Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
The Prince of Darkness ‘ Jam on your toast?’ Preston opened his eyes . Emily was sitting on the edge of the bed in one of his shirts , holding a tray . He smelt coffee .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
In spite of her misadventure , Diana looks back on that trip to Val Claret as one of the most enjoyable and carefree holidays of her life . It is also where she first met many of the people who have since become loyal and supportive friends . When Diana joined the Stewart - Richardsons they were just coming to terms with a family tragedy . She naturally felt out of place in their chalet and accepted the invitation of Simon Berry , the son of a wealthy wine merchant , to join his chalet party . Berry and three other old Etonians , James Bolton , Alex Lyle and Christian De Lotbiniere , were the brains behind ‘ Ski Bob’ travel .
Idiom: get the picture (used idiomatically: yes)
This idea was inspired by Geoff 's round - the- world travels as a professional jazz musician . ‘ I was with a band called Muscles until 1978,’ he explains , ‘ and while we were on tour in Madrid I noticed the effect of hanging pictures from a brass rail in one of the hotels we stayed in . Unfortunately , I could n't get the pictures to hang correctly in my kitchen , so I decided to improvise and use pots and pans instead.’ As Geoff says , travelling the world and staying in so many different places — from châteaux in France to hotels in Bangkok — has certainly influenced his choice of decor and design throughout the house . In the dining room , for instance , there 's a strong Eastern influence .
Idiom: save the day (used idiomatically: yes)
At the end of the day the company was still short by £ 719,000 . Everybody had known it would be a close thing , and the invitations sent out to the party that evening had hedged bets by inviting people to a ' congratulations / commiserations ' party . But the day was saved by Everett , who agreed — after pressurizing his boss , Alastair Morton — that Guinness Mahon would take up the remaining shares . The closing rules about share issues are very strict ; ironically , this is to protect investors in successful issues . The argument goes that if an issue has been over - subscribed , people who come in late already know that it has been a success and are therefore cutting down their risk .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
They were brought out by volunteers and flown to Britain . They 've been looked after by Project Spark at a house normally used for problem children from London . They 've been trying to come to terms with what 's happened ever since . Female speaker Everything you here is the truth and much more is happening which is n't being reported
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
It will be Leeds ' first home game since November 1 and only their fifth in the League at Headingley this season . Pressure Cast-offs Gary Divorty and John Bentley aim to pile more pressure on under fire Leeds coach Doug Laughton . Both were shipped out to Halifax in a £100,000 deal in the summer and Divorty vowed : ‘ I want to show the directors they were wrong . ‘ If we can get on top early on , the supporters will get frustrated and turn on Doug and the players , which will make our job easier .
Idiom: over your head (used idiomatically: yes)
McDonald has some well known musicians , such as Pino Palladino and Benmont Tench , helping him out on the disc , but even their presence fails to add the bit of gloss that is evidently lacking . ‘ Blink Of An Eye’ is certainly an easy listening disc , but it 's just too easy . It washes over your head without making you sit up and take notice . ( Album courtesy of Makin ' Tracks ) . REVIEW by Nigel Tilson
Idiom: in bed with (used idiomatically: yes)
It was something he had been wanting to do for over ten years , but , now that he had done it , he had destroy something that had been between them — a mysterious , almost exquisite , promise of delight . He was starting to tell the truth — that was what it was . It was hard to keep lying when you were alone in bed with someone . If this went on much longer , the real Robert Wilson might emerge — that awful , jelly - like creature that he had been hiding from the world for the last twenty - four years . Perhaps they had taken too long to get together .
Idiom: duck soup (used idiomatically: no)
And of course Mm . a a sailing vessel was duck soup . Absolutely . And of course er the Cardigan Bay is dangerous for submarines God knows but they were pretty good submariners ,
Idiom: fall from grace (used idiomatically: yes)
The phrase which begins ‘ WORDS’ offers French writer Joseph Joubert 's view of the responsibility we all share for the language we use . Once it exploded with divine flavour — but no longer . Sue Shaw charts the apple 's spectacular fall from grace . Faced with a horribly complex problem , do you : a ) Panic ? b ) Go back to bed ? c ) Break the problem into pieces and look at them one at a time ? The first two options are tempting but the last is more productive .
