Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
They have been responsible locally , particularly in areas of the highest deprivation , and they are paying surcharges to local councils of £ 20 , £ 50 , £ 70 and more a year for those who can not pay the poll tax . Those who have paid have been surcharged . That should be on the national Exchequer , not on those locally who are trying to make ends meet . I am grateful for the opportunity to put those arguments before the House . I do not expect much joy from the Minister tonight , but I give warning that , for the time I remain on these Benches , with the label on which I came here eight and a half years ago — as a Labour Member of Parliament , albeit a Member who has a label beneath his name on the TV as an expelled Labour Member — I shall bring before the House the necessary measures not just to talk about the death of the poll tax but to bury it once and for all .
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: yes)
In the 1950s he joined the Architects Division at the LCC as a trainee , later becoming a member of the Development Group . In the 1960s he worked for several years in industry , including a period as Chief Architect at Camus , before being appointed Head of the Architectural Division at the National Building Agency . As part of the Agency 's advisory work , Purdew greatly improved the detailed planning of many building schemes , both high and low rise . He also initiated the development by a number of authorities of ‘ rationalised traditional’ designs , and through pilot projects , where the Agency acted as consultants , demonstrated the feasibility of this method . He showed the savings of one - third of the man hours per house could be achieved by rationalisation in brick , block and timber design .
Idiom: know the score (used idiomatically: yes)
But they ca n't fix the rain . On the other hand , Bruce Springsteen has been playing outdoor venues in Britain for over 10 years now . Nowhere else is big enough to take him and he should know the score . Male speaker We 're told the weather is going to get better by tomorrow , so that 's what we 're hoping .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
David and Catherine shared with us during the evening service on December 29th , and explained how God had led David from being a car mechanic into the mission field in Brazil . Many of us will remember their enthusiasm for the work of the Lord and the joy that they had in the fact that God should use them in such a way . Since they have been in Brazil things have not been easy but they have settled in well and are slowly coming to terms with the language . David and Catherine have three children , Robert , Shona and Johann and have been members of Kirkintilloch Baptist church for four years . David trained for Christian service at the Scottish Baptist College and at the Glasgow Bible College .
Idiom: in no uncertain terms (used idiomatically: yes)
I opened it cautiously , only a crack , just in case it might not be my friend though I could think of no one else who would be here at this time of night . I was amazed it had taken him so long . What was more , I would tell him so , in no uncertain terms … I knelt on the top step and poked my head through , near the bottom of the gap … There was someone there … a figure in grey , half lit by the floodlight entering through one of the leaded glass windows at the far end of the Shelf …
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: yes)
Excuse me , we 're on another subject , but I will put you in the clear I can get you an appointment on that . I will put you in the clear on the car park at the pub , it 's was originally it 's going back to as as it originally was , it was the car park , and all they 're doing now is reverting back to what it was ten years ago . Er , can I make a point ? If the planning application , as the gentleman in in the rear says er went through with a cottage , and a house , he 'd have exactly the same
Idiom: on the dot (used idiomatically: no)
Benny usually went home around four - thirty unless the boss offered him some overtime , and Joe Maitland had not arrived back from his buying trip . William realised he would have to handle the unloading alone if the van did not arrive in the next few minutes . At four - thirty on the dot Benny put on his coat and cap and bade William goodnight . Ten minutes later there was a loud rat - tat on the heavy iron - fronted door of the warehouse . William got up from his chair at the workbench and went over to open up with a puzzled frown .
Idiom: take the biscuit (used idiomatically: no)
' Whatever they do will personally sadden me because I do not want to see my constituency chopped up , ' he said . ' I have emotional ties to it exactly as it is regardless of the extra voters . ' Education boss 's nosh - up takes biscuit By Andrea Smith LAST night Ian Abbey , the chairman of Essex County Council 's education committee , expected to have 80 people to dinner — at the poll tax - payers ' expense .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
No Very . I suppose we get out of line then When you 're expecting jam and it turns out to be marmalade it 's quite a shock . It 's marmalade .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
Mandy took a look at Charity and hastened to assure her . ' Superficial . A scratch on his nose . It 's nothing . But you know where I saw him ?
Idiom: make someone's day (used idiomatically: no)
It is her triumph that she no longer needs it to survive . SO DISTANT : Diana sits apart from Prince Charles at a ceremony in Spain SO TOUCHING : Making an elderly woman 's day with a few kind words SO SAD Tears at the end of an official visit SO HEARTWARMING : A night at the opera , left .
Idiom: catch someone's eye (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'm going on pilgrimage to Walsingham , to ask your mother 's forgiveness for my … ' ' My mother ? ' As he said it , Gabriel 's eye was caught by Lucie who put a finger up to his lips as if to say , ' Do n't argue . ' ' Yes , the Holy Virgin Mary , who showed herself to Englishmen at Walsingham . Wait a moment .
