Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: crystal clear (used idiomatically: yes)
There was also , at least initially , an understandable reluctance to pursue the matter by some members of the community because the tannery is a large employer in an area of consistently high unemployment . The YCCC however were able to raise public awareness of the issues involved , and in doing so learned that the only taxes coming from the tannery were those being paid by the workers themselves , that the city was grossly undercharging the tannery for the use of the sewage treatment plant , and that there was a sewer - use ordinance that , if enforced , would solve the problem immediately by cutting the tannery off from the sewage treatment plant . The exercise also helped to make crystal clear that the sympathies of the city officials lay more with the tannery than with their electorate . Highlander 's initial involvement with the Yellow Creek people followed a fairly typical pattern . It arose from a chance encounter at one of the regular community meetings of the YCCC held at a time when they were attempting to reach out to any and all sorts of assistance in solving their pollution problem .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: no)
Brum for sale BIRMINGHAM CITY is for sale following the collapse of club chairman Samesh Kumar 's business empire . Kumar 's company , BRS Kumar Brothers , has gone into receivership and its 84 % stake in the first division club is part of the assets put up for sale by the receivers . NEWDUST - UP OVER COAL BASE By Barry Turnbull
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: no)
In July 1318 , pope John XXII wrote to philip V of France informing him that although the king 's court had conferred tutelage of Gaston I 's children on Jeanne , Margaret of Béarn already had Gaston II in her keeping and was in any case to be preferred as guardian of the young count . Unlike Jeanne of Artois , whom he judged to be ‘ prodigal and immoral’ , the pope thought Margaret well able take the place of a mother and commended her to philip V. She had in effect governed Béarn , and governed it well , since Gaston I 's death in 1315 , but was to die in 1319 . Gaston II came of age in 1323 , but after the death of Margaret of Béarn his mother 's influence played an important part in determining the anti - Plantagenet stance of the house of Foix - Béarn during the war of St Sardos . The youth and inexperience of Gaston II caused concern to those who worked for peace in south - west France ; above all , to the Pope . In May 1323 John XXII told Fulk Lestrange , Edward II 's seneschal of Aquitaine , to make peace with Gaston , as he was not responsible for the excesses of his own officers and subjects , who had been provoked and encouraged by his mother .
Idiom: in the fast lane (used idiomatically: yes)
On Sunday , the strong Yorkshire U-18s will provide a tough final match at the Hillsborough Leisure Centre . KARTING McAdam in fast lane ON Saturday 130 of Britain 's fastest kart racing drivers will take part in the Townparks Car Sales sponsored opening round of the British championships for gearbox driven machines . The short three round championship will mean that all the championship contenders must get a good result and since results from the two heats also count towards championship points , racing throughout the day is guaranteed to be close and fast .
Idiom: lift a finger (used idiomatically: yes)
The women and children were sent into the town until the floods subsided and the men were left to guard the camp . Nothing for it , but they had to cook for themselves . But once the women returned , the men were n't prepared to lift a finger to help . We 've taken the issue up on a number of occasions and some of the younger men agree that perhaps things should change , but the older ones are adamant about what they regard as women 's work . Irene .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
I was able not only to point out the inconsistencies of the so - called ‘ voluntary agreements’ but also to the confusion in the ranks of the tobacco industry . William Waldegrave , Secretary of State for Health , has shown himself to be no friend of the tobacco industry over the past few weeks . They were shocked that the UK chose the stark warning ‘ Smoking Kills’ as one of the rotating warnings on the back of cigarette packets , especially as he followed the health community 's advice and dropped the attribution to the Chief Medical Officers and increased the overall size of the warnings . But when he insisted that the same warnings should be used on advertisements , and be bigger than at present , he got them furious . Accusations of a ‘ personal crusade’ and threats that the industry would decamp abroad are measures of how threatened the industry feels .
