Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
Information considered by the board . At its meeting on 30 October 1990 , the board received a report from Ian Wells , a senior enforcement officer , on the progress of an investigation he was carrying on into the affairs and business of the Winchester Group , an appointed representative of Norwich Union . That investigation had been initiated under rule 7.9(1 ) ( b ) of the Rules on the direction of the Chief Executive to the chief enforcement officer in the light of evidence that had come to Lautro 's attention suggesting that Norwich Union might have been in breach of various of the rules in failing adequately to monitor the business and operations of the Winchester Group and to ensure compliance with the Code of Conduct . Attached to that report , were inter alia the following items —(1 ) an internal report dated 18 September 1990 prepared by Norwich Union in connection with the question whether a Mr. Victor Tee — the holder of 51 per cent . of the Winchester Group 's issued share capital — was of good character and otherwise suitable to manage the marketing of investment contracts on behalf of Norwich Union and also whether he was a fit and proper person to be appointed as a company representative;(2 ) a letter dated 18 October 1990 directing the chief enforcement officer to undertake the said investigation;(3 ) correspondence relating to the Winchester Group passing between the Chief Executive and the general manager of Norwich Union since 15 October 1990;(4 ) a copy of a letter dated 12 October 1990 from Abbey Life to the Securities and Investments Board relating to the connections between the Winchester Group and Mr. Randhir Singh , a former Abbey Life appointed representative , now awaiting trial on mortgage fraud charges;(5 ) a copy of a letter dated 31 July 1990 from the Winchester Group offering Mr. Singh the position of recruitment officer .
Idiom: catch a cold (used idiomatically: yes)
There is a saying that one should never explain or apologise in making a speech . However , I must break that rule this morning and apologise for the fact that I have an extremely heavy cold , which will make the delivery of my speech a long process — and even longer for the House , which has to be detained in listening to it . I rather foolishly ran round the Staffordshire moors on Saturday with the perhaps to be disbanded 5th Battalion Light Infantry from Shrewsbury and caught a heavy cold . Perhaps that is a lesson that , at my age , I should stop doing such silly things . I therefore move the motion with a glass of privatised water ready to hand .
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: yes)
How we throw this away can have a major impact on the environment . Waste can be classified by its place of origin — agricultural , industrial , clinical , domestic — as well as whether or not it is hazardous . In an ideal world we would be recycling and re - using everything , but this is n't possible and we have a long way to go before we can turn all our waste into a resource . Three quarters of UK waste comes from agriculture , mining and quarrying . Industrial and municipal follow on with far less quantities .
Idiom: foot the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
But be assured , I had no intention of trying to buy your favours with the price of a meal.’ ‘ Just my co - operation in furthering your intrigue with Lotta , no doubt?’ she suggested wearily . ‘ Look , Rune , you footed the bill for yesterday 's entertainment . Today it 's my turn . I prefer not to be under any obligation to you.’
Idiom: all and sundry (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ As far as I know ' e was ' avin ' it orf wiv one o ' the young gels where ' e worked . They 're both as bad as each ovver if yer ask me,’ Soapy remarked , biting into his dripping toast . The enlightened carman managed to resist addressing Bessie by her nickname , but the story was soon common knowledge and she became known as ‘ Bubbles’ to all and sundry behind her back . The dining rooms were beginning to show a better turnover and the books started to look much more tidy and well kept , thanks to Carrie 's efficiency and enterprise . She had gone to the library and borrowed all the books she could find on accountancy , bookkeeping and running a business .
Idiom: on the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
The salty , fishy odour of baccala ( dried salt cod ) hits you at the door , and there is a good selection of Spanish pork products , not forgetting chorizo sausage and serrano ham . There are eight varieties of olives , bulk and bottled , including a Californian one stuffed with jalapeno ; olive oil , most famously Carbonell whose comely wench pictured on the labels must be the emblem of Spanish olive oil in British imaginations , comes in gallon tins rather than fancy little bottles . A wide range of deCecco pasta , among the best of the dried brands , jostles for space on the shelves next to pretty tin boxes of turron , Spanish almond nougat . In the compact bar space at the back of the store you can perch on a stool and eat tapas , sandwiches or a hot meal , washed down with cappuccino or Spanish beer . The Ricots make paella almost every day by popular demand ; the Saturday special is churros ( fried twisted dough ) and a hot cup of chocolate for £ 1 .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
You know ? ' ' Yes , yes , I do . By heart . Harry , push this in the hamper for me . Harry , Harry , Harry … '
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
said I 've got to get this one back for her mum or whatever said I 'm in a hurry then I met some guy on the field , talking to him and er Who you do n't know from Adam A spaniel which was off the lead , covered in mud a young one and of course these , this fellow went straight up to it E T Off the lead like ? Off the lead and it was er , so boisterous up and down like this , well he did n't like it straight away he got the old aggro blade up his back about two inches wide
Idiom: pissed off (used idiomatically: yes)
I only had one ski , and I could n't walk down . So when my dad had to ski all the way down to the bottom , while I 'm sitting on the side of this bloody slide . I was practically up at the top as well , I was really pissed off , just sitting there for like , for two hours , whilst my dad went all the way down to the bottom of this thing . Got this man to come up with his screwdrivers and his this , that and the other . His glue , to stick the sole back one .
