Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: dyed in the wool (used idiomatically: yes)
I think that Englishness , for all that we pull it to bits , had a certain important moral structure , which has been eaten away by unchecked competition , an underground civil war breaking our roots . Can it ever come to life again , not as a bait and hook for politicians to use , not as a shouting for soccer fans ? The true dyed - in - the - wool , deep down Conservatives may feel uncomfortably that the sacred word has come into the hands of unsuitable people ; including the Americans . We , the people of good will , feel this even more strongly . Can Englishness ever become clean again ?
Idiom: give and take (used idiomatically: no)
Ray French THIRD DIVISION Workington were yesterday handed a dream Regal Trophy third round tie against five-times winners Wigan . And their Aussie coach Peter Walsh intends to repay them for the huge gamble they took when giving him the job last summer . Walsh said : ‘ I was just a nobody and it was only a telephone call from Oldham coach Peter Tunks that persuaded me to apply . I did n't think I had a chance of getting a job but Workington took the gamble with me and I want to repay them .
Idiom: have words (used idiomatically: no)
' Not very gallant , ' Lefevre pointed out , ' to make her traipse across the road in this weather . I reckon he might be more concerned about us . ' ' Let 's have a word with him , then . ' They set off briskly , boots echoing hollowly from the paving - stones . A head looked out of the offside window and spoke to the driver , who shook the reins .
Idiom: lay an egg (used idiomatically: yes)
But it is an expensive one in terms of living tissue produced and it is not the only one possible . Some frogs have adopted a different technique . They lay comparatively few eggs but look after them carefully , protecting them from predators . The Pipa toad is one of the most aquatic of the anurans , spending all its life in water . It is a grotesque creature with a flattened body and a squashed - looking head .
Idiom: unknown quantity (used idiomatically: yes)
Police are hunting thieves who broke into the VG Stores , at The Green , Hurworth , and stole more than £ 5,000 worth of cigarettes early yesterday . Police say the thieves managed to interfere with the alarm system before breaking into the shop . An unknown quantity of cash has also gone missing . Traffic - free zone starts this month A PEDESTRIAN - only scheme starts in Darlington starts on March 29 .
Idiom: throw caution to the wind (used idiomatically: yes)
Often we cross the border into Italy . Lake Garda is definitely worth a visit . You may even throw caution to the wind and try one of our Mystery Trips . For details and prices of our pre - bookable excursions , please turn to page 8–9 . Walking : There are many cleared paths .
Idiom: for the hell of it (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Anyway , if these men wo n't talk , I got to ask you . You must know who they from . They did not pick on you for the hell of it . And you knew they was coming.’ ‘ Seems to me that half Deptford knew they were coming.’
Idiom: think twice (used idiomatically: yes)
Okay?’ It had not been worded as an order , but the tone of the COBRA man meant that this was more than a suggestion . The Chief Constable did not need to think twice to realise that there was only one place those powerful signals could be coming from . Using a nearby police Constable 's pocket radio he spoke to the Superintendent in charge of the whole tournament operation . ‘ I want action fast,’ he concluded .
Idiom: pure and simple (used idiomatically: yes)
Still , too much detail is better than not enough , and the experienced user probably wo n't read a fat lot of the manual anyway . File Transfer There are two distinct aspects to FastLynx . The first is pure and simple file transfer . Accessing this part of the package requires no fiddling with anything in DOS , but needs you to connect the two computers between which files are to be passed via either a parallel or serial lead . Both leads are provided , and they 're both of more than adequate length for connecting a portable PC to a desktop machine .
Idiom: small print (used idiomatically: yes)
A further drop in rates may have to await action by Germany 's Bundesbank . In the meantime , however , the new government should press ahead with making the Bank of France truly independent . The draft law unveiled on May 11th is a step in the right direction , but the small print raises questions about just how autonomous the bank would really be ( see page 112 ) . Even if rates do fall again , unemployment may not fall with them . Many big firms face a worldwide drop in demand .
Idiom: hand in glove (used idiomatically: no)
Jonathan Kellerman Devil 's Waltz ( Warner ) Another Alex Delaware thriller , with a new one in hardcover at the same time . Robert Goddard Hand in Glove ( Corgi ) Into the Blue won the first ever W H Smith thumping good read award , so maybe at last this compelling writer will get the recognition he so deserves . I long to see him become a Giant .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
Those parliamentarians across Europe who wish to see Europe united as an association of freely trading and co - operating independent states must take advantage of this breathing - space to gather together to form a common front . This we shall certainly do , in the firm belief that it is the true way forward — based on a realistic appraisal of the continued role of the nation state — towards peace , stability and prosperity in Europe . The hiatus over the Maastricht Treaty caused by the Danish veto provides the leaders of Europe with perhaps their last chance to reject once and for all the notion of political integration . I hope and believe that the United Kingdom will take the lead in reforming the Community . Let us dismiss the notion that a free , democratic and outward - looking Community is somehow a perverse Anglo - Saxon concept which divides Britain from the rest of Europe .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: yes)
Horne hissed . The apparition moved closer . Only the crunch of mailed feet on the hard ice broke the silence . ' Adam ! Adam ! '
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
In the light of these facts , it may be necessary to revise our theory .