Idiom: go overboard (used idiomatically: no)
At prearranged intervals that night , the troop columns left their widely dispersed harbour and hide areas and , following the regimental route , after a twenty - kilometre drive arrived at the bridge site in the carefully thought - out launching order . Under a slightly overcast sky , but with a fair amount of ambient light and a touch of red to the west to show Where the sun had expired , the safety boats , their navigation lights brightly lit for the occasion , skittered about like playful sheepdogs before settling down to hold station in midstream . They were to stay on the alert for any soldier unlucky enough to go overboard . As each group of rigs arrived they moved quietly on to the sloping cobbled ramp , which in times past had been used by a civilian ferry , and with a hiss of hydraulics opened out . The crew , moving rapidly yet almost soundlessly , carried out the few jobs required to convert the land vehicle to a boat , and within seconds the rigs slid rapidly into the dark water and powered away to swing out their ramps and couple together in twos and threes .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
Most of the figures involved were obscured by the slanting roof . The passage had obviously once been a high ceilinged corridor . Sendei turned the final corner and emerged into a small circular space . The walls were covered with a riot of colourful designs , patterns that swirled like those on a headster - time blouson . Molassi sat cross legged next to a thin column of bright white light , which stood like a radiant strut at the centre of the chamber .
Idiom: take a dim view of (used idiomatically: yes)
Scotland 's role in Europe has featured in those exchanges . Mrs. Michie Will not CBI ( Scotland ) take a dim view of the Government 's decision to opt out of a commitment to the single currency ? Because of the Government 's apparent lack of enthusiasm for all things European , and their determination to go along a slow track , will not Scotland lose out again without any chance of the central bank being cited in Glasgow or Edinburgh ? Mr. Stewart
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: no)
A mile from St. Cleer , where the slopes of Bodmin Moor fall away to the Fowey valley , is a monument to a ‘ King’ of Cornwall , one of those whose story falls between history and legend . It is indeed hard to distinguish , in the mists of the so - called ‘ dark ages’ of Cornwall , as to where fact and fantasy merge . King Doniert , or Dungarth , whose stone still stands , was supposedly a son of King Caradoc of Cornwall who held court at Liskeard . So wrote the historian Carew in the seventeenth century , giving the date 443 AD as the period of his reign . Whitaker also quoted Cornish royalty as having their capital at Liskeard in around 614 AD .
Idiom: to boot (used idiomatically: yes)
food market I 'd have thought . . awful now , it 's going to boot , Marks and Spencers . They used to have some nice nighties and Ah but they still Newcastle .
Idiom: behind closed doors (used idiomatically: yes)
He attributes part of that to the rise in cautioning . Magistrates who are unused in public at least are criticizing the police , they say their policy has gone too far . They are making decisions behind closed doors , they are making decisions erm arbitrary decisions , without the benefit of accountability to the public and that to me is the most serious er long term aspect of the increase in cautioning . You 're concerned at at there being private justice not public justice ? Indeed , well I d I I do n't call it justice .
Idiom: fight tooth and nail (used idiomatically: yes)
' His condition was obvious and they must have decided to pull him on the way home . ' Mr Davidson , 47 , of Norbury , Derbyshire , has not been charged . But he vowed : ' If I am , I will fight the case tooth and nail . ' His solicitor , Peter Fox , said : ' We would call the doctor 's suitability into question . ' Thompson , who works for the police part - time , was woken up to take a sample from Mr Davidson at Ashbourne police station , Derbyshire .
