Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
IBM turned its first Unix system , the RT , into a child of the ghetto and told 90 % of its customers that they did n't want it , it was n't for them . And its customers took the hint and bought their Unix systems from Sun Microsystems Inc or aforesaid Hewlett - Packard . For fear of losing one or two sales of its obsolete mainframes , IBM designed the RT so badly that it had to junk the machine completely and start again from scratch to create the ( incompatible ) RS/6000 . As a result , the RS/6000 may be a $ 2,200 m business this year while Hewlett - Packard and Sun are running at between $ 5,000 m and $ 6,000 m in Unix - related sales . There is always another side to the story of course , and IBM still has its apologists : Tim Mead , who was lately in charge at Datamation magazine , another former icon now down on its luck , wrote an outraged letter to the Wall Street Journal after its recent critical piece .
Idiom: rise from the ashes (used idiomatically: yes)
Moreover , potential Green sympathisers are terrified of the ultra - right Franz Strauss , and will vote social Democrat to forestall a right - wing government . Die Gruenen had dropped below the 5 per cent needed to enter the Bundestag in the last polls . There has also been a miraculous rise of the Liberals from the ashes — they may just squeak past 5 per cent themselves . In third parties , Germans may prefer a low card to a wild one . Meanwhile in France , reform of the election laws may give Les Verts their first electoral victories .
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: yes)
Above this layer sits a set of open client - server Application Programming Interfaces , Open Client , Open Server and Embedded SQL . Orthogonal to the database server layers are a set of control servers , for back - up , monitoring , and administration . What all these elements are supposed to do is answer what Sybase claims are the five big reasons that users are unwilling finally to go all the way with open systems as opposed to host or legacy solutions . First , they need a well - proven advanced technology to minimise the risk of moving from a departmental system supporting up to maybe 100 users to hundreds if not thousands of users . Secondly , they want scalable systems for immediate high capacity of data storage with low entry cost .
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
And the couple were quietly granted their divorce . Girls fall in EIGHT women musicians in the RAF make history this weekend when they join the men in the Changing of the Guard parade at Buckingham Palace . RATNERS ‘ GEMS’ MADE OF PLASTIC They want month to pay £ 1,000 fine '
Idiom: in the swim (used idiomatically: no)
Each comes with a four - year guarantee . They cost about £ 26.99 and £ 58.99 respectively In the Swim MAKE A SPLASH THIS SUMMER WITH ONE OF THESE SUPER POOLS . INDOOR OR OUT , THE CHOICE IS YOURS …
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
The Bishop says gently that his path simply does not cross those of the diocese 's landed families . ‘ I value what they do enormously , but my contact is through their parish priests.’ It is perhaps curious , to say the least , that the senior management of the Church can virtually ignore such an influential section of their flock as the landowners . The landed gentry of Wiltshire and Dorset do , after all , have a knowledge of their counties that goes generations deep , and they are somewhat dismayed to find themselves with an academic bishop who has never been a parish priest and who , they feel , does not understand the nature of rural society . In the eyes of one of them at least , the Church is ‘ for the first time in centuries , pulling against rural rhythms’ .
Idiom: it takes two to tango (used idiomatically: no)
The predominance of white , middle-class characters , is disappointing , although I do recall a ballet story with black dancers — strangely enough around the time of the tv series ‘ Fame ’ ! The language of the comic is an interesting feature . Where a character is obviously working class , such as in ‘ It Takes Two to Tango ’ , where the heiress ' dancing partner is a bit of ‘ rough ’ , the dialogue is written as Cockney ! The majority of the writing is standard English , with no swear words or slang and sounds like received pronunciation . BUNTY April 1993 age 7–12 approx 45p
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
There was that tall girl in the NAAFI . She had looks too . But he doubted if he could have stood her voice for a full evening ; it grated on him when she chatted him up over the counter . Now if she 'd had the voice of the little dumpy one they all took the mickey out of , Lemon , as they called her , he just might have put the question to her . Yet what would have been the result ?
Idiom: place in the sun (used idiomatically: no)
ls the opening to generate atmosphere and mood , to establish the location , time of day and/or period which will give an air of reality ? This is the most valuable way of working out a first scene and happens in Ronzeo and Juliet . Here is a market place in a certain town , in a certain period , with the inhabitants setting about their daily tasks as the sun rises . Despite the general activities there is menace in the air and it is not long before the rival factions of Montagues and Capulets are fighting and deaths occurring before the lovers even meet . This opening is very different from the quietly charming first scene of A Month in the Country , where the only thing amiss is Natalia 's bored behaviour .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah . Er , if you get known as a good supply teacher you 'll get the work to to begin with , you might only get an odd day . He , he was thrilled because he he got er , his name on the board so the head Oh ! of two subjects
Idiom: in broad daylight (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It was dark then.’ Immediately she was annoyed with herself for sounding defensive . ‘ If you do n't know Venice well it 's quite possible to get lost even in broad daylight , and , as you do n't speak Italian … ’ Perhaps something in her face alerted him because he stopped , then queried slowly , thoughtfully , ‘ Or do you?’ CHAPTER THREE
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
I can imagine the future , and be afraid of not getting it . I know I 'm not crazy like that old man , like Piper , because crazy is something else . Crazy is living in a fog and pissing your pants . I hate Wallace , and I think I hate you . I hate the past .
