Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: prodigal son (used idiomatically: yes)
Even now many families on Cape Verde depend for their existence on money sent back from relations working abroad . This was brought home to me after witnessing the rapturous welcome given to about a dozen young Cape Verdians as they carried their enormous radios and bottles of duty - free Scotch to their waiting loved ones in the airport arrival lounge . They celebrate the return of their not - so - prodigal sons in some considerable style . The economy of the Cape Verde Islands has been precarious ever since the Portuguese discovered the uninhabited archipelago around 1460 . The European settlers gradually increased in numbers and additionally brought over slaves from the Guinea Coast thus bringing pressure to bear on the already sparse natural vegetation .
Idiom: pull the plug (used idiomatically: yes)
' The Brixton squad has a depth that Hillingdon never had and we are strong not just on court but also on the bench , ' she said . In the men 's First Division , there were no surprises with Malory , the champions , beating MGI Wessex 15 - 6 , 15 - 13 , 15 - 13 and Polonia , who have made such a fine start to the season , defeating Hilton Leeds in five sets . Why ITV are pulling plugs : Neil Wilson looks behind the screens at the changing picture of televised sport By NEIL WILSON AT THE Isleworth headquarters of Sky Television today , Rupert Murdoch will announce that in association with the BBC he has bought exclusive coverage of England 's cricket tour of the West Indies from an independent producer .
Idiom: take a back seat (used idiomatically: no)
Henry 's voice - over adds an amusing counterpoint to the visuals but by the time we reach his eventual arrest , on drugs charges , in ' 81 , Scorsese 's frenetic cross - cutting seems to leave the original premise — presumably , the mob 's seductive potency — somewhere in the sidings . Liotta is superb in the central role though Pesci as the mercurial and psychopathic DeVito easily steals the picture , switching moods on a knife - edge in a calculating yet effortless display of control . De Niro , curiously takes a back seat , indeed , content to re - invent Noodles ( Once Upon A Time In America ) with a darker , more sadistic bent . But it 's essentially an ensemble piece . GoodFellas has its problems and , yes , some flaws , but for sheer dynamic value and hardline , gut direction , few movies around can touch it .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
DEFENDING Tory Michael Fallon hit back at the poll results last night saying there was ‘ no way at all that Labour are 12 points ahead in Darlington’ . Pointing to the Conservative Party 's own canvassing returns which show that they have a 20pc lead over Labour he added : ‘ Our own returns based on a sample twenty times the size of The Northern Echo survey show a quite different picture . The Northern Echo poll is ludicrously out of line with national opinion polls and out of line with our own survey figures.’ Referring to our doorstep survey , Mr Fallon said : ‘ I am suspicious of the circumstances in which the poll was taken , knocking on every fifth house in certain streets is unsatisfactory . ‘ My own wife was included in the sample but disregarded because of her known political views.’
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: yes)
By 4.30 I was cruising round Seymour swimming pool , parking on the blind side as far as Sedgeley House was concerned . I had brought my bag with me and I left it in Armstrong along with my wallet , spare cash and watch , just taking enough to pay for a ticket and a towel . In case anything went wrong , I was prepared to make a dash for Armstrong . I did n't want to have to hang about waiting for the attendant to open lockers . With the swimming cap and goggles on , I could hardly recognize myself , certainly not from a distance , and I also intended to be under water for most of the time .
Idiom: nine times out of ten (used idiomatically: yes)
Musical instruments and equipment are far too expensive . £ 2,195 for a Soldano valve head and £ 2,700 for a PRS guitar is not just expensive , it is extortionate . Guitar magazines devote much of their space to equipment reviews that are , nine times out of ten , merely a plug for the manufacturer , when the magazine could be putting subscribers ' money to good use by running more informative and educational articles aimed at the musician eager for knowledge and not glossy adverts ! → Do you realise , Steve , that a professional standard , concert classical guitar could set you back in the region of £ 7,000 , and that orchestral instruments regularly change hands for much more ? Sure , these instruments would be bought only by committed musicians who would see the price as the cost of entry to the type of quality they need .
Idiom: perish the thought (used idiomatically: no)
Trouble in store for designer stubble DESIGNER stubble at Harrods ? Perish the thought , dear boy . The world - renowned store in London 's Knightsbridge has issued guidelines to its 3,500 staff on how they should look at work , it was disclosed yesterday . In an attempt to stop any counter revolution , it is having no truck with the more exotic side of fashion .
Idiom: streets ahead (used idiomatically: yes)
ORION 1.6i GHIA A fairly absorbent if sometimes rather bouncy ride , excellent driving position , fine equipment including a first - rate CD sound system , stronger - feeling bodyshell and good boot and cabin space allow the Orion to make a much more positive impression . It is streets ahead of the cobbled - together old model . You can find other good things too , even if it is only a matter of degrees . Body roll is well contained , grip is strong ( though not up to S levels ) and there is a progressive feeling to the handling that the S lacks .