Idiom: by a long shot (used idiomatically: yes)
When Mr Major learned the result , he acted as if he had seen Chelsea win the Cup rather than his own MPs come so close to humiliating him . He is not yet out of the woods . Not by a long shot . And if he thinks he is , it would be a fatally stupid misreading of last night 's result . Dawn of hope
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
These are security risks . Neither , if you value your privacy and security , should you buy or rent a house on the end of a road where the public pavement runs alongside your house and garden . Children are likely to play ball against your side wall and you may find yourself picking litter out of the garden which has been thrown over your wall or fence . Unfortunately , front and side gardens in urban areas are always magnets for litter louts . If the garden does not already have them , then you will be able to erect fences that are high enough to deter intruders and give you privacy of course .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: no)
His arithmetic was supported by a BBC poll which calculated 36 Tory MPs would either abstain or vote against the Prime Minister . MPs on both sides of the Commons believe Mr Major will have to resign from Number 10 if he can not go to the Edinburgh Summit in December as EC President with an upbeat message to fellow heads of state . Westminster is now in for a furious bout of behind - the - scenes arm twisting as Government whips try every trick in the book to persuade the waverers back into the fold . Lady Thatcher is scheduled to make an explosive and finely timed entry into the debate tomorrow to stiffen the sinews of the Euro - sceptics . But Welsh Secretary David Hunt warned : ' The consequences are very serious indeed .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
But I think you should look over the stored furniture before you come to any decision . Some of the pieces are from Hercule 's family , and are very old.’ She produced a business card from her bag , and wrote an address on the back of it . ‘ Speak to Monsieur Pallon , and he will show you what there is.’ Sabine took the card .
Idiom: get under someone's skin (used idiomatically: yes)
Do you have to?’ she snarled at him as he took out a cigarette . ‘ It 's my room.’ Damn , he sounded too shirty , but he did n't like the way she could get under his skin . ‘ I need one , if you do n't mind.’ He lit his cigarette whilst she watched him .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
We are sitting around drinking coffee in his flat , but you would think we were drinking champagne . Morning sunlight burns through the grime on his front window . It glows on the carpet , and tries to join our celebration . Eva wants to be sure of the facts . ‘ The charge was possession , right?’
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
It , it worked out , my mum at first thought it were n't too bad cos she got in with one of these special offer things . Aye , yeah . But towards end when she only , she only had a pound to lose and she paid about six week on run to go to get weighed to tell her she was exactly same weight . And that 's all she were doing going and getting weighed like . So , she said , up to Christmas she says I 'm gon na give it two more week and if I ai n't last it I 'm jacking it in .
Idiom: neck and neck (used idiomatically: yes)
THE Spanish general election on June 6th is the first for a decade in which the result is not a foregone conclusion . Everything points to a victory for the conservatives , except their inability to make the most of their advantages . For months , polls showed the two main parties neck - and - neck . The peseta 's devaluation on May 13th looked as if it might help the right - of - centre opposition People 's Party , but the party 's leader , Jose Maria Aznar , failed to exploit the opportunity and polls taken after the devaluation showed the ruling Socialists nosing ahead . Then , on May 24th , Mr Aznar regained the lead in Spain 's first - ever television debate between prime - ministerial candidates .
Idiom: brass monkey (used idiomatically: yes)
He also realised that this was a situation far beyond his metier and summoned the duty staff officer , who arrived resplendent in full ceremonials , pantaloons , highly polished knee - length riding boots , and regulation yellow walking stick , and visited Shaw in his billet and confronted him in a corner , where he held court . After a short and unequal debate , Shaw conceded the surrender of the cups , provided the NAAFI no longer charged a penny deposit on a penny cup of tea , and West Canip , Cranwell , returned to its normal tranquillity . The other story I recall to mind about this time is that Cranwell in those days must have been the coldest spot south of the Arctic Circle and the ration of coal to fire the single stove in a billet of 22 erks took little account of the temporary hutment , Some genius had laid down that the ration of coal would he 1 lb of coal every other day was sufficient to ward off armies of brass monkeys that descended on Cranwell in winter . In even the mildest winter , the situation was desperate enough for those in the workshops to make a form of briquette from any form of rubbish bound by rags — and sometimes wired flex — that would give the slightest measure of heat . Now the ration per airman , meagre as it may have been , was four times for an officer — ie 4 lb every other day , The coal compounds were side by side , and whilst the officers ' compound was generally well filled .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
Changes in the container as well as in the product should be looked for and reported . It is necessary to draw up a projected examination schedule and to put on storage at each test condition more than sufficient samples to meet that schedule . The examination schedule drawn up at the beginning of the test may need to be modified in the light of findings in the earlier stages of the test . Thus , if changes appear at an early stage it may be necessary to carry out more frequent testing ; alternatively , the reverse situation may apply . There must also be enough samples put on test to allow for duplicate examinations and for the proper investigations of special problems .