Idiom: on the make (used idiomatically: no)
Mr. Wilson : The new clause and amendments are primarily concerned with consumer interests . They assert the rights of those who use bus services to some form of protection and a place to go if their interests are not properly safeguarded . New clause 5 proposes the establishment of a body , to be called the Scottish bus passengers ' consultative committee , to monitor the effects of the legislation on passengers and to make recommendations to bus operators and the Secretary of State . The Secretary of State would have power to direct operators who are the beneficiaries of disposals under the legislation to implement any of the Committee 's recommendations , and would lay before Parliament proposals for the establishment of composition of the Committee . We are suggesting the establishment of what might be referred to in shorthand as " Ofbus " , along the lines of Oftel and Ofgas .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Well , that is immensely … ’ Shirley Esplin and Prue , seeing that this is a private conversation , discreetly withdraw . ‘ Terrific surprise when you meet someone face to face,’ says Freddie . ‘ I thought you 'd look entirely different.’ ‘ No … no … ’ says Howard .
Idiom: rock the boat (used idiomatically: yes)
out 16 premiers agreed to moving the Upper House ( Bundesrat ) to Berlin , but claimed that Bavaria had rocked the boat not having cleared their proposal with the other premiers .
Idiom: grist to the mill (used idiomatically: yes)
Connections quickly came to the fore in the application , however , for Kinnoull pointed out that the wife of the minister of Tippermuir was a lady ‘ for whom the Dowager Lady Findlater has a particular regard’ , and she was herself the niece of Sir James Grant 's uncle , Sir William Dunbar . Where else therefore could a small scholarship be more usefully bestowed than in a manner which would , as Kinnoull indicated , ‘ much oblige Lady Findlater , & many other friends’ , while conferring a favour upon a grateful man ? Perhaps that type of patronage was of small value in comparison with the need to provide employment for friends , but it was all grist to the mill of a politician intent on keeping his interest solidly united , and it was certainly not scorned by those with bursaries in their gift . Political Interest and the Collectorship of Supply Of all of the appointments which might easily be held by a resident freeholder , none was more attractive to many gentlemen than the post of collector of supply .
Idiom: out of the picture (used idiomatically: yes)
Bangers punctuated the soundtrack , snow fountains cascaded in the aisles , and the film ended abruptly when a five - bob rocket went straight through Bill Haley 's open mouth . [ George Littleblack ] Come five o’ clock on a Saturday afternoon you 'd bundle your way out of the pictures , delirious with image overload , to be hit between the eyes by the blinding light of day and a balmy blanket of heat . You 'd hesitate to drink in the hallucinatory detail of the visual field , to assimilate the odd distancing of natural sound , before joyously plunging with your cronies into your outdoor make - believe . The park was reached via a slippery slope .
Idiom: second nature (used idiomatically: yes)
ALAN LIMBRICK Pentatonics FLUENCY CHECK - UP This month I 'd like to take the opportunity to look back at the current series of articles featuring the Pentatonic scale , taking stock of our command of the scale all over the fretboard . It goes without saying that in order to use a device for improvising ( such as scales , arpeggios , licks etc . ) one has to develop the particular device to such a level of fluency that physically playing it in any key or position has become almost instinctive , or second nature . Over the last six months or so I have attempted to present you with a series of practical objectives designed and constructed to help achieve a higher degree of thoroughness in your command of the Pentatonic scale . The tasks I set out were as follows :
Idiom: take stock (used idiomatically: yes)
The same holds true for the Church . Old priorities gradually move down the list while new ones surge forward . It is therefore necessary to take stock of one 's position at regular intervals . Yet the fundamental principles remain . The following outline of a programme of study , reflection and action is firmly based on WACC 's ‘ Christian Principles of Communication’ , which ‘ set out the corporate agenda for WACC’ .