Idiom: spring to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
STEREOLAB YOU COULD say without fear of litigation or a severe kicking behind the pub that Stereolab 's greatest strengths is their ability to rip off six other bands within five minutes and still end up with an identifiable sound which is rarely overshadowed by any of its mentors . Suicide , Velvets , MBV , Cocteaus , Spacemen and even The Monkees spring to mind at some point during Stereolab 's swimming excursions into your subconscious . Not least during their horizontally laid - back , JJ Cale - esque blues bliss outs do they sound like Spiritualized , only you 'll stay awake and may even feel like shaking your fringe / rump / boots ( delete according to drugs taken ) . But they 're at their best during songs like ‘ Stomach Worm’ , where a cute , simplistic beat pop tune ascends slowly into noisy chaos , thrashing around in an acid bath and trying to keep from being submerged .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Such combinations constitute formulaic patterns which are indeed of very frequent occurrence in language use and need to be accounted for ( as I mentioned in Chapter 3 ) but they can hardly be said to represent the total language to be taught . Grammar is clearly central to the working of language . But it is equally clear that its nature can not be accounted for by demonstrating its rules by a random use of any lexical items that come to mind . I have suggested that it enters into some kind of relationship with words and contexts . Grammar is not just a collection of sentence patterns signifying nonsense , something for the learner 's brain to puzzle over .
Idiom: bottom drawer (used idiomatically: yes)
Wonderful ! Now the bottom drawer over there , you can put my jumper in . No the bottom drawer look ! That 's for things like this , I put these in there . Right , down below now you to , the bottom
Idiom: stand the test of time (used idiomatically: yes)
A total synthesis is not possible given the rate at which new data and techniques are being produced ; the principal difficulty remains the quantity of material that was excavated in the last century under conditions which do not assist in answering the questions now being asked and which now lie , unpublished and unstudied in museum collections throughout England . Despite the rapid increase in the number of large - scale excavations of settlements , only three have been published ( Bell 1977 ; Millett 1983 ; West 1985 ) ; a similar problem pertains with the number of cemeteries examined since the Second World War and which remain unpublished , denying a generation of researchers the data from modern excavations . Rightly , few of the hypotheses examined in this book will stand the test of time but it will have achieved its aim if it provides a foothold for fellow students who also appreciate the need to abandon what may glibly be characterised as the ‘ Beowulf and brooches’ approach . It is hoped that it will provide a flexible structure which can be refined and developed and which may help to break down the monolithic structure and mystical nature of the subject . The Land 's Wealth
Idiom: serve someone right (used idiomatically: yes)
Never a mention of the one who spent many an hour teaching him the way of things . Ungrateful bugger ! Serves him right if the sea rises up and drowns him ! ' No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he glanced anxiously about , his unattractive features relaxing when he saw that his words had fallen only on his stepson 's ears . If ' that bloody woman ' had heard him utter such a curse , she would have ripped into him with a piece of her mind , then he would have whipped her with his tongue , then this sop of a man before him would have got between them , and afore you knew it , there would be a full - scale war waging — and in the heat of the moment he might foolishly betray his devious plans to boot the lot of them out of his house and out of his life .
Idiom: on the skids (used idiomatically: no)
I 've hated dogs ever since . ’ DOG FIGHT : Whitney BRAKES ON SKID ROW WILD rockers Skid Row were banned from a club in Peterborough , Canada , after throwing condoms at the crowd . Singer Sebastien Bach , at No. 22 with Youth Gone Wild , says : ‘ I wanted kids to know it was n't just junkies or gays who get that disease .
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
Thank you very much for lending me $ 500 when I was having difficulty making ends meet .
