Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: go overboard (used idiomatically: no)
But it was n't going to be all plain sailing . Half way round the first lap a short sharp guest of wind took them by surprise and they found themselves having an early bath . The strong winds took their toll throughout the day with most competitors finding themselves going overboard at some point during the faces , which came under the control of Bolton Sailing Club officials . With limbs beginning to tire only eight boats took to the water for the final two - lap race . Such was Risley 's dominance of the competition that they took the trophy with 24.5 points , 14-and - a - half ahead of Capenhurst , 39 , and Sellafield with 66 .
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: yes)
Emily felt angry words rise to her lips but quickly suppressed them , this was neither the time nor the place to argue Craig 's innocence . Emily glanced through the curtains ; outside in the driveway stood a group of her kinsmen , come to pay their last respects to Thomas Grenfell . She could see Spencer quite clearly , he appeared to be holding court among the elderly distant relatives who had travelled from all parts of the country to be at the funeral . Spencer lifted his arms in a flamboyant gesture and Emily felt physically sick at the mere thought of marrying him . She turned away and rubbed her eyes wearily .
Idiom: have it both ways (used idiomatically: yes)
The royal family had to make a decision : do they want to be part of the mystique of the century of the common man or to be an institutional monarchy ; to ride , as it were , in a glass coach or on bicycles ; to provide the tabloids with a running serial or to live simply and unaffectedly among their subjects like the Dutch and Scandinavian royal families . What they can not do is to have it both ways . Much of this could be as plausibly argued today as thirty or more years ago : the extraordinary achievement of the public relations advisers who replaced the ‘ ludicrous courtiers’ has been to ensure that the royal family do still have it both ways . Muggeridge had been percipient in recognizing that the monarchy would increasingly have to live in a goldfish bowl and that would provide a new challenge for the image - makers .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: no)
The changes proved successful and Gregs won an early , though dubious , penalty stroke . Vicky Whitemore , knowing the problems that 'keepers face in these situations , was delegated with the responsibility and let no-one down as she launched the ball safely into an unguarded part of the net . The wings , relishing their new-found space and responsibilities , pounced on every loose ball , thundering bullet-like crosses through the Cranleigh ‘ D ’ . But , unused to being in front , the advancing whites were regularly caught offside and Whitemore 's second goal was disallowed . In the second half , Cranleigh were spurred into action and began to threaten Caroline Bush , making her debut in goal .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: yes)
Ensuring informed patient consent to release of information to third parties is obtained is important for service research . Conclusion Primary health care is at a crossroads . Never has so much been expected of general medical practitioners and practice staff ; general practitioners are being pressed to do audit , participate in commissioning , become fundholders , do research , improve consumer responsiveness , and develop new skills in the transfer of services from secondary to primary care and development of community care . It could lead to the dilution and fragmentation of the strengths and skills of the primary health care team .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: no)
B&O products have redefined consumer electronics . Most recently , the MX television , which sits unobtrusively on the floor tilting back and forth behind a smoked - glass screen , appeared outlandish at first but was quickly copied by the big manufacturers . It is , moreover , the only manufacturer to produce fully integrated home systems — allowing you to find out who 's ringing your door - bell by switching TV channels , for example . That linkage technology was one of the factors behind Philips 's investment of thirty - six million pounds in the company last year . Bang & Olufsen 's latest launch , the Beosystem 2500 — combining compact disc , cassette player and radio , with two ultra - slim speakers — has broken the industry 's conventional vertical configuration for such systems ; instead you have a sleek sculptural object you can hang on the wall .
Idiom: force someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
Despite considerable pressure , much of it from outside the club , there was little chance of any crucial decision being taken yesterday . Edwards has emphasised , ever since the annual meeting two weeks ago when he used his majority shareholding to secure Knighton a place on the board , that he would make his decision at the end of this season . However , with attendances falling and United facing a potentially damaging FA Cup third - round draw away to Nottingham Forest , Edwards 's hand may yet be forced . Liverpool call for British Cup . LIVERPOOL yesterday revived the idea of a British Cup to increase revenue and capture the imagination of English fans starved of top - class midweek football by the European ban .