Idiom: thick as thieves (used idiomatically: yes)
Fifty new training places for every one under Labour . Now let 's hear something of the policies that Labour would support . Remember , of course , that Labour and the Unions are as thick as thieves , so the gr Labour Group , just like its parliamentary counterpart , is incapable of making a single decision without the Union pulling the strings . More than half Labour 's M P 's are Union sponsored , a hundred and forty , being the highest since 1935 , and eighteen out of the twenty in the shadow cabinet are also Union sponsored and their paymasters will expect plenty in return . Labour would repeal all sensible Union legislation .
Idiom: let sleeping dogs lie (used idiomatically: yes)
Julia said nothing for a moment then she said quietly , ‘ Thank you , doctor , for the offer , but I do n't think I 'll go in hospital if you do n't mind.’ ‘ It would only be for investigation,’ he said . ‘ I know , doctor , but you see I 'm all this time without pain and I think I 'll let sleeping dogs lie . I 'm grand apart from the weakness.’ The doctor shrugged .
Idiom: to the bone (used idiomatically: no)
At the supplier end , education providers are encouraged to behave commercially , with the penalty coming from lack of co - ordination . They will naturally seek competitive advantage and be reluctant to share their experience and expertise with their ‘ rivals’ . With prices honed to the bone , very little surplus is available for ensuring a solid infra - structure and the means of continuity . A central organ such as the Training Authority naturally finds it difficult to relax its hold completely but , unless it can ‘ command’ the situation , it falls to the mercies of local ‘ market’economies . A notable example of this occurred when the Authority attempted to implement a process of ‘ accrediting’ management centres and ‘ recognising’Health Authorities who met appropriate standards .
Idiom: drop the ball (used idiomatically: no)
The referee tossed a coin . Manuel won and elected to play first . With outstretched arm he dropped the ball in the circle . He glanced at the referee , who nodded approval . Then he struck a firm but compact stroke and played the ball to within five feet of the hole .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
We learn that what becomes conscious in it is as a rule only the concrete subject - matter of the thought , and that the relations between the various elements of this subject - matter , which is what specially characterizes thoughts , can not be given visual expression .
Idiom: cut corners (used idiomatically: yes)
Seven of these were on the British side , where the contractors were fined 50,000 in March 1990 after the fifth death . The injury rate on the tunnel site is 4.7 per cent of the workforce compared to a construction industry average of 1.8 per cent . Men working on the site complained of pressure to cut corners to save time on the delayed project . A safety audit in 1990 by Health and Safety Executive Inspectors pointed to : an underlying weakness in safety management , particularly in leadership and administration , giving rise to an inadequate safety culture .
Idiom: make light of (used idiomatically: yes)
Funny how a thread of dialogue at one table can silence a roomful of people , is n't it ? You had to be there , really , to fully appreciate it . Afterwards , having made desperately light of the gaffe , I defensively hissed to Jack : ' Well , it 's not pronounced Botha is it ? It 's Buoerta . ' How was I to know that old Ian had n't trekked across South Africa with a couple of elephants and demanded ' an audience with Nelson or I 'll smash you with a stump , .
Idiom: in your blood (used idiomatically: yes)
Most people are aware , for instance , that a major link between those who suffer heart attacks is that they tend to have a high level of cholesterol in the blood . This does not necessarily mean that the cholesterol is the cause , or certainly not the sole cause , of heart attacks . But the established association would clearly indicate , at this stage of research , that it is n't a good idea to have too much in your blood . A diet rich in fibre tends also to be low in fat content because carbohydrate foods provide many of the calories . So these two nutritional factors go together in societies free of our Western ailments — and also in the F - Plan diet .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
Having been granted , in effect , a longer lease of life , Radio Station CHAB slowly expanded its community services . We doubled our ' remote control ' broadcasts of baseball games , football matches , and the annual Stampede and Rodeo staged each July at the Exhibition Grounds . One evening when we were broadcasting a ' live ' commentary on a baseball game under floodlights , the lighting failed and I ad - libbed for 45 minutes until they were repaired and the game continued . This occasion certainly proved that ' the gift of the gab ' was not only an asset , it was an essential for an up - and - coming professional broadcaster . That same summer , on a holiday , I visited Ottawa , stayed two nights at the Chateau Laurier , and interviewed Hon Jimmy Gardiner , newly appointed Federal Minister of Agriculture .
