Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: hand in glove (used idiomatically: yes)
Japan ’s state prosecutor has , for example , accused Ichiro Ozawa , the General - Secretary of the newly elected Democratic ~ Party of Japan , of having received illegal funds to run the DPJ ’s recent campaign against the Liberal Democratic ~ Party . That three close aides to Ozawa have been indicted only months after the DPJ ’s victory strikes many Japanese as odd , given the well known corruption of the LDP when in power . But the LDP worked hand in glove with Japan ’s deeply entrenched bureaucracy , of which the prosecutors are a part . The DPJ has vowed to shake up the cozy relations between Japan ’s bureaucrats , politicians , and big business . By indicting people close to Ozawa , the prosecutors appear to be acting in defense of the status quo .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
A large quantity of information is needed in order to reduce this uncertainty to an acceptable level . Unavailability of the required information may lead to a deficient design with unacceptable economic , ecological , social , political or cultural consequences . For large systems , as a rule , a part of the required information on the behaviour of system environment becomes available only after the system has been constructed and has begun to operate . For this reason there is a need for the function of control to be incorporated into the system . The role of control is to make decisions on certain aspects of system behaviour at the time when the relevant information becomes available .
Idiom: put two and two together (used idiomatically: yes)
A tiny grubby finger will be pointing at a poor pen - and - ink line drawing of a ' polecat with young ' , set against a blue number seven . The infant spots a corresponding blue number seven on a post by the path . Putting two and two together , junior quite rightly expects there to be polecat with young hanging around post number seven , waiting to be petted by the children and providing the adults with a photo opportunity . The fact that the polecat with young was sighted three years ago by a grumpy shepherd looking for a lost lamb at 5.30 a.m. on a March morning , two miles away from post number seven , is irrelevant . The child has come in search of nature and is thwarted .
Idiom: foot the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 'm serious , Stevens . I really think you should take a break . I 'll foot the bill for the gas . You fellows , you 're always locked up in these big houses helping out , how do you ever get to see around this beautiful country of yours?’ This was not the first time my employer had raised such a question ; indeed , it seems to be something which genuinely troubles him .
Idiom: show someone the door (used idiomatically: yes)
The travel agency business has slumped into loss in the face of disappearing package holidays and market leader Lunn Poly 's price - cutting tactics . The worst is unlikely to be over yet . NFC 's caring approach makes it more reluctant than most companies to show employees the door . But Sir Peter and his colleagues have also demonstrated their commitment to what the mission statement describes as ' a participative and results - oriented management style'(my italics ) . Staff in the travel business have already been cut by 15 per cent .
Idiom: coals to newcastle (used idiomatically: yes)
RUSSIANS are numb to the red of the Communist Party and the face of Lenin which has stared at them in public places for decades . Not surprisingly , they failed , with the first outbreak of Gorbymania , to see the fashion asset in the political imagery all around them . It was left to Western businessmen to manufacture CCCP T-shirts which ended up on the Soviet black market , an acute case of carrying coals to Newcastle . But one Moscow designer , at least , has been able to look at the familiar with a fresh eye and use the symbols of Soviet power with wit and imagination . Yelena Khudiakova 's exhibition of ‘ high fashion using imagery from behind the Iron Curtain' opens at the Birch and Conran gallery in London 's Soho today .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
They are small easel - pictures , but stand clearly apart from vase - painting and in the tradition of wall - painting as we glimpsed its beginning on the Chigi vase ( fig . 18 ) a century earlier . The most complete ( fig . 45 ) is a charming picture of a family going to sacrifice at an altar . The ground is white , and on it women 's skin is outlined in red , men 's and boys ' in black filled in with a pinkish colour , the same distinction as on the Thermon metopes ( above , p. 13 ) , and clothes are in flat washes of clear , bright red and blue . Names are written beside the figures in the Corinthian alphabet , and a dedication to the Nymphs by a Corinthian whose name is lost . The writing on the background , the figures all in profile , their feet all on the base - line : these are the same conventions as are kept in contemporary vase - painting , but the effect is wholly other ; not only in colouring but in composition .