Idiom: play the field (used idiomatically: no)
Mr Justice Chadwick said that the court 's powers to control the sale of land belonging to a charity stemmed from the ancient powers of the Crown . The correct approach was to ascertain whether the person who had given the land had pointed out clearly what he intended to be done with it . In this case , it would be hard to find language indicating more clearly that Mr Clayton intended the land to be preserved and managed as playing fields for all time , or at least for as long as the law permitted . During the hearing , the judge was told that a deficit of £ 27,000 on running the playing fields in the last financial year had been met by a council subsidy . The Attorney General , represented during the case as protector of charities , was awarded costs against Oldham .
Idiom: take root (used idiomatically: yes)
What the country needed , we might say , was a compassionate and caring government , prepared to control the balance between wages and prices , and to attempt to regulate working conditions . In the event , it got nothing of the kind . The country 's rulers were , after all , running scared : the American colonies had declared their independence in 1776 in dangerously democratic terms ; the writings of Tom Paine were being disseminated far and wide ; and , most threatening of all , there was every chance that the Jacobin ideas of the French Revolution of 1789 might take firm root in English soil . ' Life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness ' and ' Liberty , equality , fraternity'were rallying - cries guaranteed to provide a few sleepless nights for many an English gentleman . Class divisions hitherto non - existent or only latent in English society were beginning to open up as the Agrarian and Industrial Revolutions gained momentum , and popular unrest was in the air .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
Perhaps it is as you travel to work , or as you take the dog out for a walk , or as you walk on the Downs , or when you have that quiet morning cup of coffee . Perhaps it is when you drive your car — as long as you do n't close your eyes ! It is ‘ space to be ’ , when you gather up everything that crosses the threshold of your life and where it is interpreted in the light of your walk with God . It may be that in your hallway is my second image of prayer , the telephone , that irritating friend whose shrill cry has to be answered . Perhaps you have had telephone problems of late and you are waiting for the Telecom engineer .
Idiom: food for thought (used idiomatically: yes)
Kasparov and Short have set up a breakaway Professional Chess Association , and are considering bids for a title match , which would almost certainly be staged in London . Clubs intend to chart course for the future THE Scottish Amateur Rowing Association executive must have derived plenty of food for thought from open house discussions with clubs and individuals on Sunday , to help prepare the next development plan . With an interlude for a half - yearly general meeting to approve the audited accounts , a somewhat frenetic round of discussion groups produced a remarkable degree of consensus on various fronts . Without taking away from the association 's present main activities in forming international teams and organising international events — mirrored by the clubs ' heavy orientation towards racing — it was agreed that the whole base of the sport needed widening .
Idiom: no man's land (used idiomatically: yes)
And during daylight hours Jean - Claude told me he used to sit concealed in the hollow in front of the cave . It was there he read and wrote . He talked rather obsessively about those times , and while he talked I was overwhelmed by feelings of desolation : this no man 's land made me uneasy . I wanted to flee . I was astonished , therefore , when Jean - Claude sighed and said : ‘ Those were the days!’
Idiom: larger than life (used idiomatically: yes)
Her breasts were huge — like giant orbs in the confines of her bra , spilling over the top like overripe melons . He could n't believe his luck . She was like a larger than life fantasy that had just come true . He dragged his eyes from her breasts to her long legs . He was surprised at how small her waist was .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
I do n't believe they could ge It might not be out . I do n't believe they could get lost coming round here not with all the back fields on fire . No . All that time .
Idiom: run amok (used idiomatically: yes)
Although the disasters resulting from interference have , so far , been few and far between , the potential for havoc is growing daily : something must be done . Most of the time it is just a minor irritant , but interference can have far reaching effects . The smog has already claimed victims : in the UK , interference caused a computer operated crane to drop its load killing one worker ; and in Japan , interference caused robots to run amok resulting in two fatalities . On a lighter note police radios have picked up a Christmas tree decoration 's rendition of Jingle Bells , and their portable radios have operated the police car locking systems . In the US , streets - full of remotely - controlled garage doors opened and shut at a whim when President Reagan 's Airforce One flew overhead .