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
But in Dvořák 's Dumky , with its mercurial alternations of melancholy and gaiety , I did wonder if their playing was just a little short on true Slavonic temperament . Here and there I would have liked more intensity in nostalgic song ( not least from the lyrical cello ) and more devil - may - care abandon in the livelier dance episodes . But it goes without saying that their refined phrasing and shading is infinitely preferable to the garish exaggeration often forced on these endearing Czech mood - pictures . I liked Brahms 's youthful B major Trio for its wholly natural flow — as if the players were carried along willy - nilly on the music 's own tide . And never is the composer 's full - bodied keyboard part allowed to dominate in this discerningly balanced performance , with its telling touches of textural colouring — such as Tryon 's glinting treble towards the end of the Scherzo .
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
The strike was broken only by widespread flogging and imprisonment , but it was clear that if the Danzig Poles — by tradition the meekest of them all — were willing to protest , then Polish resistance as a whole must have stiffened considerably . In spite of Polish protest the Haketa continued and extended the range of its work . It Germanised the few Polish street , town and place names , undertook propagandist ‘ research work’ on historical subjects , supervised the Germanising of family names among those Poles who decided to take the plunge into German identity , took down Polish - language warning notices about venereal diseases from public toilets and instituted a system of bonuses for all teachers and civil servants prepared to move and settle in the eastern provinces . Neither land nor language was the real issue , however . These were the mere surface indicators of deeper problems , the media through which the deep , internal cultural and economic pressures at work within German society showed themselves .
Idiom: call a spade a spade (used idiomatically: yes)
I would welcome , through you column , comments from companies , but will be surprised if you get any . Ed 's note : Recent articles in the national press have highlighted how much cheaper items are in the USA in general — not just in the fishkeeping trade . They say an Ulsterman calls a spade a spade and knows the value of one . Thus as both Ulsterman and fishkeeper I keep my eyes open for a bargain . So much so in fact that tonight , as I filled my cat 's litter tray with ‘ Sophisticat’ , I noticed a distinct similarity to standard aquarium ammonia remover .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: no)
The downstairs stable - garage part had apparently been converted into a studio . On the windows of the upper part the curtains were drawn . Charles rang the bell . Nothing . He rang again and heard movement .
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: no)
Well I 'm er he wants me to He just needs showing . He wants me I mean he wants to do me a favour , Paul , so he might gi he might , you know I mean he say for us , I mean for us he would Yeah , well Peter 's alright , he 'll cash you . I hope .
Idiom: once in a while (used idiomatically: yes)
He did n't do any lying - down exercises because the floor was too filthy . ‘ If I get unhealthy because I ca n't do any sit - ups,’ he told Gina , ‘ it 's all your fault . You really ought to give the place a going - over with the Hoover once in a while.’ As soon as he was out of the bathroom he put on his tracksuit and hit the road . He soon got to know the other joggers of the district .
Idiom: clear the decks (used idiomatically: yes)
The captain , for Corbett guessed it must be he , let out a litany of rich oaths in a variety of languages leaving Corbett in no doubt about his feelings concerning the mission . Nevertheless , the fellow began to bark orders . The decks were cleared ; sailors began to run like monkeys up the rigging unfurling the great sail , while two more were sent up to the stern - castle to manage the huge tiller . After a while the captain , much calmer , took Selkirk and Corbett down to his cabin under the fo'castle , a small , dingy room smelling of tar and salt , and containing a simple cot bed , trunk , table and a number of stools . Corbett , unused to the gentle rocking of the ship and the low beams , banged his head as he straightened up .