Idiom: below the belt (used idiomatically: yes)
Behind him can be seen a picture of the Tibetan director . DEREK ROBINS on the multi - talented Mary Whitehouse Experience the comedians who cause sides to split and tempers to rise THE shocking stars of the BBC2 comedy show The Mary Whitehouse experience have been forced to water down their controversial material for TV viewers . But fans of the programme can savour the below - the - belt humour of two of its stars David Baddiel and Rob Newman during a 40date British tour which includes Newcastle 's New Tyne Theatre on April 21 and Middlesbrough Town Hall on April 28 . The duo , who team up with Canned Carrott regulars Hugh Dennis and Steve Punt for this second series of the Experience , specialise in gags about the darker side of life . Baddiel and Newman 's new video recorded at London 's Shaftesbury Theatre last year includes jokes many will find tasteless about gay sex acts , the Royal Family , blind pop star Stevie Wonder , child killer Myra Hindley , legless war hero Douglas Bader , epileptics and famine victims .
Idiom: on the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
New tray pack salads with dressings come in five varieties : Caribbean with Tangy Lemon Dressing ; Chinese with Sesame Oil Dressing ; Indian with Mild Curry Dressing ; Mediterranean with Vinaigrette Dressing , and Mexican with Mild Chilli Dressing . All are 99p in over 2OO branches . Alongside these , the seasonal range of edible flowers is back on the shelves of stores causing great media and customer interest . The nasturtium salad provides a deliciously spicy flavour , with trumpet shaped blooms which come in a variety of colours ; the Mixed Edible Flowers contains marigold , nasturtium , pansy , viola and borage flowers along with nasturtium leaves , and Sainsbury 's Speciality Salad contains a variety of flowers as well as lamb 's lettuce and feuille de chene . Flowers can transform the appearance of drinks , desserts and salads when they are sprinkled with petals , or garnished with whole flowers .
Idiom: square the circle (used idiomatically: yes)
The story is set out in Elson 's book but , in brief , there was widespread concern that the government was intending to relax the green belt policy . The Environment Committee , however , saw these circulars as being ' complementary and interdependent ' : ' the one , the Green Belt circular , attempts to reinforce presumptions against development in certain areas , The other , the Land for Housing circular , attempts to encourage development in remaining areas other than national parks , areas of outstanding natural beauty … ' Thus the circle is squared ! There was much argument on semantics here , and the DoE responded to the Environment Committee 's report in part by changing the terms , but not the substance , of the draft circulars . ( In particular it was emphasised that the protection of green belts ' must be maintained as far ahead as can be seen . '
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: yes)
There was a coal fire beside the bed — dangerously close — with no more than a dozen coals piled one atop the other , more smoke than flame . " This is Patrick , " Collins said,"and Jane . They are on the run from some particularly nasty people in England who , we have every reason to suspect , have followed then here . Patrick will join us in the organization , but for him to be able to work effectively , he will need to be able to move around freely . " The tiny woman , her sharp face a mass of wrinkles , gripped Patrick by the arms and spun him around to face her .
Idiom: walk of life (used idiomatically: yes)
A petition signed by 115 leading personalities , requesting the King to appoint a 1,300 - 1,500 member National Assembly , drew widespread opposition from the main political parties which claimed that it would drag the monarchy into politics . The proposal for the Assembly came originally from Chaianan Samudavanij , a well known political scientist . Its supporters claimed that such an Assembly , composed of members from all walks of life , would and act as a " complementary institution " which would advise Parliament . They argued that it would act as a mirror " to reflect the desires , opinions and hardships of the Thai society " so as to promote unity , ensure that the population 's grievances were heard , and prevent future crises from undermining the country and its institutions . The petitioners also asked the King to postpone approval of a constitutional amendment calling for the next Prime Minister to be elected , until the post - election government was set up .
Idiom: scratch the surface (used idiomatically: no)
Poetry alone is worldwide and limitless ; and even through the mangling of translation , the images of beauty come through a hundred tongues unsullied . To read the whole of European poetry would consume a lifetime . The poetry of China is even more extensive than that of Europe , and only the surface of it has been scratched by the West . The T'ang period was the main flowering of culture in China , and more poetry was written during that time than any other . In the 19th century an anthology was made of all the surviving T'ang poetry and someone complained that what he saw was only a meagre yield from the vast harvest of its origin .