Idiom: mean business (used idiomatically: no)
Another reason why you might resort to sanctions is because you feel like it ! You may wish to get at your opponent in some way and think that this strategy will further your personal or general bargaining aims . Finally , you might use a sanction to show that you really do mean business in terms of your bargaining position . For example , management might suspend all negotiations about pay and conditions until employees agree to work normally during the bargaining . TACTICS
Idiom: belt and braces (used idiomatically: yes)
In the latter case , if there is a provision for the tenant to provide a substitute guarantor on the bankruptcy or liquidation of the original guarantor the landlord should not be too disadvantaged and it would seem reasonable to resist the stringent forfeiture provision . ( 3 ) The tenant should try to insert reference to the tenant being construed to be : the tenant for the time being or better still : while this Lease shall be vested in the Tenant This is to obviate the remote possibility of an argument as to whether the bankruptcy or liquidation of the original tenant ( after an assignment ) who will presumably still be within the definition of " the Tenant " could affect the re - entry provisions contained in the lease . This is quite academic and , in any event , relief against forfeiture would almost definitely be granted , but many old tried and tested precedents provided for this eventuality and there is no harm in a belt and braces approach . ( 4 ) Many tenants object to forfeiture provisions applying where distress or execution has been levied on its goods at the premises , as even in the best run organisations this sometimes occurs and it is not always an indication that the tenant is in financial difficulty . It is therefore advisable to delete clause 9.1.6 , or if that fails , at least ensure that it is amended to refer to the distress or execution being levied at the premises ( 5 ) Consider adding the following two provisos : PROVIDED HOWEVER that in the event that this Lease is mortgaged at the time of the proposed re - entry and the Landlord has been given notice of the existence of the mortgage then prior to such re - entry or proceedings therefor the Landlord will serve a notice of such proceedings and proposed re - entry on the mortgagee at the mortgagee 's last known address AND PROVIDED FURTHER that if the Tenant ( being an individual ) becomes bankrupt or ( being a company ) enters into liquidation ( whether compulsory or voluntary save for the purposes of amalgamation or reconstruction of a solvent company ) or has a receiver appointed the Landlord shall not exercise the right of re - entry by virtue of such bankruptcy liquidation or receivership unless neither the Tenant nor its mortgagee shall pay the rent hereinbefore reserved on the days and in the manner provided or there shall be any breach or non - performance or non - observance of any of the other covenants or agreements on the part of the Tenant herein contained
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
The quadriathlon , still in its infancy , is basically a triathlon with a gruelling canoe leg thrown in for good measure , and East Anglia has one of the leading exponents in this new sport . Graham Sheward , a 54-year - old from Colchester , is no stranger to gritting his teeth and mixing with the best in various stamina events , feeding off an Army career which included a back - breaking spell in the Parachute Regiment . Dabbling with such challenging pastimes as mountaineering and long distance canoeing , Graham was in his early 50s when he took up the quadriathlon just as the sport was getting off the ground . Last year he was selected for the World Quadriathlon Championships at Salinas Bay in Ibiza . A fine 27th place overall earned him third spot in the over-50s category as Britain scooped the team prize .
Idiom: foam at the mouth (used idiomatically: no)
There 's nothing the adventurers can do to help the ' Zombies ' . They simply completely dismember themselves and end up writhing and wriggling in meat trays and as piles of jerking bones on the floor . Their heads thrash about on the bloodied floor , gnashing their teeth and foaming at the mouth . The adventurers must each make a successful Cl test or gain an Insanity Point as a result of witnessing this hideous spectacle . 23 .