Idiom: run out of steam (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I do n't think Nigel is a thinking fighter , and that 's why I 'm going to win,’ claims Piper . ‘ He rushes in with his chin exposed , and I aim to exploit that weakness . ‘ He starts so fast , but tends to run out of steam . If the fight goes beyond four or five rounds , the title 's mine . Flaws
Idiom: clutch at straws (used idiomatically: yes)
If you get the right mould then algae in your pond could well be history . I would not like to think what the wrong type would do to , say , the bacteria in your filter ! Green ponds should not be a problem now , but come next summer , you may be clutching at straws . TROPICAL INFORMATION The East Asian Mix
Idiom: up the river (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 've had a rough evening.’ ‘ Me too . I been beaten up by hoods , framed on a murder rap , beaten up by cops , sent up the river , beaten up by prison bulls , got a last - minute reprieve from the governor , and been beaten up by my girl.’ ‘ Sounds tough.’ ‘ In spades , lady.’
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: yes)
We 'll let them get on with about half the ceremony — just in case there are any stragglers.’ The drums took up a slower beat now , and the procession wound its way into the cemetery . The pallbearers laid the coffin down in the clear space at the exact centre of the cemetery , and moved to the edges , standing amidst the grave markers like ragged vultures . The remainder of the followers now spread out around the clear area — a makeshift poteau mitan — touching their candle flames to one of the pyres and then laying their candles on the ground at the edge of the clear ground . The sedan chair was set down in a space of its own , and the curtains drawn aside .
Idiom: come to a head (used idiomatically: yes)
The Forest Perambulations of 1218 and 1219 . The Re - issue of the Charter of the Forest and the Perambulations of 1225 . When opposition to John 's misrule came to a head in 1215 , the forest figured prominently among the grievances which the barons presented to him . He sought refuge in vague and ambiguous promises . In the Great Charter he undertook to put out of the forest ‘ at once’ the districts which he himself had afforested , and the rivers he had placed ‘ in defence’ .
Idiom: anyone's guess (used idiomatically: yes)
Some of us weave small tight webs . Others span the world . What it all means is anyone 's guess . Cornelius strolled along an invisible line which linked the secondary school with The Wife 's Legs Cafe . It had become , of late , a quite well - trodden little line .
Idiom: neither here nor there (used idiomatically: yes)
That gets that gets involved in other things do n't it ? That 's it . Fifty quid are n't neither here nor there is it ? Well that 's right . Well them biscuits are horrible then ?
Idiom: fall by the wayside (used idiomatically: yes)
Certainly there are many who would concur with at least the gist of Lieberson 's , and others ' , criticisms but argue that more effort should be directed at improving methods of data collection and analysis to meet these kinds of objections . There are others,(we shall meet some of them later ) who would argue that this urge to emulate the natural sciences in this way is premature . In any event , the idea that Lazarsfeld had discovered a ubiquitous method of social research has to fall by the wayside . Interviewing Interviews are encounters between a researcher and a respondent in which an individual is asked a series of questions relevant to the subject of the research .
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
Wheelchairs are easy to tip over backwards so a recommended maximum slope for ramps is an inch in height gained per foot of incline . I need to be able to see the path ahead in order to plan my route well in advance , or else I may get myself into an awkward position . In these cases I either have to wait for a passing walker and ask for assistance , try to reverse my direction or take the plunge and risk damage to chair and body . With laid surfaces such as tarmac , another hazard is the camber — the slight upward curve to the centre of the surface of a road or track . This can be steep , making progress forward difficult — you have to hold one wheel and push hard on the other just to stop yourself from rolling down it .
Idiom: in the running (used idiomatically: yes)
A new UN , it seemed , had been born . False hope was duly dashed . By authorising force , the UN did not get itself a say in the running of the war . Its Military Committee , which the victors of 1945 had once hoped ( for little more than the time it takes to shake hands ) would in future enforce peace at the head of a world army , remained a jobless phantom . Except for an unsuccessful trip to Baghdad before the allied air offensive , the UN 's secretary - general , Javier Perez de Cuellar , has played a minor diplomatic part .