Idiom: take a back seat (used idiomatically: yes)
Whereas before I 'd be home for perhaps two hours and then away for five months , now I appreciate that there 's a lot more to life . MARGARET THATCHER My husband take a back seat ? Oh my dear , he does n't . Why should he — he has his own career , his own life and he 's pretty forthright on many things — and a very good thing , too .
Idiom: out of the woods (used idiomatically: yes)
Consorcio de la Zona Franca owns 17.3 % ; Iniciativas SA , 14.7 % , Control y Aplicaciones , Enisa , Compania General de Aguas de Espana SA each hold 11.6 % ; Unidad Hermetica , Banca Catalana , Comet , Barcelona Activa , Servicios de Gestion Tecnologica each have 5.8 % ; the University of Barcelona , the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Polytechnic of Catalonia own 1.2 % respectively ; and finally , Credem has the other 0.6 % . JUGGLING ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSALS , P - E REORDERS ITS BUSINESS FOR RECOVERY Though its international activities and long term contracts business appear to offer some cause for cheer , it seems that Egham , Surrey - based consultancy P - E International Plc is not out of the woods yet . The company , which has been assiduously re - structuring over the past year , saw turnover rise a slight 3.4 % to £ 71.1 m while pre - tax profit plunged 90.0 % to £ 160,000 . Its year end gearing fell to 32 % from 22 % with net borrowings up to £ 4 m from £ 2.8 m .
Idiom: go bananas (used idiomatically: yes)
My clock 's going bananas you know Mine does n't make that noise now No , that 's my clock going bananas Nothing over here Mhm
Idiom: catch a cold (used idiomatically: yes)
Not only had his troops let him down , but he was expecting Austria and probably the entire German Confederation to enter the war on the allied side . He had also been ignoring his health . His son had to dismiss the Crimean commander on his behalf because after catching a cold Nicholas had insisted on inspecting troops in twenty - three degrees of frost . The Russian winter , famous for defeating the country 's enemies , this time put paid to a tsar . On 18 February /2 March 1855 Nicholas died of pneumonia .
Idiom: bite the bullet (used idiomatically: yes)
I keep coming back to the idea that everything can have some significance attached to it . Right from indie godhead McGee 's Madonna invite to the fact that Therapy?— once a hopeless band from Belfast — are on the verge of becoming one of the three most important new bands in Britain . Therapy ? , biting the bullet in the Bronx The new Cure ? They are a significant great rock hope .
Idiom: in tandem (used idiomatically: yes)
In addition , as is now the experience of populations in a number of the economically more advanced countries , when certain changes in society conflict with other conditions , there may be compensating changes that are not necessarily desirable . For example , in developed countries , as current education standards require more extended formal education and increasing proportions of women subscribe to these advancements , as younger women are enabled to and elect to join the labour force , marriage is postponed , and the secular trend towards younger age at marriage is reversed . But either as a compensation or as a contributing factor , the entrance of women into non - legal unions at increasingly earlier ages has occurred , in some cases in tandem with late age at marriage . One dramatic concomitant is rising fertility among unmarried teenage girls , though changes in women 's education standards and work status can hardly be held accountable for such a sharp upswing in teenage fertility as the past decade has witnessed . In developing countries today , in spite of the relevant laws , the age at which girls first marry or enter a union depends largely upon cultural standards and the tolerance for deviation .
Idiom: go downhill (used idiomatically: yes)
Herr Nordern shook his head . ‘ You would have been all right in the end . But men … they go downhill so quickly.’ ‘ Oh , Hans.’ It was rare for Frau Nordern to kiss her husband affectionately but she did so now , kissing him on the cheek and ruffling his hair .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: yes)
Praise be , the lady prioress had no light or candle there . My eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and I glimpsed her dark shape on the bed , her long hair falling down to her shoulders . I slipped into the great four - poster bed , whispered a few French endearments I had learnt from a wench and set to with a will . The prioress may have been a lady but she welcomed my rough embraces with groans and shrieks of pleasure . Her body was succulent , slender and smooth .