Idiom: keep someone in the dark (used idiomatically: yes)
Afterwards , there were people with their mouths open going ' My God , we 've never seen this much violence in an Allen movie . ' ' The atmosphere on the set between Woody and Mia was extremely tense at times , ' said Lysette , 29 , who first won fame in the TV sitcom Three Up , Two Down with Michael Elphick . ' Woody tends to keep people in the dark about everything . But we could just sense it . ' Whether by accident or design , Husbands and Wives contains uncanny echoes of the real events that were being played out in the lives of the cast as it was made .
Idiom: swear like a trooper (used idiomatically: yes)
Had me take him into Salisbury to the oculist . Pretends he ca n't go anywhere alone and this is a chance for Tony to get some time to himself . Swore like a trooper under his breath as the bus swayed through the leafy lanes , saying he could no longer make out the landmarks , that he knew such and such a tree or house was in such and such a place , he 'd passed it so often in the bus , but now could barely see it . New little clavichord in his study , seventeenth century , and over his desk his charts and diagrams . Photo of Schoenberg and Gershwin playing tennis , and reproduction of Dürer 's Melancholia .
Idiom: small print (used idiomatically: no)
That , I confess , is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy but fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans . All your patient sees is the half - finished sham Gothic erection on the new building estate . When he goes inside , he sees the local grocer with a rather oily expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book containing a liturgy which neither of them understands , and one shabby little book containing corrupt texts of a number of religious lyrics , mostly bad , and in very small print . So a third reason for church planting is that , when a new church starts , it has a golden opportunity not to obscure the gospel in its public meetings with cultural clutter from another generation . For us , even as an Anglican church , it has been important not to wear robes in these new churches .
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
Ciaran Fitzgerald , the former Ireland and Lions captain , yesterday resigned as Irish coach . Australian skipper Michael Lynagh will undergo a 24,000 mile round trip to Brisbane for an operation on his dislocated shoulder and return for the final fortnight of the Welsh tour . Mansell is under fire AUSTRIAN Gerhard Berger yesterday criticised Nigel Mansell for letting Williams team - mate Riccardo Patrese win the Japanese Grand Prix . Berger , preparing for Sunday 's Australian Grand Prix , said the sport 's credibility suffered .
Idiom: make someone's day (used idiomatically: yes)
They also collected money in a bucket on their way . Anne Jay , who checks in the contestants and hands them each a medal for completing the race , said the average age of those taking part is twenty to thirty - five years —‘then they come to their senses!’ She should know because she has competed three times , once dressed as a fairy who thumbed a lift from a passing coach full of male senior citizens , which really made their day . ‘ It is great fun’ she said , ‘ and the atmosphere at the finish is electric’ . It is certainly crowded .
Idiom: take the count (used idiomatically: no)
pressure of work on credit advises can tempt them to see this as a way of reducing the workload there is an element of abuse on the part of some debtors — it can be simply one way of not paying the debt As a matter of interest , Mr Rees took a head count , asking how many members in the hall were aware of the impending changes ; apparently only about 30 per cent of the audience knew of the proposed amendments . The Administration Order , which has existed for about 100 years with hardly anyone noticing , was limited to cases at present below the £ 5000 threshold . The proposed changes had one key aim — to increase usage — so , for example , that threshold was to go .
Idiom: go begging (used idiomatically: yes)
One day a figure appeared on the far shore . Her brother rowed across and to his dismay saw that the man was wearing convict 's clothes . He rowed him back however and the convict went to the door to beg for money . Mrs Stevens eventually gave him 5/ and when he asked for clothing suggested that he look in a nearby workman 's shed . Meanwhile young George Stevens had run for the policeman and as soon as the man made off he was cornered by a party of men returning to the factory .
Idiom: sink or swim (used idiomatically: yes)
This should mean more efficient working practices and savings in time and money . Ray Montgomery , works manager for the east division , said : ‘ This is about trying to change the culture of the organisation , devolving power to people on the ground . The Highways Department will sink or swim on the basis of everyone pulling together.’ Inroads staff had the opportunity to see the video at total quality teamwork evenings which took place in the Banfield Bowling Club near Inroads ' McLeod Street headquarters . Before the official start to the proceedings , staff were entertained by a recording of the Gerry Rafferty song , Right Next Time .