Idiom: for good measure (used idiomatically: yes)
You never told your husband or the police about Mahoney , so there 's little risk of your trying it with him . And you did n't get tough with Mahoney , because Vecchi killed him himself , so he knows that . You 're just a frightened dame who 's going to buy him an airplane ticket out and give him a stake for good measure . That suits our book.’ ‘ Good.’
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: yes)
The power of the governors in relation to the ethos of the school will rest in their ability to call for reports and explanations — the ability to make clear their approval and their criticisms of particular aspects of the school , as they are aware of its reputation and character . Whether this power is enough to justify the description of the governors as the body under whose direction the school operates , is a moot point . It is this balance of power with governors which perhaps most intensely tests the management capacity of a head in relation to other teachers , but at the same time the power of teachers themselves to convert policies which are handed down from above into classroom practice by means of adaptation , domestication or subversion should not be overlooked ( Shipman 1990:156—7 ) . Governors and staff The ideal which has been referred to more than once in earlier chapters is that heads , other teachers , governors , parents and non - teaching staff should combine their efforts in some form of corporate management .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: yes)
The media 's political role is especially ubiquitous in their reporting of Northern Ireland . Before the Army became involved , media accounts often referred to the political background to the conflict and were sympathetic towards the Civil Rights movement ( Hillyard , 1982 ) . By 1975 , this had all changed : reports , features and editorials now concentrated on protecting the Army 's image and portraying the IRA as ‘ criminals or mindless psychopaths often manipulated by Godfathers behind the scenes’(ibid.:39 ) . In addition to banning , delaying or censoring news and current affairs reports ( ibid . ) , the British government and military officials have used a variety of sanctions , notably cutting journalists off from authoritative sources of information , to ensure that recalcitrant individuals and institutions are brought back into line ( Aleut , 1978:153 ) . In practice , such measures are seldom necessary : most journalists seem aware of their tacit responsibility to toe the approved ideological line ( Schlesinger , 1978:225 ) .
Idiom: take someone to task (used idiomatically: yes)
Consequently , the CEGB needs to convince the inspector not only that the most likely outcome is a negative net - effective cost , but also that the sensitivity of this result to plausible changes in the CEGB 's forecasts is not so great that a positive ( undesirable ) NEC becomes a likely result . This takes us back to appraisal methods . The Monopolies Commission took the board to task on three main issues : the use of ' target ' rather than expected values in estimating parameters under the CEGB 's influence ( for example , construction cost and duration ) ; the use and presentation of sensitivity analysis around predicted outcomes ; and the lack of any firm basis for forecasting nuclear fuel - cycle costs . The CEGB 's response to these specific criticisms has been mixed . On the use of target , rather than expected , values the board has — and this is most welcome — reformed its procedures .
Idiom: keep someone in the dark (used idiomatically: yes)
BRENDA THORNTON THURSDAY , MAY 3rd 8 a.m. –9 p.m. VOTE TO MOVE TOWARDS THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET LABOUR & LIBERAL DEMOCRATS WANT TO KEEP YOU IN THE DARK ABOUT : Their alternative to the Community Charge . Although they have been reluctant to disclose their plans they would like to tax people 's property and tax their income .
Idiom: up against it (used idiomatically: yes)
By nature he is very much ‘ one of the boys’ , which must have made it hard to assert himself , he does not find it easy to take advice and is readily upset by criticism . There were times when his own belief in himself as a great player could backfire on him if he failed to realize that he was having an off day , and he could look stubborn and bloody - minded as a result . Since he was not a natural captain he had to lead by example , and when the mighty deeds failed to materialize he was very much up against it . Nor was he helped by being up against the mighty deeds of the West Indies in his first two series , and perhaps if he had been able to cut his teeth on something less difficult the story might have had a happier turn to it . The story came desperately close to beginning with a victory .
Idiom: nothing to write home about (used idiomatically: yes)
GUIL : And a syllogism : One , he had never known anything like it . Two , he had never known anything to write home about . Three , it is nothing to write home about … Home … What 's the first thing you remember ?
Idiom: pecking order (used idiomatically: yes)
In some ways , such horses are like certain breeds of dogs who will only accept one owner in their lifetime . The need for self - esteem and self - satisfaction is a major one for horses ; the horse , like a person , needs to think well of itself . Horses with the highest self - esteem are likely to be found at the top of their pecking order . They are the boss horses : dominant , aggressive , strong - charactered and strong - willed . They are also likely to be the most difficult , independent , bad - tempered , and stubborn ; but if they want to work for you they have the strength of character to extend themselves to their utmost limits , and further than other horses .
