Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: no)
Reasons for the intervention . The board considered that although the investigation ordered by the Chief Executive on 18 October 1990 is not yet complete the imposition of the restrictions referred to above is necessary in the interests of investors given the evidence before it highlighting serious deficiencies in Norwich Union 's internal systems for monitoring the performance of the Winchester Group and in particular ensuring that the Winchester Group complied with the Code of Conduct . In this context , the material before the board indicated —(1 ) that investors were persuaded by company representatives employed by the Winchester Group to cancel their existing policies and to ‘ switch’ to Norwich Union without their best interests and any disadvantages attendant upon so doing necessarily being considered;(2 ) that other undesirable selling practices — for instance‘overselling’whereby investors are persuaded to take out a range of policies which they may not be able to afford in the long term — have been employed by company representatives selling on behalf of the Winchester Group;(3 ) that the fact find forms completed by the Winchester Group for forwarding to Norwich Union were inadequate for the purposes of ensuring that products were only sold to investors on a ‘ best advice’basis;(4 ) that the connections between Mr. Tee and Mr. Kissane ( a former director of the Winchester Group now awaiting trial on charges of theft of client moneys ) and also between the Winchester Group and Mr. Randhir Singh were such as to call into question the extent to which the controllers , directors and senior managers of the Winchester Group could be regarded as being of good character and competent or otherwise suitable to manage the marketing of investment contracts on behalf of Norwich Union and also whether the Winchester Group could be safely regarded as a fit and proper person for the purposes of enjoying appointed representative status;(5 ) that policies had been sold by eight persons engaged by the Winchester Group who had not been appointed as company representatives of Norwich Union or in any other way authorised to sell investment contracts on behalf of Norwich Union and that other individuals who had been appointed as company representatives had not been registered as such with Lautro;(6 ) that certain company representatives engaged by the Winchester Group appeared to be channelling client moneys through their own personal bank accounts . ‘ 7 . In deciding to impose the restrictions set out in paragraph 4 above , the board also gave weight to the fact that according to Norwich Union 's letter to the Chief Executive of 18 October 1990 , that company had no contractual power to suspend the Winchester Group pending the conclusion of the investigation in the absence of Lautro intervening under rule 7.3 .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
Maybe he thought he was going to get me back into the Church , but what I was doing was strictly pagan . I was dancing for dancing 's sake , not for Jesus 's . I was almost at the centre of the group when I saw the light in the trees . It was a reddish glow , moving unsteadily towards where we were at a height of about fifteen or sixteen feet . It would weave towards us then veer away crazily .
Idiom: kick the habit (used idiomatically: yes)
I lived with a man for 10 years . For most of that time he took drugs . At one time a business proposition came up and , thinking it would help him kick his habit , I agreed to a joint overdraft . He has now left me and I 'm stuck with paying a hefty joint overdraft . What should I do ?
Idiom: close ranks (used idiomatically: yes)
We have every reason to believe that the club was infiltrated by the enemy , and that most of its activities were guided by the hand of the enemy for the purposes of causing disunity within the community and discrediting the name of Nelson Mandela and the organisation of which he is the leader . Our people should not allow this . The ANC calls on our people to close ranks and exercise maximum vigilance against the vile machinations of the enemy . Our position is that the problem arising from the activities of the Mandela Football Club can and must be resolved within the ambit of the democratic movement as a whole , both at local and national levels . This must be done in the shortest possible time .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
Therefore older rural values relating to power and status , and especially the ability to redistribute patronage , predominate . Consequently , the criteria of ‘ profit maximization’ and ‘ efficiency of management’are frequently not critical . Whether more and better schooling would in the short run produce a larger group of efficient entrepreneurs , capable of making individual businesses more competitive , is an open question . Akeredolu - ale , one of the Nigerian analysts of local entrepreneur , writing in 1975 saw deeper problems : Private indigenous entrepreneurs in Nigeria are still to cultivate the discipline of conserving more than they consume of their trade surplus and of re - investing such surpluses to expand the firm .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
To her mind , these proved conclusively that Marius had decided to change his will in her favour , and that Nigel had got wind of this and forestalled his father 's plans by killing him . Charles put up all the arguments scepticism could muster , but somehow ended up agreeing with Jacqui that it was at least worth further investigation . Which was why , on Thursday 13th December , he was taking Gerald Venables out to lunch . Gerald had been a contemporary at Oxford , who had read Law and acted a little . He had been elected Treasurer of the Oxford University Dramatic Society and , as such , demonstrated the prime motive of his life — an unashamed love of money .