Idiom: look the part (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Are you any good at these war game things?’ ‘ Never been on one . But I have to look the part . You know , bored City whizz kid . I 'll have to borrow your BMW.’
Idiom: turn something on its head (used idiomatically: yes)
The fish has also been involved in other incidents of distress , such as having a fight with a Picasso Trigger . Following on from the theory of inflation as a display , it would be interesting to know if anything has ever been observed on the breeding activity of these fish , as an even more outrageous through occurs to me in that maybe the Puffer is one sex of the species exhibiting its mating display . While it is not my intention to turn conventional theory on its head , it often happens that theories become accepted facts because people simply repeat them , without anyone ever questioning them . Gold leaf ? I realise that prices for aquarium plants vary , but recently I purchased 18 pieces of Straight Vallis and 8 pieces of Rotala macrandra and was charged a staggering £ 9.05 .
Idiom: point the finger (used idiomatically: yes)
Die der Welt Heil gebracht … ' And a star - shell lit up the winter night sky … In the New Year , Field Marshall Kitchener sternly pointed his finger at half - a - million more men who reluctantly answered the call . No cheering this time . A hundred thousand were already dead .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
This was not a freedom simply to return to the pre - Education Reform Act way of working . The prescriptions which had emerged in 1988 and from those conditions of service for teachers which had been introduced by the 1987 Teachers ' Pay and Conditions Act had , despite criticisms and resistance , created some new certainties . These were by and large accepted by teachers , understood by governors and welcomed by parents . There was an awareness among people outside schools that schools could choose between a range of approaches to the curriculum ( Lawton 1986 ) and there was an expectation that the chosen curriculum in , for instance , each primary school was one which would create the basis of a rational , moral and enquiring attitude to learning and to future experience . To some extent this made the definition of quality easier to adapt to the process of management planning .
Idiom: come unstuck (used idiomatically: yes)
His successor refused to comment . How long they can remain silent is uncertain . The English Tourist Board 's holding its own investigation into why an organisation charged with the apparently simple task of luring tourists to one of the most attractive parts of the country , came so unstuck . A woman has been raped in her own home by a man she met at a local market . Police say the attacker had visited the house once before , then returned to carry out the attack .
Idiom: play hard to get (used idiomatically: yes)
He smiled and nodded towards the stage , where Caroline was just disappearing behind the curtains . ‘ This one is more interesting than most . She plays hard to get — but anything can be had for a price.’ Nicolo 's mouth curled with distaste . ‘ That would make the buyer as cheap as the seller,’ he said flatly as he stepped away from the wall .
Idiom: one and the same (used idiomatically: yes)
Most Christians had a strong reserve towards that polytheism that pervaded society , which is not to say that there were not quiet compromisers , like the Christians of southern Spain early in the fourth century who held official cultic positions in the worship of Jupiter , or the bishop of Troy who could painlessly apostatize under Julian because he had never ceased to pray to the sun - god . Origen was convinced that the gospel had brought ‘ a new song’ to the world , breaking up ancestral customs . The egalitarianism by which aristocrats and their slaves shared in one and the same eucharist was extraordinary . The Christian writers of the Roman imperial period write with a freshness and excitement which is absent from most of the non - Christian authors . The Christian rejection of polytheism was encapsulated in their argot for heathen cult and myth : ‘ paganismus’ .
Idiom: get your feet wet (used idiomatically: no)
Swim clear of all the ropes , swim around to the back of the boat , pull the daggerboard down and then simply flip the boat upright again . With the Topper , you 'll find that there 's very little water in the cockpit and so you can start sailing almost immediately . With a little more confidence you barely need to get your feet wet . If the boat capsizes because it 's overpowered simply scramble into the high side until you end up standing on the daggerboard . Then lever the hull upright again and clamber back in , it 's as simple as that .