Idiom: every last (used idiomatically: no)
Claire did n't have to ask how he knew . Nothing was a secret in Ireland . Her mother 's maids would have overheard and repeated every last word through the village before the day 's end . ‘ There was a lot of talk about it,’ Billy went on . ‘ Some of the local lads were calling Frank names .
Idiom: catch a cold (used idiomatically: yes)
Tom does n't like being around children because he 's always afraid of catching a cold from one of them .
Idiom: man's best friend (used idiomatically: yes)
I once knew a Yorkshire terrier where even the word ‘ walkies , sent him into gyrations of joyous bouncing and tail wagging . This was followed subsequently by great interest in all the smells and scents of the roadside , even the occasional canine encounter — accompanied by the whole world of doggie communication : nose to nose , nose to tail , side by side , tail and body postures , ears up , ears down — their inward mental structure is quite clearly being expressed in a language and through sense perceptions and actions we do not share . And when at rest , does man 's best friend lie in contemplation of his next act , or of the possible menus for his next meal ? What passes through the mind of a dog as he snoozes with half an eye upon his trusted human companions — whimpering , tail - wagging and yelping in his sleep ? And why is it that dogs have become one of man 's closest animal allies ?
Idiom: there's no such thing as a free lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
But just about everyone else thought he had brought it on himself . And the ex - Minister learned that when someone else foots the bill there is always a price to pay in the end . As QC George Carman said towards the end of the Mona Bauwens court case earlier this week : ' There 's no such thing as a free lunch . ' Feared Not only has Mellor lost the cherished Cabinet post that thrust him to the forefront of British politics , but he has also waved goodbye to the Heritage Secretary 's salary of £ 63,047 .
Idiom: mark time (used idiomatically: yes)
Standing with arms downwards . 1 . Mark time by raising knees alternately . 2 . Without bending knees , raise legs forward alternately with toes pointed .
Idiom: pop the question (used idiomatically: yes)
It was n't love at first sight when I met Michael [ Williams]— it was good friends at first sight , though , for nine years . And then , suddenly , it was love . I was working in Australia , and he flew out with his last penny , and without telling me he was coming , to pop the question . He chose a wonderful day , a really glorious day , and we were going for a picnic , there were blue skies and white sand , and he asked me to marry him . It was too perfect .
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: yes)
Sometimes the mixture was eaten by bream : often it was left to rot . So it was the bait piled in by J.J. and myself the first night of a season in the early 1970s . Three days later , in the clear water , we could still see all of it , festering slowly . Obviously , we rethought . Particles were just in with the carp lads and we decided to transfer the philosophies to bream .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: no)
He appreciates her , recognizing her good work , thanking her when she works late . He 'll buy her a small gift when she 's made an exceptional contribution . Occasionally he 'll take her out to lunch . But you 'll never see the Profitboss sipping late - night liqueurs with his secretary . He knows where to draw the line and so does she .
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
But Lewis passionately wants to beat Bowe inside not outside the ring and is prepared to take a derisory 10 per cent of the projected $ 30 m fight instead of the normal 25 per cent . And that is completely against the wishes of both Maloney and even his own brother Dennis , who believe they could eventually get at least twice as much . Despite the in - fighting , Maloney has not lost his sense of humour and produced a crowing hen out of a cardboard box at his news conference yesterday saying : ' This is Lennox 's new mascot . It 's called Chicken Bowe and we 're going to take it everywhere with us until he agrees to fight Lennox . ' The present offer is an absolute insult , but Lennox is getting worried and he is adamant that he wants to fight Bowe .