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
Even when I 'm briefly back home in England , I 'll ride a bike on rollers in the living room to keep warm . ‘ At least I can watch the telly as I train — although it 's hard breaking the racing routine of having breakfast at lunchtime and your main meal at tea time . ’ The riders are contracted separately for each event and live on appearance money — there is no prize-money as such . Riders earn , according to Doyle , ‘ the equivalent of a player in the Premier League football , which could range from £500 to Pounds 5,000 a week ’ . Then there are special ‘ one-off ’ fees to the top Tour de France riders of up to £25,000 a race .
Idiom: out cold (used idiomatically: yes)
' With a river handy , and you past resistance , why not do the obvious thing , and shove you far enough in to make sure the current took you ? Even a swimmer with all his wits about him might well be in trouble down those reaches at this time of year . Out cold , you would n't have a dog 's chance . ' ' You comfort me , ' said Gus grimly , ' you really do . Go on , tell me , why did n't he ? '
Idiom: on the house (used idiomatically: yes)
The banquet went on all night and ‘ by six in the morning Braque and Derain were dancing with the bones of the lamb’ . In 1917 Moise Kisling married , and the occasion gave the party - loving painter a wonderful excuse to entertain . After the ceremony , the wedding party and their guests went to the Rotonde and Libion , the popular patron , offered champagne on the house and toasts were drunk enthusiastically . After that Kisling expansively invited all the guests to dinner with him at Leduc 's restaurant . Chana Orloff , who was sitting next to her husband and Modigliani , was a little worried by the grandiose gesture , but the men shrugged and said : ‘ We 'll get a good meal’ .
Idiom: make a move (used idiomatically: yes)
These include Channel / ESP 's Forest & Trees , Gupta 's Quest and SQL Windows , Hewlett - Packard 's New Wave Access , Jyacc 's JAM , Lotus Corp 's 1–2 - 3 for Windows , Mateysys ' Objectview , Pioneer 's Q+E , Powersoft Inc 's Powerbuilder and Uniface Corp 's Uniface 4GL . INGRES INDEPENDENT TOOLS ON THE WAY Following the trend spearheaded by Unify Corp with its Accell 4GL toolset a few years ago , Ingres Corp is expected to make the first moves in liberating its own toolsets from the Ingres database next month . Ingres Windows 4GL , well received as a graphical , object - oriented 4GL development tool , but with a surprisingly low profile for a two year old product , is expected to make a two - stage move towards supporting multiple databases , with announcements about a middleware product expected next month . Third party companies such as Boca Raton , Florida - based TechGnosis Inc , with its SequeLink SQL ' middleware ' product , have taken a similar approach .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: no)
French Republican passport issued at Calais to Sophia Whitehill White , 20 Thermidor , an douze ( i.e. 7 August 1804 ) . Reduced from 242 mm high . A bridge to the topic of the Scot abroad is formed by a letter - book of the Leith Hall Sugar Plantation in Jamaica , 1846–48 , presented by Messrs Travis and Emery , London . The Department of World Mission and Unity of the Church of Scotland continued its presentation of files relating to colonial , continental , Jewish and foreign missions , 1939–85 ( availability as always is restricted for those records less than 25 years old ) . Correspondence and journals of Dr Herman Philip , missionary to the Jews , his wife Dora Stephens , and their daughter Anna Maria Henderson , 1841–81 , were purchased .
Idiom: take root (used idiomatically: yes)
In the far west , beyond the Old World and the Elven Kingdoms of Ulthuan , the Orcs and Goblins of Naggaroth are the descendants of captives taken by the Dark Elves many thousands of years ago . Orcs were forced to fight for the Dark Elves in their wars against the High Elves , although in truth the Orcs took little persuading . Since that time many independent Orc and Goblin tribes have taken root in the forests and mountains of that cold land . Sometimes the Orcs ally with the Dark Elves , but they are creatures of shifting loyalties , and are equally likely to attack their erstwhile allies and rampage through the Dark Elf lands . ORC TRIBES
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: yes)
Top American fight figure Emanuel Steward , the overlord of the Kronk gymnasium in Detroit , which reared Tommy Hearns to fame and fortune , agreed that it would be an ‘ insult’ for Lewis to accept a $ 3 m offer . ‘ Maloney is being wise and Lewis should listen to him . There are no real heroes in boxing at the moment and Bowe has no other way to go in the end but to fight Lewis,’ he said . ‘ If I was his manager I would offer Lewis $ 8 m for the fight . But the truth is , they 're afraid of Lewis and they 're trying to milk the title for all it 's worth.’