Idiom: rare bird (used idiomatically: yes)
Conservation : Species Red kite breeding success The red kite , one of the UK 's rarest breeding birds , is breeding successfully after its experimental reintroduction into southern England and northern Scotland in recent years . Twenty - one red kite chicks have been raised this year , compared to just 10 last year . The kite was driven to extinction in England and Scotland last century , although a small breeding population survives in Wales .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Got you at last,’ the Headmaster said putting his hand on Endill 's shoulder . Endill turned to face him , trying to hide his fear . If the Headmaster had discovered he had been friends with the Bookman all along , he was in deep , deep trouble . It felt like centuries before the Headmaster spoke . ‘ I forgot to give this letter to you when we were talking .
Idiom: off the record (used idiomatically: yes)
Lane 's total might already be good enough to win selection but he said : ' I still think I need another 25,000 points to be certain of getting into the team so I 'm not counting chickens . ' Gilford has 208,476.57 points and has consolidated his sixth place in the Cup table while Richardson , who finished sixth yesterday on 273 , has jumped from 13th to seventh with 184,746.41 points . Ronan Rafferty , who finished with a 65 — one off the course record — for joint eighth place is still well down the points table . Lisburn wall of memories LISBURN have come up with a novel way of raising much - needed cash for the club .
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
CLIVE CRICKMER RACING pigeon Lucky took the easy route from Malta to Britain … flying on a holiday jet in her owner 's duty - free bag . But eagle - eyed Customs men solved the case of the Maltese pigeon when the stowaway popped her head out of a brandy bottle presentation box . British tourist Stephen Profitt , who paid £ 200 for Lucky in Malta , was fined £ 100 yesterday for bringing her into the country without a licence . Stephen , 28 , said afterwards : ' The Customs officers jumped a mile when Lucky peeped out of the box — their faces were a treat . '
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
As we expect the margins in the polymers business to stabilize , the decline in operating profit probably wo n't be as marked for the year as a whole .
Idiom: a hair's breadth (used idiomatically: yes)
Those handling the interviews did not have the chance to discuss their observations of the candidates till later that day . All three candidates were acceptable on the face of it . Muriel , probably because of her years and the fact they were looking for a more mature person , was by a hair 's breadth the front - runner , ahead of two younger girls both with experience of the insurance business . Muriel was favoured by all three partners , but the comments of her present employer turned out to be of particular importance . The personnel officer read out the relevant paragraph :
Idiom: one and the same (used idiomatically: yes)
His lycanthropic finger was out again , the triple jointed middle one . It was rubbing up and down as if he were titillating an unseen erogenous zone . As he spoke something untoward had begun to occur , something that was at one and the same time obscene and yet oddly natural . Up ahead of the scout - masterish walker , who strode along wielding his shepherd 's crook , looking a quarter - century late for Aldermaston , a dilation came into being , a tear in the very air . It appeared to be some disturbance of the atmosphere , a puckering slash of the ethereal epidermis itself .
Idiom: with a view to (used idiomatically: yes)
With a view to averting disturbances of the overall economic equilibrium , federal legislation requiring the consent of the Bundesrat may be enacted providing for : 1 . maximum amounts , terms and timing of loans to be raised by territorial entities ( Gebietskoerperschaften ) or special purpose associations ( Zweckverbaende ) , and 2 . an obligation on the part of the Federation and the Laender to maintain interest - free deposits at the Deutsche ~ Bundesbank ( reserves for counterbalancing economic trends ) .
Idiom: drop someone a line (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Oh yes,’ his mother said . ‘ I suppose it must be.’ ‘ Perhaps I should drop Ralph a line . His kids must be about the same age.’ ‘ Are you sure that 's sensible?’