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
His mare refused to drink . ' Please yourself , ' he grunted , and led her back . After briefly getting lost in the fog , he finally succeeded in groping his way to the headquarters of Liechtenstein 's cavalry . A group of staff officers were clustered around one of the last of the fires , stamping their feet and holding out hands to the blaze . Amongst them was Aranyos , seated on a log toasting some bread and leberwurst .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
A pack year was defined as 20 cigarettes per day smoked for one year . A unit of alcohol was defined as a half a pint of beer or one sixth of a gill of spirits . All data were collected using a standardised face to face interview by one of the authors ( MRG ) in the endoscopy unit or on the ward . All statistics were calculated using the ARCUS Professional statistics package . Mann Whitney U non - parametric analysis was used throughout other than where stated .
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ How can I help you , ladies?’ Outwardly , she had recovered her composure but her eyes were watchful as well as sad . Conscious of Sybil at her side , tense as a patient in a dentist 's waiting - room , Melissa took the plunge . ‘ How well did you know Angy?’ she asked . Eddie scowled .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes . So that , erm , the fact that you 're increasing erm , protection , protectionism against it , is n't it likely to upset the producers who are exporting it , and who say it 's no point exporting it there cos we 're going to get erm , huge thing put on our things and we 're not going to sell that much , it might be better just sell in our own country , is n't that reduce world tr No , no eventually , protectionism will , will lead to a cessation of production in the most efficient er regions of the world which by and large , are the , are the regions that sell onto the world market . It 's only the inefficient producers that support their agricultures , because it 's those inefficient producers that need support , erm , so , in the , in the long run , world supply , world supply will contract , but in the short run , you know , farmers in these er , efficient countries of the world may well erm , continue in production because they may , may be able to cut their average variable costs , it 's only when in , in the long run , you know , providing farmers can cover their average variable costs , they 'll continue in production in the short run . Right , in the long run , they 've got to cover all their costs , right , they will be driven out of business , but that may take some time .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: no)
We have no hard evidence of the origins of language in prehistoric communities , but it seems reasonable to assume that speech preceded writing and dialogue preceded monologue . Interestingly , some of the earliest written texts of Western European culture , the Socratic dialogues , present as conversation what modern writers would present as monologue . Perhaps some of this preference remains in modern practices which favour face - to - face interaction : lectures , job interviews , and news interviews . As with societies , so with each individual infant . Turn - taking and interaction are among the first communicative skills .
Idiom: in cahoots (used idiomatically: yes)
Most people – bankers and many “ experts ” excepted – are instinctive Keynesians , even if they have never heard of John ~ Maynard ~ Keynes . At some level , they understand what Keynes called the “ paradox of thrift ” : if households and firms are forced to reduce their expenses , and the government simultaneously cuts spending , unemployment will rise , because one person ’s spending is another ’s income , and the outcome will be less spending and less income all around . Moreover , now is not the time for a political ~ party to be seen to be in cahoots with the bankers .
Idiom: lift a finger (used idiomatically: yes)
May we be given the opportunity to debate the economy of Renfrewshire , which has suffered 35,000 job losses since the Government came to power ? As I have said , we are facing the closure of a world - famous company in Scotland . The Government are not lifting a finger to help the economy of Renfrewshire . They are not investigating why the company wishes to move from Barrhead . Why is it that the Government do not want to debate what is happening in Renfrewshire ?
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
Much of the GSB is subsequently allocated for the funding of schools within an authority in accordance with the principles of formula funding explained in Chapter 1 . The technicalities of the financing of schools are dealt with elsewhere . The above examples seek to reflect the magnitude of the changes in systems and procedures that local government is having to come to terms with under differing sets of recent legislation . Many of these fundamentally change the systems and organisational requirements of local government particularly in the delivery of an education service . Few headteachers , let alone governors and teaching staff in schools , will have come across many of the local - authority service departments mentioned above and hence may often find it difficult to appreciate and understand the outcomes of their systems and policy - implementation decisions .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: no)
But United embarked on what Mr Ferguson dubbed ‘ kamikaze football’ against City and ended up hanging on desperately for a point . Now he sees the prospect of victory in the Rumbelows Cup as an important stepping stone to ‘ the big one’ . ‘ If we win we would have one trophy in the bag and with it a place in Europe . That might ease the championship run - in for us,’ said Mr Ferguson . Victory tomorrow would offer United compensation for losing in last season 's final to Sheffield Wednesday and would fill the last gap in the Old Trafford honours board .
Idiom: get the boot (used idiomatically: no)
It 's just at night it gets a bit noisy . One night I 'm in bed — just sort of lying there , thinking about stuff and that when Marie walks in and goes straight over to her door . It 's dark , but I know it 's Marie cos she 's got her jangly boots on and I can hear them . ' Marie ? ' I say .