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: no)
The highest spring tides of the year occur after the equinoxes in March and September , and these tides are often the best time to visit the shore . However , the weather may not be so good , and rain and gales are frequent . The Tide tables can not be relied on for precise highs and lows of the tides . A strong wind blowing in the right direction can put a metre on a high tide in exceptional circumstances , and the wind can also prevent the tide from receding as much as it should . It is interesting to note that high spring tides occur at approximately the same time of the day every year in each location on the coast .
Idiom: set eyes on (used idiomatically: yes)
He was consciously allowing her to see his softer side , and for such a proud , private man that was perhaps the greatest compliment he would ever pay her . ‘ I try to put myself in other people 's shoes . Imagine my father 's feelings , knowing that he 'd probably never set eyes on Venice again,’ she said , her emotions making the words husky . ‘ He did come back once . I think that 's when he must have deposited those items in the safety box.’
Idiom: an old flame (used idiomatically: yes)
Till Babylon Falls , a thrilling , true account of an ANC guerrilla unit , by my Mirror colleague Bryan Rostron . SINGER Bobby Brown , asked this week whether he 's intimidated by new wife Whitney Houston 's vocal prowess , said : ' Let 's just say I do n't sing in the shower any more . ' AFTER a show in Los Angeles , Paula Abdul returned to her dressing - room to find her husband , Emilio Estevez , sitting on the sofa next to old flame Demi Moore . ' Demi came backstage to tell you how much she enjoyed your show , ' Emilio announced with smooth diplomacy . Paula smiled sweetly and said : ' Get the hell out of here . '
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
A dog is standing with its two front paws on a rock in a field
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
And there 's all those things got washed along in the river , they got stuck on the fence . And that 's how hi you can tell how high it was . It was right over the top of this seat look . On the back . Even over the back of this seat .
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
As a case , therefore , for the extension of industrial democracy defined as the kind of consultation practised , the worker - participation sought by good personnel management , it is to be applauded . But as a case for a ‘ radical extension’ of industrial democracy by means requiring the assumption by unreformed trade unions of rights which had hitherto attached only to ownership , it merits at this point no more than a suspended judgment at best . Under the heading ‘ Social changes’ the chapter says , in brief , that the deferential society is dead ; and that ‘ the coming of age of democracy in our society is a process that inevitably affects the whole of people 's lives ; it can not be excluded from the workplace.’ This has something of the smack of a ‘ like it or not’ pronouncement of the kind commonly declaimed by those who would have us suppose that opposition to things we do not like would be pointless . More persuasive perhaps is the quotation from the EEC 's Green Paper Employment Participation and Company Structure , to the effect that ‘ the pursuit of goals other than economic growth , such as the improvement of the quality of life and working conditions , the protection of the environment and the interests of the consumer … can probably be secured only by the existence of decision - making processes in enterprises which have a broader , more democratic base than such processes often have at present.’
Idiom: at a snail's pace (used idiomatically: yes)
The heat is so intense that the rails are likely to buckle and passengers are expected to help repair the track . Portway claims that the slowest train in the world was one in which he travelled in Turkey . The driver , anxious to be the last word in customer care , drove at a snail 's pace so that passengers could walk beside the train and pick flowers . Railway lines criss - cross the globe from the lowest marshes to the mountain heights . There is a railway line in Peru which reaches 4,782 metres — the highest railway to carry passengers in the world .
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
The profession is fast becoming only for the wealthy , a doctor warned . One in five students surveyed at Bristol university had debts exceeding £ 5,000 , says the report by Dr Kieran Smart . Many were forced to take part - time jobs or handouts from parents to make ends meet . Money worries and overwork led to illness . Warning over charity cards