Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: same difference (used idiomatically: yes)
Direct taxes can also affect the ' efficient ' distribution of resources . At the extreme , a 100-per - cent tax will remove all financial incentives to move to the new job in a new industry that requires a particular kind of skill . At the other extreme , a poll tax that takes the same amount from everyone will keep the same absolute difference between the rewards in one job and the next . As so often , we have conflict between equity or fairness and efficiency . A poll tax takes a larger proportion of poor people 's pay , but does least ' damage ' to the ' efficient'allocation of labour .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
There are successors , starting with Ayman ~ al - Zawahiri in Al ~ Qaeda , as well as in autonomous groups operating out of Yemen , Somalia , and other countries . So terrorism will continue . Indeed , it could even grow somewhat worse in the short run , as there are sure to be those who will want to show that they can still strike against the West . The best parallel that I can think of when it comes to understanding terrorism and how to deal with it is disease .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
Joan , their great - granddaughter , married John Pollexton of Kitley . Three generations later , the third John Pollexton inherited Mothecombe in 1700 and proceeded to build what he referred to in his will as ‘ the new house by me erected’ . A local builder , probably the same man who had just built the beautiful house of Newton Ferrers , created this simple masterpiece in the local sea - grey basaltic stone , mixed with silvery granite from the moor up over the hill to the north . If ever there was a perfect Queen Anne house , here it is , and perhaps a reason for its extra glow is its delicate restoration by the Mildmay family who came to live here in the 1870s . The Pollexton dynasty had finished by 1747 , and from then on various relations spurned Mothecome until eventually they sold it at the end of the eighteenth century to a Mildmay forbear .
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
Greystones in Chester Road is home for 10 people with disabilities , and is also used by eight others for respite care throughout the year . But the building does not comply with the Registered Homes Act , and must close or be upgraded . An earlier plan to build a new home in conjunction with a housing association on the Chevet Hey site in Prices Lane , Wrexham , failed to get off the ground . And now the Greystones residents have been asked what sort of accommodation they would like in the future . John Jevons , Clwyd 's social services director , says in a report to councillors today that a plan would be thrashed out to best meet the needs of individuals based on the residents ' reaction .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: yes)
It gathers up the movement of the house as we pass from kitchen to living room or dining room , or kitchen to bedrooms . I find this an illuminating analogy of the real purpose of prayer . Prayer is far more than a shopping list , or an incidental five minutes at the end of a busy day . In the life of a maturing Christian it is that space I give in quiet thought , reflection and meditation . It is that time when I gather up all that has happened in my day , and all that is going to happen today .
Idiom: drop someone a line (used idiomatically: yes)
BTW Gavin is off to Holland today for a week . He 'll be there for the England match so keep an eye out for him ( for those who do n't know what he looks like he 's the spitting image of Eric Cantona — this is true , honest ) . So if there are any problems drop me a line . He 's back for the Ipswich game which I 'm going to try to go to but not sure yet . We thought about going down on the saturday and staying at Great Yarmouth and then driving to the match .
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: yes)
In fact he pulled it further down making it easier for me to breathe . On we went , it must have been three hours by now . We 'd been turning on and off roads all along , dodging checkpoints I guessed . Then I realized that we kept returning to the same place and stopping for a few minutes , before moving off again around a similar route . ‘ We must be near,’ I thought , ‘ they 're waiting to get the all - clear to enter a certain area , where , please God , we 'll stop.’
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: yes)
Spokesmen make statements but no one comes forward to say,’ I did it , for this and that reason.’ My film adaptation of Anthony Delano 's richly comic book slip - Up’ How Fleet Street caught Ronnie Biggs and Scotland Yard lost him’cost the not unastronomical sum of £ 600,000 to make , so should it turn out to be money down the drain the BBC will have to face some embarrassing questions about why it embarked on it in the first place if it thought the story might be defamatory . The fact is that the material has been around for nearly ten years and no one has ever sued . Slipper of the Yard objected to some passages in Delano 's book but did not resort to litigation . He was shown my television script and took objection to some passages in that also Some amendments were made , not entirely to his satisfaction but certainly to the satisfaction of the BBC 's legal department , since the thumbs - up was then given for the production to go ahead .
Idiom: fly in the face of (used idiomatically: yes)
Nobody thinks that there will be 30 bids in reality . It would be unlikely if in any more than two or three of the companies to be bought out there were rival bids from within the existing management and work force . However , to rule out the possibility and say that there are no circumstances under which management or employees will be allowed to diverge and put together rival bids to be considered on their merits is unacceptable and flies in the face of what the Government are supposed to espouse — competition . If a worker-led bid came forward and there were employees within a company who had drive , initiative and new ideas about how it could be run more successfully and provide more services at no cost to the public purse , why should they , in effect , be disqualified without their case ever having been studied by those who are supposed to study the bids ? If the Government adhere to their position , the decision on the bids would be taken not after due consideration and detailed examination but at the outset by telling one bid that it had not been selected to receive the £48,750 assistance .