Idiom: play to the gallery (used idiomatically: yes)
Nevertheless they are constrained from deploying the usual wind - up techniques by their overriding concern to justify their actions and attitudes to someone who disapproved of them but whom they perceived to be in a position to influence their situation for better or worse . So we have a rehearsal of grievances centring on the injustices they feel they have suffered as a result of black immigration into the area . The element of playing to the gallery is conserved in the way they portray the fight as a piece of street theatre , with the adults cheering them on from the balconies , while the girls offer silent support , as the boys defend the honour of the white community against the ‘ black invasion’ . In this way they achieve the desired effect of both showing off their street fighting skills and justifying their moral commitment to racism , while positioning me , alongside their parents and girl friends as admiring spectators of their ‘ protection racket’ . Of course while they may be imagining that they are bending my ear and creating a good impression , they are also providing me with the kind of evidence I am looking for about the gendered and generational aspects of this kind of racism .
Idiom: rise to the occasion (used idiomatically: yes)
East European changes are chance for historic bargain Economics . By Christopher Huhne THE ministerial meeting of the Group of 24 industrial market economies in Brussels today will provide the first test of whether the West is ready to rise to the occasion in Eastern Europe . The Group itself has already been overtaken by events , since it was mandated by the Paris summit to co - ordinate measures to help Poland and Hungary . Since then , both East Germany and Czechoslovakia have lined up with equally convincing claims .
Idiom: in hot water (used idiomatically: yes)
… But there were times , when they were alone in the house together — and even though the Rabbi might be in his own room teasing out a bissle Talmud — his attention would suddenly stray from the holy words and he would become uncomfortably aware of some dybbuk , some spirit of unhappiness , brooding in the kitchen . Still , on Sunday mornings there were no such worries and the Rabbi could look forward to the family breakfast — and to bagels . At five o'clock in the morning Ada Neumann would have been in her kitchen , simmering the dozens of doughnut - shaped rolls in hot water for a few minutes before baking them in the oven , glazing them with egg - white and then showering them with sesame seeds . After the minyanim the men would collect them to bring home , sweet - tasting harbingers of the new week . To Rabbi Moishe , however , they were more than just delicacies , more even than symbols of the hoped - for good week to come — they were remembrances from the past , taking him back forty and more years to his distant home in Lithuania .
Idiom: down the drain (used idiomatically: yes)
The character of the waste from a dyehouse or printworks could alter considerably with changes in the textile processing arising from variations in the materials handled . This makes it important for the designer of the effluent plant to have know - ledge of the textile methods and for him to be informed of changes that may occur . The wastes that go down the drain come from two main sources , the textiles themselves and the residues of chemicals employed in treating them . A great deal of the organic matter in the waste comes from the fibres , this being sometimes more than half the total amount in the effluent , particularly with some of the natural fibres . This is not often realized by people outside the industry , who have adversely criticized the discharge of contaminating liquors on the assumption that wasteful methods have been employed .
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Almost half our stock comes from France,’ said Tony Mason , trading director for Majestic Wine Warehouses . But some retailers say they will not raise prices until after Christmas . Dixons chairman Stanley Kalms said : ‘ We have enough goods already in the pipeline to last three to six months.’ TAKING A POUNDING : Prices of imported goods will rise WE'RE BEHIND YOU , NORM
Idiom: seal of approval (used idiomatically: yes)
Take Action You do not buy tropical hardwood unless it has the Good Wood Guide seal of approval — or , better still , do n't buy tropical hardwood before buying furniture , check whether the wood is tropical hardwood or temperate hardwood write to your highstreet bank , most of which are involved in lending large sums to developing countries , and ask them to reconsider their debt - collecting policies
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
You can adjust them , but in the long term it does damage them . Voice over The tell - tale signs of erosion here inside the cylinder head , plus obvious coking up all evidence of damage caused by unleaded petrol , used by unsuitable cars . Many of the cars being repaired have been converted to accept unleaded according to manufacturers guidelines which suggest a quick correction of engine timing will do the trick . That , say mechanics is not enough .
Idiom: out of order (used idiomatically: yes)
Erm , 'cos I I did n't put an at all , and like the three blokes , there were only three lads and us anyway . So , so they had to do it . What , that 's a bit out of order , innit , poor sods . They sort of went mm alright . Yeah .