Idiom: body blow (used idiomatically: yes)
The last pre - war years saw counter - productive oscillations over such questions as the legal rights to be granted to trade unions , repeated clashes between the Ministry of Finance and that of the Interior , sharp conflict between civilian and military leaders , massive ill - judged increases in naval expenditure at the expense of the army , and the disruption of an ever more complex administrative structure . More fundamentally , the view that pressure for change could have been indefinitely held in check by resolute repression overrates the resources available to unrepentant autocracy . The upheaval of 1905 and repression which followed had dealt a body - blow to the popular , paternal image of the Tsar . The ideological and cultural support of the Orthodox Church , whose moral authority was also in steep decline , was a wasting asset . The landed nobility provided tsarism with a perilously narrow social base .
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
Two thoughts visited him as he slipped into dreams . The first , that with so much burnt umber on his hands he looked as though he 'd been playing with his own shit . The second , that the only way to solve the problem on the canvas was to see its subject again in the flesh , which thought he welcomed , and went to dreams relieved of his frauds and pieties , smiling to think of having the rare thing 's face before him once again . CHAPTER ELEVEN Though the journey from Godolphin 's house in Primrose Hill to the Tabula Rasa 's Tower was short , and Dowd got him up to Highgate on the dot of six , Oscar suggested they drive down through Crouch End then up through Muswell Hill and back to the Tower , so that they 'd arrive ten minutes late .
Idiom: cut corners (used idiomatically: yes)
Not really . The problem with sub-£10 champagne is that most of it does n't taste very good . You can be sure that , slump or no slump , the Champenois are n't going to drop their prices very far before they start cutting corners . Nevertheless , there are deals to be done , and you can be sure that our supermarkets and high street retailers are doing them . Which of them are offering the best value ?
Idiom: every last (used idiomatically: yes)
They would n't know a thing , any of them . Commodore did n't even stop to look for survivors , so do n't worry yourself none.’ But she did worry and she needed to know every last detail . ‘ Where did it happen?’ ‘ Two days out from Halifax .
Idiom: in Dutch (used idiomatically: yes)
Along with the merger , Postbank shareholders will be asked to approve a change to the bank 's articles of association so that it can engage in wider areas of business . It is not allowed to engage in securities trading or insurance , which would make the merger difficult as NMB is one of the leading options traders in the Netherlands . NMB Postbank will have a dominant position in Dutch savings and money transfers . Over 75 per cent of the Dutch population have accounts at Postbank , though many of these are dormant . NMB Postbank estimates about 42 per cent of Dutch people will have active savings accounts with the new group .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
And nothing you have told me makes any difference to that . Believe me when I say that I would never hurt you . Hold my hand , McAllister . Hold my hand . ' And he put his hand out to her , warm and loving on the counterpane between them .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: no)
It is the same with the two worlds in conflict in The Country of the Blind , that wonderful story of an opposition without resolution , and with Mars and Earth in The War of the Worlds . In particular , there was the problem of evolution and ethics . In an early essay on human evolution , from which Huntington quotes , Wells speaks of morality as being the padding which helps ' keep the round Palaeolithic savage in the square hole of the civilised state ' . He sees in mankind two conflicting beings : the culminating ape and the artificial man , as he calls them . Much of his fiction is spent dramatising or reconciling the dichotomy .
Idiom: go the whole hog (used idiomatically: yes)
Most Hoorays you are likely to come across will have been educated at a public school . Such are the rigours of their adulthood ( working in bons , never eating till 11 pm ) that many Hoorays remember their schooldays as the happiest time of their lives ; their schoolfriends are those they feel most at ease with , even if at the time they could n't stand them . So go the whole hog . Buy the old school tie . Mug up on a few details : whether they called the masters ‘ beaks’ or ‘ dons’ ; whether sweets were referred to as ‘ tuck’or ‘ sock’ ; where you would have slept , in a ‘ house’or ‘ dorm’ ; what barmy school game was played on them once a year .