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: no)
I look forward to hearing from you . So they 're getting this whole pack which I hope will pay . Now do you know , could you do me a favour and tell Wendy about that gust because she 's just just sending them off . Now there is another way of advertising and with Harrogate not coming off , I must say I 'm quite keen on this . This is a firm and they 've been going for a number of years .
Idiom: see stars (used idiomatically: yes)
It can also confer one of the true joys of existence and it is an aspect of the beautiful and the peak experience . Men go up high mountains to achieve a new perspective ; thus all prophets have done this so they can dissolve the nuts and bolts of difference and see in their place the unity . In the same way they look up into the night sky to see the stars and feel the awe and wonder of the infinite worlds with their infinite distances into which may be submerged all our preoccupations as if we had washed our souls in the oceans of space . The idea of a view and the vision of Boullee are of the same order of thought and sight . Appreciating the sublime and subtle aspects of a view and the imagining of vision are concepts that are closely linked .
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: no)
I had no one left to give me advice’ . But it is only in some of their lyrics that this cleanliness of vision appears . One song reveals the damaging influence on their minds of their sojourn in London : ‘ Soccer Fan’ is a peon of praise to Everton 's midfield cruncher , Norman Whiteside . l CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT Get Ahead ( Mercury ) You can tell that Curiosity Killed The Cat have n't been around for some time . Firstly pictures of their lead singer , Ben Volpierre Pierrot , have stopped appearing in the front sections of Sunday newspaper supplements captioned by bad puns on his name , and secondly the single from this album is all about leaving messages on an answering machine . Whatever enforced their absence for the last couple of years , it was n't an extensive search for a new musical direction .
Idiom: have a few (used idiomatically: no)
I did n't hear.’ ‘ Never mind . If I could 've chosen I would 've got a girl more sophisticated , talk awhile , have a few drinks then screw . She was n't that . She was in a hurry to get the money for her fix .
Idiom: hum and haw (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I do n't know , Billy . There 's an awful lot of them.’ He hums and haws for a bit then he says he 'll put them in his car and ask if I can keep them at Combe Court . I hope so — I really like my plants . Mr Jackson tells me to shove my dirty clothes in a placky bag , so I do that .
Idiom: off and running (used idiomatically: yes)
Buckinghamshire speedway ace Simon Wigg is gearing up for the new season with a new club … he 's signed up for Coventr Next week Central South will be celebrating its biggest sporting event of the year … Cheltenham 's Gold Cup week … from Monday thro ' till Thursday we 'll be there to bring you all the colour … the action and excitement … we're off and running tonight with one of the local heroes … one of the favourites … one of the best in the land … who is Racing Gold DAVID NICHOLSON Voice over
Idiom: up a tree (used idiomatically: yes)
Your practice partner has prepared some of them like this : I went into the garden and I found it was pouring with ram- . I went into the garden and I found the cat up a tree . I went into the garden and I found the baby was asleep in the pram . I went into the garden and I found the washing had blown away .
Idiom: steer clear of (used idiomatically: yes)
She waved again as he drove past towards the junction , and went indoors . She was restless , still feeling she had made a bit of a fool of herself . She boiled some milk for a cup of cocoa , resolving to steer clear of the brandy and hot milk : all that talk of pookas in the car had made her sound neurotic ! Meredith took the cocoa upstairs by the hall light and into the bedroom without putting on the light switch there . In the half - light shining in from the hallway , she went to the dormer window to pull the curtains and found herself looking out directly at Harriet 's cottage opposite .
Idiom: taste blood (used idiomatically: no)
But I feel rocky . Rocky . And I can taste blood . Why can I taste blood , Maggie?’ He asked her again , with bewildered innocence : ‘ Why?’
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
. Hey , fancy dad watching . Get lost . . No .
Idiom: touch a nerve (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Lindsey , what 's wrong?’ She moistened her lips , wishing there was some way she could avoid his shrewd gaze , but his hands caught at her arms as she tried to turn away . It was as if he had touched a nerve , sending tiny shock waves running through her . ‘ I do n't know what you mean . I 've already explained , I have a headache , that 's all.’
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: yes)
Sweat was stinging Sharpe 's eyes . Everything seemed awkward . He spurred forward , sword raised , then a shout from his rear made him twist in the saddle . He saw two German troopers spurring at the second Frenchman . There was the clash of sword on sabre and a scream that was abruptly silenced .
Idiom: give and take (used idiomatically: yes)
( Our italics ) Love can grow up , but is rarely totally altruistic . The best of lovings are mutual , with a fairly even amount of give and take , as much received as given . Erickson goes on to say that in good marriages all four types of love exist : I love me ; I love me in you ; I love your good qualities ; and I enjoy the fact that you are happy . However , there needs to be a sizeable amount of the latter for the marriage to work .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
I have an nvidia geforce gtx 670 and it black screens or crashes when I play games . Update your drivers and check if your power supply is adequate .