Idiom: weak at the knees (used idiomatically: yes)
It was the young man . ‘ Would you like to dance?’ There was something about his voice that moved her , made her go weak at the knees . A man 's voice had never had such an effect on her before . ‘ Please,’ she replied , her own voice quavering slightly .
Idiom: hang fire (used idiomatically: yes)
Later , as the day 's heat faded into balminess and sunset streaked the sky with glorious shades of pink and gold , Ashley searched all around the house and up and down the drive , but the delivery seemed to have vanished . She gave a low growl of frustration . The tiles had taken a month to arrive , and if a replacement batch was required it would mean her hanging fire on the commission for another four weeks . Curses . On the other side of the road at the front of the house a builders ' skip was full to the brim .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: no)
I pushed it into the tie - knot and twisted , hard . ' Stopped it , have you , miss ? ' The lorry - driver 's face appeared briefly on a level with mine . He had taken charge outside . He had sent the young sports - car - driver to ring for the police and ambulance at a phone - box a mile or so back .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
' Good night , miss . ' ' Good night , and thank you again . ' They turned away and she walked up the street , past the baker 's , past the shoemaker 's , and the hat shop , and she rang the bell that was attached to the wall at the side of the door leading into the sweet shop . This rang in the corridor outside . She rang it twice , she rang it four times , but there was no response .
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Where 's mine , my bombers?’ Philip snatched the book from him . ‘ You 'd no right to draw those pictures in my book,’ he said . ‘ Where are they?’ the boy said . ‘ Here,’ said Philip , taking the crunched - up ball of paper out of his jeans pocket and throwing it at the boy .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
On July 24th 1947 , Irgun kidnapped two British Army sergeants , Clifford Martin and Mervyn Paice . On July 31st their dead bodies were found hanging from eucalyptus trees in a grove in Nathanya . Their hands were tied behind their backs . Pieces of shirt had been wrapped round their heads . A notice reading : ‘ This is the sentence of Irgun 's High Tribunal’ , was fastened to one body .
Idiom: up the river (used idiomatically: yes)
The First Forest ( i ) They finally reached the edge of the ancient lake late on the second day of their journey up the river , and in company they had not expected to attract . They had not been able to travel fast , Wynne - Jones finding riding hard and requiring constant rests . He was very weak and his body trembled and broke into sweats whenever he tried to sleep .
Idiom: paper over the cracks (used idiomatically: yes)
There have been a few interventions . The divisions in the Conservative party have already undermined the Government 's position in their negotiations at the intergovernmental conferences . Every other Government in the European Community know that , for months past , the British Government 's negotiating energies have been directed not at shaping the future of the Community but at papering over the cracks in the Tory party . The Prime Minister must , even at this late date , put country before party . In the 20 negotiating days that remain before Maastricht , the Prime Minister must work for a treaty that will serve the best interests of Britain , and in doing so serve the wider interests of the Community .
Idiom: small beer (used idiomatically: yes)
He was a taciturn god . It was said that he had arrived in the Discworld after some terrible and mysterious incident in another Eventuality . It is of course the privilege of gods to control their apparent outward form , even to other gods ; the Fate of the discworld was currently a kindly man in late middle age , greying hair brushed neatly around features that a maiden would confidently proffer a glass of small beer to , should they appear at her back door . It was a face a kindly youth would gladly help over a stile . Except for his eyes , of course .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
' You left out tapestry , wild - flower - pressing , cooking and knitting ! ' she pointed out with saccharine sweetness . ' What would be so risible about those things , if they were my hobbies ? ' Turning the tables on him drew an expressionless silence for a few seconds , and then he smiled , his eyes gleaming in genuine amusement . He shrugged , loose - shouldered , infuriatingly unmoved . ' Nothing at all , ' he assured her blandly .
Idiom: below par (used idiomatically: yes)
There was one child , aged three . Their married life was reasonably happy but there was one point which was increasingly a bone of contention . Clive felt that their sexual life had deteriorated severely since marriage and that it was now well below par . From an initial " rate " of sexual intercourse about five times a week , this had reduced to twice . Clive felt that this was very low and , although he himself did not feel undue deprivation , that it was a straw in the wind and that their sexual relationship was ominously on the wane .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Perhaps I should thank mother . But one would prefer to have made one 's own mistakes . And there 's the question of the yellow muslin dress — not on the face of it a central matter but … but again there is this sense of one 's fate having been manipulated by another . By mother , to be precise.’ Louise was staring intently .
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
' I do n't know Mrs Bradley 's brother very well . I 've only met him once . ' The young man sat down beside her and started to pull faces at young Rachel . ' She 's a ringer fer ' er muvver , ' he remarked . ' I 've known Carrie Bradley fer years .