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: no)
But objectors say the loo is an unnecessary expense . The proceedings were opened by the Gloucester Diocese barrister , June Rodgers . She caused a few titters when she said she 'd held the court in the church for the convenience of all parties . At one stage the whole congregation went outside to see where the drainage ditch would be sited . Objectors are concerned that the drains will disturb old graves .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: no)
' The husband too will require attention . The shock of it will come hard . ' Remembering the parson 's delight on the ice , Tom Horrocks shook his head . ' I tell you , there are times when I could agree with the good doctor of Norwich , old Tom Browne , that it were better if we humans propagated in the manner of trees . There would be a sight less suffering in the world . '
Idiom: above board (used idiomatically: yes)
And then we could have dances — grown - up ones , for the yokels and their sweethearts . They could pay a shilling each to come in , and sixpence for refreshments . Do n't look like that — I know it 's horrid , having to take people 's money , but we 've got to live , and what we 're going to do is absolutely honest and above - board .’ ‘ Gay , you 're a brick,’ said Breeze , ‘ joining forces with us like this . Of course , you must n't ‘ factote’ as much as Susan and myself , because you 've got your writing .
Idiom: work wonders (used idiomatically: yes)
Most of the ‘ safe areas’ offered to Muslims in fragments of Bosnia will not in fact be at all safe . The number of foreign soldiers who may be sent to watch over them — probably less than a battalion per enclave , except in the Sarajevo area — is not enough to stop even a half - serious attack . Air power will not make much difference ; aircraft can work wonders in a high - tech modern war , but preventing a sudden sprint out of the trees is not one of them . Anyway , most of these Muslim enclaves are not durable . They are small towns with a patch of surrounding countryside , hugely over - populated by refugees .
Idiom: every trick in the book (used idiomatically: yes)
Cruel . Full of a strange kind of vengeance . He 'll use every trick in the book to get what he wants . And what he wants is me — out , she forced herself to add . And all because he 's determined to crush whatever spirit of independence Peter has .
Idiom: in the can (used idiomatically: yes)
that piece that piece , what you on about ? , what you on about ? what 's in the can ? fat fat
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
My brain slammed into reverse — moving back to Jim 's words the other night . ‘ If you ask me it proves the very opposite.’ Of course , Jim had instantly seen what I 'd missed all along with my stupid envy . Neil had a guilty conscience and Jessica had known it . That was the reason for her disquieting responses to the beautiful gifts and the disturbing change in her .
Idiom: in this day and age (used idiomatically: yes)
I have n't had a lot of letters from Regional Office , I 've had one or two . Er , I know I 've made some mistakes which they 've missed and I 've managed to put those right as I went on . It is difficult , especially with larger branches who still retain some considerable cash collection , I turn over somewhere in the region of eight thousand pounds a year , which is n't bad in , in this day and age . I 've got to advise auditors er , how they can do their job , I 've got ta advise people of the correct forms , the correct er , way of going about things and what benefits there are available .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
All along the valley , stream that flashest white , Deepening thy voice with the deepening of the night , All along the valley , where thy waters flow , I walked with one I loved two and thirty years ago . Actually , it was one and thirty years ago , but according to Tennyson 's recent biographer , Robert Bernard Martin , the poet deliberately put euphony before mere factuality . Cauterets claims to have a more plentiful supply of sulphurous waters than any other spa on earth , to the tune of a million and a half health - giving litres a day , and this is a claim you will not wish to dispute once you have pushed open the swing doors to the neo - Roman ‘ Baths of Caesar’ and breathed in the warm and all too recognizably sulphur - laden air . Cauterets in fact has more healing waters than it knows what to do with , for on the roadside outside the town you pass small , steaming escapes of water as yet untapped . At one time the thermal sources on which the fortunes of Cauterets rest so securely were also claimed , as were those of other spas , as being especially radioactive , but this is , understandably , not a claim you find in the contemporary brochures , even though the radioactivity is presumably still there .
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
Alright , fair enough . About dinner time and then we can and then Take you up and then go straight to work then you see . Then go to work or we Well yeah but I I I might go I 'll