Idiom: high and dry (used idiomatically: yes)
And what with Swindon chasing promotion and Gloucester playing in the cup semi - final we 've got quite a week ahead but the biggest crowd will be on the banks of the River Thames for the boat race . Oxford and Cambridge came face to face for the first time today when the scales were set for the official weigh - in . Cambridge were left high and dry for a time this afternoon as Oxford followed in the footsteps of many a champion boxer and left the opposition waiting at the official weigh - in . When the dark - blues did turn up the fun started but as expected the Cambridge crew were carrying far more weight . And history was made when the light - blues Toby Backhouse , a giant of a man , stepped onto the scales .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
Thus , there are many forms of communication that horses use , from body language to empathy . Nevertheless , they are rarely used individually and to the exclusion of all other forms of communication , so they need to be considered all together ; each form of communication adding a little more to the message the horse is sending . However , this is all rather analytical and intellectual ; and if we ourselves can only function on this rational level , our communication with horses will be no better than a tourist who needs a phrase book or dictionary in a foreign country . From our point of view , empathy is the most valuable form of communication with the horse , for we not only have insight into how the horse feels , but we intuitively understand the horse 's other forms of communication , like verbal messages and body language . TEMPERAMENT AND INTELLIGENCE
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: no)
Before the campaign opened those with a strong interest in politics were very much more aware of Thatcher 's and Kinnock 's recent activities . By the end of the campaign that was no longer so true : awareness of Thatcher and Kinnock had spread much more evenly through the electorate and in so far as it did vary it was particularly high amongst those who had recently watched television news or discussed the campaign . The difference between Kinnock 's visibility to those with high and low levels of political interest dropped from 45 per cent before the campaign to 20 per cent at the end of the campaign ; the difference between his visibility to highbrow and lowbrow paper readers dropped from 28 per cent to a mere 5 per cent ; but over the same period the difference between his visibility amongst viewers and nonviewers of television news actually rose slightly . Once again this shows a switch from personal resources to media mobilization . Somewhat in contrast to these findings about Thatcher and Kinnock , the visibility of all ‘ other’ Conservative and Labour politicians , taken in each case as a collective ‘ other’ , became more predictable as the election approached .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
But the book does not tell us what " depression economics " is supposed to replace . So let me try my hand at defining non - depression economics : · Short - run economic policy should be left in the hands of the central ~ bank , with the legislature and the executive focusing on the long run and keeping their noses out of year - to - year fluctuations in employment and prices ; · Central ~ banks ' highest priority should be to maintain their credibility as guardians of price stability , and only then turn their attention to keeping the economy near full employment , which they should do by influencing asset prices – upward when unemployment threatens to rise , and downward when an inflationary spiral looms ; · Central ~ banks should influence asset prices through normal open - market operations – by buying and selling short - term government securities for cash , thus changing the " safe " interest rate and the price of longer - duration assets ;
Idiom: toe the line (used idiomatically: yes)
However , every time I hear the hon . Member for Westminster , North , I am disappointed , because he is such an awful Government apologist , and is renowned as such . For example , he reels out evidence that the Government are doing a wonderful job . He mentions Home Office research suggesting that crime is not as bad as everyone thinks , but he does not mention any of the other analyses and carefully toes the party line . He avoids mentioning Home Office research that suggests that there is a relationship between deprivation and crime . That causes me deep disappointment .
Idiom: laughing stock (used idiomatically: yes)
Every change in the preferences of the public at home or abroad , every alteration in supply and demand — those dreadful archaic words had to be pronounced sooner or later — will express itself in a change of prices . But the only way to find out which prices and how much change is to ‘ suck it and see ’ . Either the commission intuitively knows how supply and demand will change — in which case the commission is miraculous but unnecessary — or else the commission is applying some other unspecified standards and judgements of its own — in which case the commission will be a tyrant if it can impose its decisions and a laughing stock if it can not . Better try something else , then ; and here it is , in the shape of the third proposition : ‘ if over a period profits should rise more than incomes , the balance should be redressed by taxation policy ’ . We accept then that , responsibility or no responsibility , commission or no commission , prices may behave in such a way that profits rise faster than a certain rate , that rate being the rate at which incomes other than profits — or perhaps incomes including profits ? — are increasing .
Idiom: piping hot (used idiomatically: no)
Tea is very insipid after good coffee . We got used to having it with cream on the top , it was so thick . Underneath it was piping hot . In Vienna we had wiener schnitzel , beer and champagne . We could n't understand it when we got back home , our mothers cooking us eggs and bacon .
Idiom: spend a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
Among those giving evidence , Ed Bucknell , the manager of Dire Straits . So who 's making the profit , if a typical CD retailing at 12.99 can be made for a mere 50 pence ? An estimated 55 pence is spent on packaging . The artist receives 88 pence , the producer and publisher another 88 between them . With V - A - T at 2 pounds 27 , that leaves 3.25 for the shop , with the lion 's share — 4 pounds 66 — going to the record company .