Idiom: by the same token (used idiomatically: yes)
Asked what I did in Britain I replied ' Like you , I am a smallholder ; I farm only ten acres . ' ' But that is a large farm ; here my family of ten lives on one and a half acres . ' By the same token , 500 acres in Saskatchewan might be considered a very small farm indeed . The term is more a measure of the sort of living a holding will provide and the labour involved than a mere acreage . According to the Smallholdings and Allotments Act of 1908 , a smallholding was defined as ' an agricultural holding more than one acre and not more than 50 acres in extent , though the area may be extended beyond 50 acres so long as its annual value for the purpose of income tax does not exceed £ 50 ' .
Idiom: come to grief (used idiomatically: yes)
This , then , was Mary 's inheritance : by a combination of political circumstances , luck , strong personalities on the throne and sheer nerve and drive , she was heir to a remarkably stable and remarkably outward - looking society , whose kings commanded a great deal of respect , and exercised a great deal of power . Indeed , the Stewart monarchy can be seen as having an unusually easy time , in comparison with the difficulties faced by others in imposing royal rule elsewhere in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries . Much has been made of the fact that two fifteenth - century kings , James I and James III , came spectacularly to grief . They did ; the first was assassinated in 1437 , the second killed in battle in 1488 . But comparison with the disasters which afflicted mid fifteenth - century Spain , and most of fifteenth - century England , immediately puts the Scottish experience into context ; Scotland was undoubtedly fortunate in being spared the experience of a Henry IV of Castile or Henry VI of England .
Idiom: night and day (used idiomatically: no)
The roller blind , made up by Apollo , is in a blue and white stripe fabric from Christian Fischbacher . The bedroom So that the nanny can be on call night and day , the bedroom in the flat connects with the main part of the house and is next to the nursery . An elegant environment is created in the bedroom by the attractive wallpaper with its fine blue and white stripes , the delicate Chinese hand - embroidered bed linen and the complementary patterned curtains which are by Dorma . Although small , the room has masses of storage space .
Idiom: in black and white (used idiomatically: yes)
EIGHT Nobody thought that much of Carry on Sergeant . It was a very low - budget British picture , shot at Pinewood studios in black and white and sought to do little more than provide an entertaining hour and a half or so , with a topic to which a great many people could relate — National Service . It was the dying days of the citizen Army , the young men who were reluctantly called up to serve their Queen and country — to learn how to fire a gun , to march in step and to use contraceptives when they took out the girl from the NAAFI on Saturday nights . There were all sorts of jokes about National Service and this was going to be one of them — the barracks filled with misfits who no more wanted to wear a khaki uniform than they felt like taking poison ( which some of them thought was what they were given three times a day in the cookhouse ) .
Idiom: make a move (used idiomatically: yes)
If you are trying to go high , get on to oxygen and check it is flowing correctly before you need it . 5 If the glider does not have oxygen equipment , make a move to leave the cloud well below oxygen height . Moving on to other types of glider One of the greatest hazards to a pilot can be his lack of current flying practice .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Do n't you recognize a customer when you see one ? ' The machine wafted away from her and attempted to interest a pale Miles Engado in a tofu bar . The Doctor had four balls in the air now , although nobody could see where the extra one had come from . He was milking the audience for all he could get : throwing the balls out in every direction and catching them in a windmill of arms . He was mugging terribly , his rubber features running the gamut of exaggerated emotions from wide - eyed amazement to crumpled despair .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
Drivers go to pubs and if they 're encouraged to drink more alcohol , the liklihood is they will cause an accident and kill themselves or other innocent people . Voice over The brewers say they support sensible drinking and brews such as the Summer Ale fit the bill … Male speaker The Summer Ale is designed to be light and is only about 3.6 per cent alcohol .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
Immediately we get into dowsing for ‘ energy’ , whether it be lines or points or spirals , we have a problem of tuning in to what we want to find . The ‘ waveband’ is just too wide . I am not saying that natural energy flows do not exist , but to detect them alongside the multitude of artificial energy sources , and the thought forms of everyone who has visited or passed through the site , is likely to be confusing , to say the least . At any rate , treat all results with the greatest of caution , and do n't make too much of them . Dowsing has been used in association with more traditional ley - hunting techniques .
Idiom: neither fish nor fowl (used idiomatically: yes)
Will he see what can be done to improve parliamentary accountability for the agencies because , in particular since they are responsible to the Public Accounts Committee , Ministers should be prepared to answer questions about them ? Mr. Renton I disagree with my hon . Friend about the agencies being neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring . They are an extremely important development for the civil service and for those parts of the civil service that are especially concerned with delivering service to the customer . If my hon . Friend has a chance to visit any of the executive agencies , as I do , he will be very impressed by the way that they are tackling their tasks .