Idiom: free rein (used idiomatically: yes)
Former SDP leader Dr David Owen on Cleese 's award - winning party political broadcasts : ‘ John is serious and thoughtful . He was very keen on the SDP / Liberal Alliance and wanted to get everything factually correct . I would discuss the script , say , on proportional representation , and then give him free rein . He regards PR as a crucial issue and when told that one of its main criticisms is that it produces indecisive government , he came out with that wonderfully ironic comment —‘like the weak old government in Switzerland and in Germany and nearly the whole of Europe’ . He managed to put over a fairly complex argument in a brilliantly simple way.’
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
As Appendix II , and indeed the main survey results , make clear , it is not necessarily low income which makes credit at the same time both an obvious refuge and an unduly heavy burden — though in the main survey we found that in general people on low incomes were more likely to say that they were worried about money than people on high incomes . In any income range , people can find it difficult to make ends meet — especially with steep inflation . What is clear is that when people do resort to credit to make ends meet , their anxieties increase . Detailed cross - tabulations of our main survey results ( not included in Appendix I ) showed that people who said they worried about money fairly often or very often on average had a markedly higher credit commitment than people who said they did not worry about money . And people who had bought their most recent non - routine purchase on credit — especially on HP or mail order — tended to worry more about money than people who had bought for cash .
Idiom: go the distance (used idiomatically: no)
I 've seen many concrete steps , otherwise well constructed , crying for a little finishing and more support at the time of casting . Initially , that gaping space can be a little puzzling , but it 's quite simple really . The horizontal distance for the flight of steps can be divided equally to establish the depth of each step , correctly called the ‘ going ’ . This should n't be less than 225mm , but before deciding on a firm measurement , the same calculation should be applied to the vertical measurement , between the highest and lowest points . This will give a height ( riser ) , which ideally needs to be around 150mm , but not more than 200mm .
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
He taught me a great deal . ‘ Before our training was finished , he received an urgent posting to France . That same day he told me , as if he were giving me a magnificent present , that he thought he could pull strings and have me posted with him . Only a man as blank as he would have failed to see the hollowness of my enthusiasm . But unfortunately he had grown fond of me .
Idiom: pull the plug (used idiomatically: yes)
ELECTROCUTION Never approach the victim of an electric shock until the you 're sure you are not risking a shock yourself — otherwise you could become another casualty instead of a rescuer . If possible , turn off the power at the switch and pull out the plug . If you ca n't locate the source of the power , push the child away from the power with something that wo n't conduct electricity ( a broom handle if there 's one handy or another long , dry piece of wood or plastic is ideal ) . •Put out any burning clothes by smothering them with a thick cloth or rug , but not something synthetic which would melt in the heat .
Idiom: doom and gloom (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Hopefully , by the New Year he will be back to the Leslie Crowther we all know and love.’ Comedian Bernard Manning added : ‘ It 's fantastic . There 's been so much doom and gloom around it 's nice to have some good news.’ Bride makes brother 's dying wish come true Ian Key
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
perhaps a final factor has been the differing styles of the individual consultants , so that the firm appeals to a wider spread of clients . If Young is an example of the second type of early headhunter identified , then the firm also has a representative of the first , in Vice - Admiral Sir Ian McIntosh . THE 1970s : EXECUTIVE SEARCH COMES OF AGE The third type of headhunter , more appropriate to the increasing professionalism of the business , is epitomised by David Kay and Dr Anna Mann , who entered executive search with strong commercial , professional and academic qualifications , and set about forming businesses which would continue to grow and capture an important stake in the British — if not the greater world — market . Especially towards the end of the decade , the third type of headhunter was viewing the search business as a profession in its own right , as dynamic as the talent they were seeking , rather than as just an extension of management consultancy .
Idiom: go the distance (used idiomatically: yes)
He was puzzled at first ; his skin was generally clear , without rashes . In the light of his impending journey to Glasgow , he decided that he could afford to consult a doctor . He was ashamed of going to their usual practitioner , and went some distance away to a physician in Westminster , stepping past the beggars who lay about the pavement , demanding alms . The doctor was an elderly man with a grey beard , who examined Paul gravely , then looked up at him with eyes expressionless behind their spectacles ; he had seen many such cases . ' You have a venereal disease , ' he said .
Idiom: hope against hope (used idiomatically: yes)
They needed a strengthened carriageway for their armoured personnel carriers and lighting to make sabotage difficult , not that the demoralised citizens had the nerve to inflict mass reprisals upon themselves . I looked down in some wonderment at the shiny blacktop , therefore , nevertheless noting that unevennesses were already manifesting themselves . I felt like someone out of a pop song , revisiting the haunts of childhood , going to see an old sweetheart , not knowing if they would still be there or not , hoping against hope that they might . I had n't asked for Rosa , that was for sure . I 'd tried waiting for the natural course of events to bring me the way of the creche , some errand Mrs Goreng might send me on , but it had n't worked out that way .