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
A neglected window frame can reach the point of no return , but it could gain a couple of years ' reprieve by the clever use of a wood repair system . 1 Remove as much damaged wood as possible , then dry off the remaining timber with a hot air gun 2 Treat all soft fibres with a special preservative wood hardener , and leave to dry
Idiom: take someone's word for it (used idiomatically: yes)
Hang on , what 's that ? straight from the bottom . And then backspace , I think , I 'm no I 'm not positive on that so do n't take my word for it , you 'll probably mess the whole thing up ! Mm . You mean get that up ?
Idiom: on the mend (used idiomatically: yes)
The latest shortfall , for 1993 - 94 , caused by yet more Republican mischief - making , is regrettable . But Wall Street had a record year in 1992 , which will help pay plenty of immediate bills . And a bounce in the region 's economy over the next few years will soon have the city on the mend . Really ? Neither Wall Street ( with all its labour - saving gadgetry ) nor the foreseeable regional recovery seems likely to do much for jobs in New York .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: no)
One is a no - through motor road , the other an ancient cart track ; they diverge immediately and then proceed north roughly parallel and half a mile apart . Both lead to the promised land and after three miles can be linked by a path , thus offering a circular walk which , if adopted , makes the use of a car an inconvenience . It is advisable to do the tour anti - clockwise , starting along the cart track thus saving the smooth tarmac for tired legs at the end of the day . Boots are the best footgear on rough terrain and a torch is essential if the intention is to peep or venture into the caves that will be seen en route . Lack of a camera will be regretted .
Idiom: jockey for position (used idiomatically: yes)
Pigs might fly ? Some do … Jockeying for position , these racing pigs took part in the first - ever Porky Grand National These little pigs are making a name for themselves in Bellingham , Northumberland . Former farmer Michael Bell organised a race for porkers at the county show after seeing hog racing while he was on holiday in Canada .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
' A person who returns from a course anxious to practise a new technique or skill will quickly lose enthusiasm if efforts are met with hostility or indifference . Where a member of staff was previously satisfied with work practice in a section , he or she may become a discontented or frustrated worker , because expectations were increased , together with knowledge and skill , only to be stifled by lack of interest on return to work . The make - or - break factor in this delicate post - course period is the attitude of the person 's immediate superior . If this is a negative or carping attitude towards new- fangled theories the trainee 's performance , instead of improving , may well deteriorate to a point below that individual 's pre - course standard . ' As they quite fairly concluded :
Idiom: chuck it down (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's one there , there 's two over there . Sometimes he hides it down the back of his seat here . Chucks it down the back . Oh aye they . And he knows , he knows where they are as well .
Idiom: face the music (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ What 's this yer do n't want ‘ the ole man’ ter know ? Something about owin ' five pounds , is it?’ he inquired quite calmly . Mum covered her face with her apron and cried noisily , but she got no sympathy from Jack who pushed past Dad and left , leaving her to face the music . Dad slammed the door behind him with an ‘ An ' good riddance!’ Then he strode over to Mum and pulled her to her feet , although her face was still buried in the apron and she was wailing louder than ever .
Idiom: for Africa (used idiomatically: yes)
I honestly believe that the prospects for Africa 's peaceful and successful development are distinctly better than they were ten years ago .
Idiom: push the boat out (used idiomatically: yes)
The Export Credits Guarantee Department 's short - term insurance business was sold to the Dutch company NCM at the end of 1991 . Cover for credits extended over more than two years , however , stayed with the ECGD , and manufacturers involved in project business claim their insurance costs have sometimes doubled . ‘ By pushing the boat out unilaterally,’ says Weir Group 's Ron Garrick , ‘ the Government has put us at a severe disadvantage compared with our German and American counterparts . For a country that 's got a balance of payments problem , that seems a bit stupid.’ City pressure for dividends and capital growth is unlikely to abate , nor are banks able to follow the German example and take equity stakes in manufacturing companies .
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: yes)
Presumably the maximum was about forty or was forty - five Forty - eight er yes . Forty eight and and presumably many of the people who are perhaps seventy drawing pensions , they may not have even paid in thirty years themselves , I mean they may be many of them may not have been around for that period of time . So in fact there may be a quality of treatment actually between someone retiring at fifty or fifty - five in terms of the number of years paid into the pension fund , as someone say age seventy . Well I doubt it actually at the moment .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ The place of publication is London , not Oxford . It was published by the Oxford University Press for the International African Institute — do you see?’ From behind his back he now produced the book itself , open at the title page . ‘ Of course— how stupid of me . I 'm so sorry , I 'm afraid I do make mistakes sometimes.’
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: no)
Right thanks very much . Let me just take a coffee down to er . I 've actually spilt in the hole . You have n't had a coffee yet ? Get the