Idiom: give someone the slip (used idiomatically: yes)
The city had been devastated by German bombing during the Second World War and its newly built cathedral , which was to be a symbol of its phoenix - like rise from the ashes , was still awaiting the final touches before its opening . The Belgrade Theatre had already opened , in March 1958 , the first civic theatre to be built in Britain since the war . It was housed in a block that included flats - for the use of repertory company members , and it was here that Crawford managed to give his chaperon the slip for a couple of days , feeling that at sixteen he was old enough to look after himself . ' He was a very characterful boy , full of mischief , ' recalled Patsy Byrne , a member of the company then and more recently known to millions of TV viewers as Mrs Stoneway in the comedy series Watching . ' He was bucking at having a chaperon at that age .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: yes)
The feeling of the meeting was very positive and constructive and there were no recriminations . The desire was to learn a lesson from the past and put something together with limited objectives.’ Outlining the proposals , which will be put in writing to the Bank of England task force set up in to pick up the pieces after Taurus , Mr Pearson said the key point was that any new system should focus solely on the professional market — leaving the private shareholder with paper certificates and the existing fortnightly settlement system . But for the institutions , he said , the initial aim would be to introduce a ten - day , rolling settlement system which could be reduced in stages as it became practical , first to five days and then to three days . He said a ten - day system could probably be implemented ‘ fairly quickly’ , reducing the risk factor by a factor of ten in the process .
Idiom: speak volumes (used idiomatically: yes)
But when the landlord had left the room he reached into a pocket of his greatcoat and brought out a flat silver flask . This he carefully filled from the bottle and then replaced in the greatcoat . Mrs Pigdon , returning with his meal , noted the disgracefully lowered level of the liquor in the brandy bottle and gave him a look that spoke volumes . It was productive of a sudden gleam in the gentleman 's eyes , of unholy amusement . ‘ Do n't trouble yourself,’ he said , gently sardonic .
Idiom: take someone to the cleaners (used idiomatically: yes)
? Arthur has a chip , apparently , on his shoulder . 28a . After a shaky start , we took them to the cleaners . b. ? We took them , after a shaky start , to the cleaners .
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
On the contrary , said the followers of Milton ~ Friedman , it must keep the velocity - adjusted rate of growth of the money stock stable . In fact , if you do any one of these things , you have done them all , for they are three ways of describing what is at bottom the same task and the same reality . Thus , as social democracy , government guideposts , and centralized planning waxed and waned elsewhere in the economy , social democracy in short - term finance went from strength to strength . First , central banks suspended the rules of the free market in liquidity squeezes . Then they set the price of liquidity as an administered price in normal times .
Idiom: out of the woods (used idiomatically: no)
There was time enough for travel and now he wanted to watch in wonder the slow unfolding of spring beneath him . The thinning and slushing of snow into water ; the sudden appearance of frail catkins on the willow and alder that grew in wet gullies and along lower streams ; soft blue skies . He enjoyed the gradual arrival of other birds , travelling northward and up to higher grounds as they too followed the spring , the buoyant thrushes , sudden parties of blue tits in the lower valleys , and the drumming of woodpeckers from out of still leafless woods . While on higher ground the ravens , the rooks and the crows scattered about and black coots scurried at water edges , busy and aggressive . Creggan had felt the coming of spring before , a coming that overtook his spirit and made it busy and turbulent , but he had never witnessed it so well .
Idiom: in the pink (used idiomatically: yes)
Div . Provost Company : see ( 1 ) , 2½in . wide . A second type , in dull pink embroidered on khaki serge — see ( 2 ) , 2¼in . at widest — was later encountered , certainly as sewn to shoulder slides . The definitive shape , which features an animal resembling a mutated kangaroo ( see ( 3 ) , 1¾in . wide ) was first worn in NW Europe , 1944 ; originally it was embroidered in a brick - red shade with a white border on black felt . There are further wartime variations , most of them unexplained , of these three beasts .
Idiom: buy time (used idiomatically: no)
That 's Peter . And therefore my brothers , be all the more eager to make your calling an election sure . This is what you were saying about buying up the time , John in a way , is n't it ? Yeah . For if you do these things you will never fall .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: no)
More crucially , there are now six points between Brian Clough 's side and a position of safety . Their confidence soared and crashed in the space of seven minutes at the start of a game always haunted by the spectre of relegation . Clough junior , used as a lone striker , put Forest ahead after five minutes , prodding the ball wide of Hans Segers after Kingsley Black had picked up a dreadful pass by Wimbledon 's Roger Joseph . Then came Crossley 's blunder and , although he made a fine one-handed save from Dean Holdsworth three minutes later , there were no seasonal feelings of goodwill from the Forest fans towards their 'keeper . Scot Gemmill should have put Forest back in front in the 20th minute after being put through by Stuart Pearce .
Idiom: change hands (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ We are being followed , Brother Athelstan , and I do n't like that.’ He looked round and went over to a tinker 's stall . Athelstan saw money change hands and Cranston came back with a thick broomstick . ‘ Here , Athelstan!’ The friar looked in surprise at the long , smoothly planed ash pole .