Idiom: cold feet (used idiomatically: yes)
It creates an unbelievable pathos for Tithonus . The imagery of the death of human beings is helped by numerous run on lines that add to the lamentation of the words . The image of the cold wrinkled feet on the glimmering thresholds and the steam from the dim fields again shows Tithonus hopeless situation . Rhythm of the last stanza suggests that all his begging for death is in vain . Immortality is for Tithonus a punishment , it is cold and silent whereas death is warm and inviting for the old man .
Idiom: sweep the board (used idiomatically: yes)
OVER 200 of the North - East 's best young athletes will be battling it out in the Durham Association of Boys ' Clubs cross country championships at Aykley Heads , Durham , tomorrow writes FRANK JOHNSON . The first nine in each of the four events will be selected for the national championships at Stoke on March 28 . Last year , Durham swept the board at the National Boys ' Clubs championships , winning all four team events and claiming two individual gold medals in a superb performance . Durham are expected to be even stronger this time and competition for places will be fierce . The junior boys ' race sees another clash between NorthEast champion Glen Hilton , of Durham City Harriers , and the North - East Schools Inter - Counties winner Chris Hilton , of Chester - le - Street .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
Antonia gets what Antonia wants . ' Before she met the Minister at a party , through her Private Eye journalist friend Paul Halloran , the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate was leading an uncertain lifestyle bouncing from one boyfriend to the next and one downmarket job to another . Almost broke , she had worked as a telephonist at an escort agency whispering secret promises to paying clients , and as a hostess in a Soho club catering for Japanese businessmen . ' She made several false starts , ' said Amanda Tooth , 29 , an actress friend who shared flats with Antonia in London and New York . ' She was always very impressed with anyone famous or powerful .
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: yes)
I was going to say about the mother of parliament . Fine . We talk of the monarchy as something there , er gossom , the gossip columnist go to town , they 've got the tourists coming to see the monarchy , to see the novelty , the attraction and all the rest of it . I think it 's significant that in Scotland many people have absolutely no time for the monarchy ! They are either totally against , or totally indifferent .
Idiom: there's no such thing as a free lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
It is important to distinguish between systems analysis which can mathematically optimize some attribute of the links within and between systems , and General Systems Theory which purports that all systems can be understood by the application of systems principles . The danger of adopting a systems approach uncritically is that it is assumed that it is sufficient to identify system structures and to portray the multitudinous variables involved in a particular system which then reinforces the first law of ecology as graphically described by Commoner ( 1972 ) that everything is connected to everything else . However Commoner ( 1972 ) also stated three other laws of ecology ; everything must go somewhere ; nature knows best ; and there 's no such thing as a free lunch because somebody somewhere must foot the bill . Perhaps physical geography has been overtly concerned with the parallel to the first law rather than proceeding to the equivalent of the other three ! A further example of the somewhat static way in which physical geographers have tended to utilize a system is afforded by the runoff - producing system .
Idiom: take the liberty (used idiomatically: yes)
I bet she 's a friend of yours . and are translated into a work for academic and study for the purpose of general knowledge about the English language . Erm I took the liberty of saying yes to Maureen to come along and record the language debate . I must stop using my words so carefully . Yes
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: no)
Which , let 's face it , it ca n't . Figures are still falling , from the mid - Seventies peak of 15 million , down , down , to 5 million and below . No wonder calls are growing for the show to be put out of its misery once and for all . Hell , it would put us all out of pain . Still , TOTP can take some consolation from the knowledge that other pop programmes share some of its problems .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: no)
Not all the views may be as pleasurable as that of North Oxfordshire but the history of at least part of the English landscape can be seen from all of them whether it be the story of the development of a north London suburb , seen by a student from a garret window in Stoke Newington , the growth of a medieval town viewed by a young man from the upper windows of an eighteenth - century house in the centre of Lichfield , Staffordshire , or the development of a Cambridgeshire village in front of an ageing civil servant from a study in a 1960s neo - Georgian estate house . Professor Hoskins saw little in the modern development of the English landscape that filled him with pleasure and one has great sympathy for his feelings . Yet two points come to mind . One is that if aesthetic pleasure is separated from objective study then the most dreadful landscapes can come alive after close research and bring with them their own form of satisfaction . The other is that the English landscape has never been static but has always been changing , for better or worse Today we are passing through a period which can perhaps be regarded as a disaster .
Idiom: go downhill (used idiomatically: yes)
I should get my hair done , I thought . Widows slip if they let their hair go . Queen Victoria went downhill . It 's a mistake to be wearing his watch . ‘ Hello,’ I said to the Puerto Rican child who was sitting on the lap of the woman beside me .
