head for the hills (used idiomatically: yes)
I mean , it was great PRIME EXAMPLES PRS EG-1 & EG-2 As everybody knows , you have to pay for quality but , as Eddie Allendiscovers , the price is n't always as high as you might think … Mention the name Paul Reed Smith and most people 's wallets head for the hills . Okay , PRSes are expensive , and that prevents a lot of players even considering one . What 's more , the early EG models , which sold for just under £ 600 , did n't seem to have the feel or charisma of the Customs and Classics .
Idiom: on the take (used idiomatically: no)
Many will also help you find the site and get planning permission . When you have decided what you want , a kit company will build the parts in its factory and then supply a complete weather-proofed structure , including the roof . Depending on size , this takes around a week to erect . All you or your workmen have to do is supply a concrete base and clad the outside walls in brick or stone and give it the finishing touches . You can see the latest kits at the National Self-Build Homes Show , which opens tomorrow at London 's Alexandra Palace and continues until September 20 .
Idiom: cut your losses (used idiomatically: yes)
Even in wartime , murder is still murder . ' ' I 'll kill you now , ' Woolley said flatly , ' and stick your fat body in my plane , and in ten minutes I 'll throw you out behind the German lines , unless you get me my booze and my scarves . ' ' Cut your losses , Woolley . ' Hawthorn indicated the airmen . ' Too many witnesses now . '
Idiom: child's play (used idiomatically: yes)
Nigel Kennedy has been promised several free pints when it reopens in November . In part two : A slice of history . The birthday cake that was sheer folly . And it 's child 's play . What to do when the school holidays drag on . Insecure , dirty and expensive : Report condemns a city 's car parks .