Idiom: join the club (used idiomatically: no)
Posh buy-out MANAGER Chris Turner is part of a three-man syndicate that has bought First Division Peterborough United for a sum believed to be more than £1 million . Turner , 41 , who returned to the club as manager almost two years ago , has been joined by local businessmen Alf Hand and Shaun Riley to buy out Oxford-based chairman and owner John Devaney . ‘ We have had to beg , steal and borrow substantial funds to put the club back in the hands of the people of Peterborough , which is where it belongs , ’ commented Turner , who moves to the boardroom as chairman . ‘ I still expect to have a substantial interest in the day-to-day running of the club and my assistant Lil Fuccillo will be appointed manager . ’
Idiom: hit home (used idiomatically: yes)
Things change ! Keith was over the moon at first at the prospects of being a father , but that all changed . It hit home , what it involved . He said he was scared about all the girls he 'd miss going out with , stuck with one girl . So when I was pregnant he went out with somebody else .
Idiom: pay through the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
Cawthorne calls it the Exhilarator . It 's in Kent , one of these paintball guns and combat trousers action games for bored executives . They run over cross - country courses and pay through the nose for it . In fact they pay for the sort of thing they used to skive out of when they were at school.’ ‘ I nivver did games at school,’ mused Werewolf .
Idiom: read between the lines (used idiomatically: yes)
Apparently Lilian 's arthritis was ‘ troubling her’ and he himself had just had a ‘ nasty dose of flu’ . He went on to say that perhaps in the spring ‘ when the better weather came’ etcetera , etcetera … Harriet , being no fool , read between the lines and knew that Sidney had been got at by his stronger - minded and cynical other half . To make matters even more wretched than they already were , Celia cried both day and night and because of Liza 's deepening depression Harriet found it was she who was forced to bear the brunt of this , so much so that after a while she simply swept up baby and cot and took them into her own bedroom . Mark Jefferson , Harriet 's cousin , came down to Cornwall ostensibly to spend a week with them over Christmas , but left the day after Boxing Day .
Idiom: go to the dogs (used idiomatically: yes)
Sometimes I would go on the wagon for a few days then have a binge . Looking back it was a serious situation , something I would n't wish to go through again . I was going to the dogs . ‘ MAKING HAY : THE FOOTBALLER AS PUBLICAN Johnstone 's recollections are a sad but reassuringly honest appraisal of a career on the skids and although drink and football are part of the untamed humour of Scottish society , they are also a major part of the untold pain .
Idiom: up the ante (used idiomatically: yes)
The pops and bangs going off around the Porte de Versailles last week signalled a European industry in panic as the date for free access to the European market by the Japanese gets ever closer . That date is especially important for those Japanese cars built on what Levy described as ‘ the Japanese aircraft carrier that is the UK , and which is pointed towards continental Europe’ . Faced with the prospect of Nissan 's Washington plant in the UK training its sights on the mainland and upping exports to as much as 70 per cent of production — that 's 140,000 cars a year by 1992 — the two most powerful men in French industry locked themselves behind doors and decided then and there to up the ante in the fight against the Japanese . Levy and Calvet , both long - time advocates of a five - year acclimatisation period for Europe after 1992 , are thought to have agreed to press the European Commission to deny the Japanese unhindered access to Europe until 2002 , and only then if it 's reciprocated . With over 60 per cent of the French market tied up between them , the Peugeot - Citroen group and Renault could be forgiven for thinking they had little to worry about .