Idiom: cakes and ale (used idiomatically: no)
And what supplies ! Forget the image of Moscow queues for bread and vegetables . The climbers dined on a cornucopia of fresh fruits , meat , cream , cake and ale , cooked by the enormous basecamp staff . The was hot water on demand for washing and , believe it or not , a sauna bath available at a moment 's notice , run by a scientist from Estonia who was spending his holidays working at camp and doing a bit of climbing when there was no - one wanting a little birch - twig flagellation . Yet the total cost , all - inclusive Moscow to Moscow , was just 42,000 a head — far cheaper than climbing in any other 7,000 metre peak range anywhere .
Idiom: to the bone (used idiomatically: yes)
Ghost of the Tree moved forward in an awkward crouching fashion , watching the humans suspiciously . He picked up a piece of the flesh , sniffed it and tossed it down . He pointed to two discarded bones and Scathach threw them over . The shaman broke the bones with his bare hands , and used the jagged edges to scratch at his bark . He passed one fragment to Oak , the elder .
Idiom: rock bottom (used idiomatically: yes)
Sadly , for Hughie Gallacher , the man with the magic feet , the man with the greatest goal scoring ratio that ever played for Scotland , the worst was still to come . GALLACHER & SON 1950 In May 1957 , seven years after his wife Hannah had died of a heart attack , Hughie Gallacher hit rock bottom . Drink was an increasingly important and self - deceiving prop in his life . He had long since retired from competitive football and like his tragic contemporary , the boxer Benny Lynch , Gallacher only had memories to live on .
Idiom: get on someone's nerves (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Oh Lydia,’ said Betty , exasperatedly . ‘ Oh , all right,’ said Lydia . ‘ He was n't too bad , but he kept copying the way I said ‘ country’ in a very meaningful fashion and it got on my nerves . He says he wants me to meet some of his friends . Can you imagine why?’
Idiom: old hat (used idiomatically: yes)
The standard tactics were explained — alerting the membership in each union , by letter or leaflet , dispatching activists to local branches to pass resolutions supporting the paper and to make sure they got on the agenda of the union 's conferences . General Secretaries would then be obliged to satisfy the membership and could be put in a classic squeeze when they were approached at top level , even if supporting NoS was against their better judgement . Walsh sneered at such suggestions as ' traditional left ' , old - hat and boring . He did n't think much of the unions and their so - called democracy , preferring to rely on direct contact with the leaders . In many cases he had left the unions to the last minute and missed the relevant conferences anyway .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
Worse Nothing could have been worse for us than the children having to suffer and , thankfully , so far they have not had to . But , all along , our main aim was to plan for the future . We had often talked about emigrating to Australia . Suzie comes from Melbourne , so it would be just like going home for her .
Idiom: get to the bottom of (used idiomatically: yes)
The relationship may have reached breaking point following the disclosure that Sunderland approached Steve Coppell at Crystal Palace over Crosby 's job as manager . Crosby has maintained his dignity despite a constant catalogue of names linked with the post , A catalogue of names have been linked with the job in the past , but Crosby blew his top after learning of the Coppell approach . He is determined to have a clear - the - air meeting with Murray this weekend and snapped yesterday : ‘ I have to get to the bottom of this mess . Angry ‘ I was angry and upset to read that somebody connected with the club had been in contact with Steve Coppell .
Idiom: in no uncertain terms (used idiomatically: yes)
Without mentioning the title of the book , serialised in newspapers before going on sale , he warned of the dangers of ‘ damaging stories’ to the Royal Family . And , without waiting for a reply to his question about whether she gave Morton tacit approval for the book which became the biggest seller in the history of royal publishing , Philip went on to accuse his daughter - in - law of putting the dignity of the Crown at risk . One friend who was told of the contents of the letter reveals : ‘ He told her in no uncertain terms that she had to help maintain the dignity of the Crown and consider the repercussions of her actions to the Queen . ‘ He told that her next responsibility was to be loyal to her husband above all else . He advised her to spend more time with the Prince of Wales .
Idiom: on the cuff (used idiomatically: no)
Little bit of the trouser 's taken in the waist . Taken in ? Only a little bit yeah , and a little bit on the bottom and also a slight bit on the cuff 's of the coat but er , it looked quite nice it did . He 's trousers were actually to long ? Not a lot , but
Idiom: stand the test of time (used idiomatically: yes)
Why not set a few moments aside first thing in the morning and last thing at night ? With a little help from Pond 's , your skin will never feel more than four weeks old . Helps skin stand the test of time . the RoC safe tanning survey We 've linked up with RoC — the hypoallergenic skin care experts — to find out more about your attitudes to suntanning .