Idiom: all the rage (used idiomatically: yes)
Claude , the seventeenth - century French painter who spent much of his life in Italy , formulated a set of rules for landscape painting that became de rigueur . His foregrounds were blue - ey dark , far distance hazy and atmospheric with light . By the eighteenth century his fascinating contortion of viewing the English landscape was all the rage . As though their own countryside let them down compared to that of Italy , the wealthy English had with them when travelling a Claude Glass through which they viewed the passing landscape from their carriages . It even tinged the foreground with blue and in its distortion made the landscape look just like a Claude painting .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
The next two in the margin , if you go further in you 'll see a ' noe answere ' . ( It 's always spelt N O E , and answer has an E. ) One does have this feeling that people were getting wind of Mr Edward Heath walking down the street , and were going out the back doors of the house . erm Yes , now if we get to about half way down there 's a plus in the margin , and the third line in the bracket below that plus , more or less on a level with a three dot , and a little bit below , it says , William , I think it 's Wilkinson , a minister , curate of St Ebbe 's Parish , ' his answer that he must attend the burials and christenings ' , so obviously he could n't work on the fortifications . And then , if we go right down to the bottom , there 's a whole lot bracketed together against the . ' No answer , but that they would not pay ' , they ought not to pay .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: no)
Not because you wonder if you need them in June , but because they are long white scars instead of neat little puncture marks . Call me suspicious , but this implies that the crampon , far from adhering steadily to the spot upon which its owner has chosen to commit his or her weight , has decided it prefers an altogether different rock and has gone for a bit of a slide . Written in stone all along the ridge therefore are visual records of people going ‘ Whoooaaargh!’ with every step . This was not something upon which I wished to dwell , as I approached the narrowest section of the ridge . Being Saturday , there were a number of burly walkers picking their way over the granite from both directions which , unlike the presence of the bermuda - shorted brigade puffing their way up the other side of Ben Nevis , was curiously comforting .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: no)
Work started again at three ; we rested until then . At one time the big tree was where we all lay on our scarves and mats . Then the men took to lying under the mango tree , away across the fields at the crossroads of several paths . There must have been a better breeze there . The sun should have paled slightly by three .
Idiom: pull someone's leg (used idiomatically: yes)
You must tell your partner to stop pushing if it is too painful . Lying on your back , keep one leg straight on the floor and lift your other leg up , keeping it straight . Your partner standing behind you , pulls your leg towards him gently . Repeat the exercise with the other leg . Yoi stance ( ready stance ) : standing with legs a shoulder - width apart and fists clenched in front of you .
Idiom: chapter and verse (used idiomatically: yes)
If we try to identify the media pressed into the service of God 's revelation of himself in the Bible , there is an astonishing variety . ( Houston 1978:7 ) He then goes on to list and classify a lengthy and diverse list : visions , dreams , voices , discussions , parables , speeches , proverbs , rituals , laws , songs , drama , poetry , letters , ciphers , anthologies , history , records and stories , and for each he gives chapter and verse . In the unimaginative and uniform way that we present this exciting range , we give the impression that God 's appointed way of gaining our attention is by throwing a book at us ! Tom Houston reminds us that ‘ it takes a community to communicate’(Houston 1978:12 ) .
Idiom: meet someone halfway (used idiomatically: yes)
It was at last year 's parade that Elham gave him the idea when she said : ' I wish I could enjoy what I am experiencing here , but back in my mind there are too many innocent children left with no hopes and no future . The only sin they committed was being born in a country at war . ' Joe will meet the children halfway at Heathrow and escort them to America . He has no plans to get in touch with Terry Waite while over here . ' One of the first memos I received after my release , when I was in Germany , was a one - line note ' Welcome Home — Terry ' .
Idiom: hold the line (used idiomatically: yes)
A former adviser to Roy Hattersley , Mr Hill has been running Labour 's highly effective press and broadcasting machine . The performance of the avuncular Shadow Chancellor John Smith has been the undoubted success of Labour 's campaign . A stolid Scots barrister , he has been entrusted with holding the line of an economic policy which his opponents have found hard to lay a glove upon . Mr Smith has hardly put a foot wrong . Margaret Beckett , the other half of the Treasury team , is a stalwart of the press conference platform and the Labour politician most respected by the Conservatives , although she has not always inspired on the hustings .
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: yes)
The Vogue LSE is also the first off - road vehicle to be fitted with electronic traction control ( ETC ) . It operates on the rear wheels only , by applying the brakes to the spinning or slipping wheel and transferring torque to the other side of the axle . After only a day testing the new system , on and off road , around the Wiltshire countryside , floating like a butterfly is the only way I can describe the ride . I can also confirm that this is indeed the most luxurious Range Rover to date . The traditional 100-inch wheelbase has been extended to 108 inches , the extra length being donated to the rear seat passengers .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
They met whenever she had a free evening and he had a free evening , and it was n't often . It was even rarer that they could share a weekend in the villages round Orvieto . They spent their evenings together in a trattoria on the square beside the Ponte Milvio or down in Trastevere , before a couple of hours at his place , or half a night at her apartment . They each said that it suited them , that kind of relationship . He wrote ‘ Jo honey , will you pick up the goddam phone ?
Idiom: hit the headlines (used idiomatically: yes)
Voice over Today he 's living a quiet life in Bromyard . But 10 years ago , Gerald Kingsland hit the headlines when he advertised for a woman to live with him on a desert island . Lucy Irvine answered the ad . The couple married and spent a well documented year on Tuin island in the Pacific Ocean .