Idiom: turn the other cheek (used idiomatically: yes)
Osaka Transport Authority operates a ‘ hit - money’ system that rewards staff who display forbearance when attacked , like the station employee who recently asked a man kicking a broken vending machine to stop , only to be hit on the head . He was off work for nine days . The price of turning the other cheek when passengers turn violent is 1,000 yen ( £ 4.30 ) per assault , up from 200 yen ( 86p ) two years ago . The authority records about 100 cases of physical assaults to staff in the line of duty every year . ‘ We instruct our staff never to strike back however angry they feel,’ said an Osaka transport official .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: yes)
Darlington borough councillor Alan Gibson said that he was shocked at the scale of the resurfacing work . ‘ This news has left me totally flabbergasted . It is the first I have heard of anything going on around Darlington,’ he said . ‘ I would have thought the Department of Transport could at least have told us what was happening.’ The Department of Transport stressed that only certain stretches of the A66 would be closed at any one time in an attempt to minimise the amount of disruption and keep traffic moving .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Look after yer ' omeless bit of stuff , Sergeant Joe,’ called Alfred , ‘ get ' er some steak - an'-kidney pudden.’ ‘ And a nice bit of jam roly - poly,’ called Albert . ‘ Nourishin ' stews , that 'll do the trick!’ bawled Mr Beavis from the passage . ‘ An ' some lovin' cuddles,’ sang Nancy , and shrieked with laughter . Out of the house they went , into a morning magically clear .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
Did our first show when we was four . And our last one three years ago on some stupid television thing about the music - hall . Seventy - four years in the business , that was , Charlie . Seventy - four . ' ' And you would n't have had it any other way . '
Idiom: no sweat (used idiomatically: yes)
We go on Baleh river , boat swim good . All time , Herbert he complain . White men no sweat pure , too many clothe . No take off clothe . Then boat swim up tributary Puteh , no swim good .
Idiom: beg the question (used idiomatically: yes)
Where ? Quickly . You ca n't wait , see how the a , it begs the other question ? When would like to start ? Would you like to start now or
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: no)
Too much kif . He must lay off the kif . It played tricks on your mind when you least expected it . Jesus . He 'd nearly blown the whole thing then .
Idiom: live and learn (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Absolutely,’ she said with feeling , dispelling a pang of guilt with the observation that she was certainly not presenting herself in a flattering light . ‘ I feel a complete idiot . But , then , you live and learn.’ She hesitated . Perhaps her last remark was a bit sententious ?
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: no)
At a practical level , the complete package requires IBM 's PS/2 audio capture /playback card and their video capture adapter . Software and cards together provide a complete authoring and delivery environment of unrivalled power . It is the kind of system with which experts can quickly get to grips but it is also targeted at non - technical authors , enabling them to quickly edit text , sound and images either to create multimedia presentations or to produce interactive multimedia applications . AVC is not a cheap solution , however . The software together with the audio and video boards costs about £ 3,000 .
Idiom: grin and bear it (used idiomatically: yes)
Until the FRC and its cohorts have made substantial progress in imposing uniformity in accounting matters , the profession will continue to be criticised because companies account for the same things in different ways . A DG could do nothing about this . We just have to grin and bear it . The second underlying problem is unexpected company collapses , which are popularly assumed to indicate audit failures . There are two strong PR positions that the Institute might theoretically take on this issue ; neither is tenable .
Idiom: charity begins at home (used idiomatically: yes)
But they will benefit from treatment they could not get in Sarajevo . Voice over They disagreed with the view that in caring for sick charity begins at home . Female speaker When you see people who have been victims in a completely different situation you realise they are human being and you have got to do your best for them
Idiom: walk of life (used idiomatically: yes)
the team was hoisted onto open trucks which took five hours to crawl the three mile distance from Lahore Airport to the Fortress Stadium with thousands and thousands of fans running alongside the procession . Similarly , every city where the team went tried to tried to outdo the others in showering their generosity and their affection on the players resulting in a bonanza for the team and Imran 's cancer hospital . Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif , while holding a reception in the team 's honour at Islamabad , urged the entire nation to follow the disciplined dedication of the cricketers in all walks of life . State President Ghulam Ishaq Khan , who is also the patron - in - chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan , in awarding gold medals said , ‘ Cricket , to borrow someone 's words , is a subcontinental game accidentally invented by the British ! It is one of the several subcultures we learned from our colonial teachers .
Idiom: sign on the dotted line (used idiomatically: yes)
There are two types of supporter in politics . Those who want to be paid - up , signed - up members and those who for one reason or another do not actually want to become a member but are keen to be kept informed , involved and used as the occasion demands . SO do n't feel you 've failed if people wo n't sign on the dotted line . They may turn out to be Of equal value to those who do . Some of the most effective recruitment campaigns I have worked with have been for limited commitment .
Idiom: no sweat (used idiomatically: yes)
One morning Jonquil had got there first . ' Baby hung you up , ' said Jonquil . ' No sweat . ' ' She can walk , ' said Emma , rosy as if tight . ' She really did it .