Idiom: sleep rough (used idiomatically: yes)
The Government is spending about £ 100 million tackling the problem of rough sleeping in our cities . As a result we have seen a sharp fall in the numbers who sleep rough on our streets . Working closely with the voluntary sector we will continue to provide help for those sleeping rough , particularly in the capital . We will revolutionise the management of council houses and flats . Compulsory competitive tendering will oblige local authorities to bring in managers who demonstrate their ability to deliver the best services to tenants .
Idiom: open the floodgates (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It will just end up with long , protracted cases dragging the name of football through the dirt . ’ Stevens added : ‘ Things like this should be left to the PFA to sort out — that is what they are there for . ‘ I 'm worried that these recent developments will open the floodgates . And not just in football . ‘ It could happen in cricket if a fast bowler hit a batsman on the head with an intimidatory bouncer , or in a rugby match . ’
Idiom: up and running (used idiomatically: yes)
The entire backing plant was transferred during the Christmas holidays . To accommodate this a new boiler house and latex tank were built . Disruption was minimal with the backing plant up and running again in time for the factory re - opening . Although floor space has beed reduced by about one third , loss of overall production capacity has been minimal . New storage areas have been created by raising the Planning floor to mezzanine level .
Idiom: with a view to (used idiomatically: yes)
Just compare the broadsheet coverage of our conference at the end of September with that for the Law Society 's conference last weekend ! The figures for the 1991 conference were not improved by the failure of one of our sponsors to honour their commitment — our sponsor was in fact The European newspaper . Nonetheless the format for the 1993 Conference is under active consideration with a view to reducing the deficit . Professional Fees have risen from £ 10,000 to nearly £ 42,000 largely because of the need to employ solicitors , surveyors and agents for the move of the Council 's offices to Bedford Row . The 1990–91 figure of £ 50,000 under Continuing Education was set aside for a pupillage sinking fund .
Idiom: claim to fame (used idiomatically: yes)
But Daly has had the big finger pointed at him before , for excessive drinking , for allegedly smashing up hotel rooms on the minor tours , for his whole attitude . Daly could rival George Foreman for burger consumption and allegedly , the entire Australian cricket team , for swilling beer . His hairstyle , baggy clothes and non - comformist attitude made him a rebel without a cause , a punk whose greatest claim to fame was his ability to drive a golf ball further than the average par four . Daly achieved instant super - stardom when , as ninth reserve and without a caddie , he got into the 1991 US PGA Championship at the last minute , and played like a God for four days on a course he 'd never previously seen to win it . The big - hitting Sam Snead once remarked : ‘ You drive for show but you putt for dough,’ but try telling that to the fans who flocked to Daly 's banner in numbers unseen since ‘ Arnie 's Army’ .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
Even holding the 7 , however , does n't necessarily mean that a suit is secure . That depends heavily on the remaining cards held .
Idiom: bear fruit (used idiomatically: yes)
One of the authors summarized the position in the words : ‘ Since 1922 we have come to recognise more and more that chemotherapy in the sense in which Ehrlich introduced the term , is more of a dream than a reality’ . In England Almroth Wright was expressing similar views . Happily , such pessimism was dispelled a decade later , when the study of bacterial chemistry began to bear fruit . For anyone studying the biochemistry of microbes , mycobacteria must have offered a mixture of attraction and discouragement . The genus was sufficiently unlike other bacteria to arouse curiosity .
Idiom: live it up (used idiomatically: yes)
You should be , if you 've been party to extortion . My God ! While you 've been living it up in the lap of luxury —’ ‘ No , I haven't!’ she denied weakly , almost reaching breaking - point . ‘ I told you … ’
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
A rocky shore almost certainly provides a clearer echo than a sandy slope or mud flat . Other physical factors may be implicated in mass strandings . Local storms at sea and strong equinoctial tides may affect whale migration routes that pass close to the coast . Dr Margaret Winowska , of the Anatomy Department at Cambridge , thinks there is a link between magnetic storms , which are common in spring and autumn , and whale strandings . Combined with human activity — including unintentional harassment by motor vessels and even underwater explosions — magnetic disturbances , storms and tides could precipitate a mass stranding .
Idiom: make the grade (used idiomatically: yes)
In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence ... in time every post tends to be occupied by an employee who is incompetent to carry out its duties . While that may be an exaggeration , there is no doubt that some promotions do fail to work out , even where there is no shortage of training , supervision and support . If you are unfortunate enough not to make the grade in a new and elevated position , you do not have an automatic right to return to your old job , although in a minority of cases you may be able to negotiate an agreement that this should happen . You should , of course , still be treated fairly and this may entail your employer looking round his organisation , perhaps even the whole corporate group of which he is part , to see if you can be fitted in elsewhere at an appropriate level , before finally deciding to terminate your employment . You may well , in the circumstances , be willing to take a step backwards rather than lose your job .