Idiom: tread the boards (used idiomatically: yes)
The Methodist Church , which owned the hall , decided four years ago that it was no longer financially feasible to keep it running . Plans have been drawn up for commercial offices and a smaller centre for church events . Grov - cap Knock down : Demolition men move into Belfast 's Grosvenor Hall , where many an international star trod the boards . The Everlys Joan Baez Kenny Rogers Johnny Cash
Idiom: at the drop of a hat (used idiomatically: yes)
Any whiff of a job and Julie is out there fighting for it . A common weekend would include job work in a range of Marks and Spencer stores stretching from Reading to Kingston to Brent Cross . Executive controller for M & S Morrison Cherrie said ‘ Julie jumps at the drop of a hat as far as a job is concerned . It 's great to have her on our team.’ £ 2 Million Offer
Idiom: no strings attached (used idiomatically: yes)
' Because it 's good business — for someone who does n't mind a gamble , and could afford to take a loss . I 'm not offering you this for the sake of your pretty brown eyes , Folly — it 's a business proposition , pure and simple . No strings attached — on either side . ' ' I see , ' she said slowly . But her mind was racing .
Idiom: take stock (used idiomatically: yes)
With the abandonment of sectarian politics and the adoption of the popular front strategy , he was forced to relinquish the tactics of undifferentiated confrontation and engage instead in a complex ideological process in which unequivocal condemnation of the agents of fascism was interspersed with sophisticated and complex support for a wide range of liberal fellow - travellers who only a short time previously would have been roundly condemned as class enemies . Nizan 's overtly sectarian stance of the pre-1934 period was suddenly out of phase with the current political climate . An unpredictable quirk of history had forced him to take stock and change direction . It was not to be the last time . Having turned his back on what he considered to be the sophistry , deception and compromise of bourgeois culture and bourgeois politics , in favour of the clarity and ideological certainty of what proved to be an unrealistic sectarian politics , force of circumstances compelled him after 1934 to engage in the compromising task of cooperative politics .
Idiom: make the cut (used idiomatically: no)
However , the income distribution within the rural sector seems to have deteriorated . Zambia is one of the countries in which the government has made an effort to sustain expenditure on education and its share in GDP has not actually fallen . None the less , considerable cuts have been made in real terms , with per capita expenditure in education falling 10 per cent between 1975 and 1985 . Within these constraints the government has also chosen to put relatively high levels of finance into the secondary and tertiary sectors , and a relatively low percentage into primary education . Capital expenditure on primary education has declined dramatically in real terms — from 288 million kwacha in 1977 to 30 million kwacha in 1985 .
Idiom: lie low (used idiomatically: yes)
And knew him . And Neil , for his part , knew that if anyone on Moila heard of his , Neil Hamilton 's , return , the news would fly around and certainly reach Ewen Mackay . So , since for the present Neil preferred to lie low and find out just what Ewen was up to , I could not tell Mrs McDougall of Ewen 's night - time visit . If I could not reassure her by telling her Neil was there , and watching , it was possible , more , probable , that she would insist either on my moving into a lodging in the village , or that some of the men from the village would keep watch on Otters ' Bay and the empty house . I would have to talk to Neil first .
Idiom: go hand in hand (used idiomatically: yes)
They would operate from roomy vicarages with ample grounds and were welcome guests at the highest tables in their parishes . Today many live on something close to the Church 's minimum stipend of £12,200 a year and their accommodation is more likely to be in the council semi mould . The demise of the Church has gone hand in hand with that of the Royal Family , and there are growing calls for the Church to be ‘ disestablished ’ — severing its traditional link with the monarchy . ‘ The Church of England and the monarchy are connected and a crisis in one is mirrored by a crisis in the other , ’ says William Oddie , a former Anglican clergyman who converted to Catholicism last year . ‘ In the Thirties the Archbishop of Canterbury had a lot to do with the abdication .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
All machines have to meet stringent dating requirements and the organisers only accept pre-1915 veterans . Entries come from all over the country to take part in the run — from Epsom Downs to Brighton — and there were also several entries from the continent , the US and Australia . The oldest competitor on the run was 85-year - old Graeme Brown , from Godalming , and the youngest was Edward Baldock of Goudhurst , aged 17 , riding an 1897 Leon Bollee tricycle . Haslemere architect Alan Coombes arriving at Brighton on his 1914 500cc Douglas motorcycle last Sunday after his 15th successful entry in the annual veteran motor - cycle pioneer run . Close behind is his son , Simon , who came along for the ride on his 1916 600cc Douglas , which falls outside the official December 1914 entry date .
Idiom: lose face (used idiomatically: yes)
Flavia woke feeling sadder and wiser ; such was her sense of escape , of relief , that she felt free to grieve . She spent half of her morning crying . Crying for the stranger , crying for the lost face — She was so beautiful — crying again . And now for picking up the bits . The day was Thursday , the start of the academic week ; Flavia combed her hair , washed her eyes and marched herself to the tower .
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
In the long run , especially in winter when the refugees had to spend free time in crowded recreation rooms , cabin fever set in .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
SALISBURY have called in psychiatrist Jed Lombard to relax the players for their biggest match in 13 years at Marlow . And manager Geoff Butler has told his Beazer Homes League men to concentrate on a secret catchword which , when shouted from the dug - out in the heat of the match , is designed to trigger their attention . He explained : ‘ When the players are focusing on the game there is not a side in our League to touch them . ‘ But the moment they lose concentration they forget everything I have told them to do.’ SUTTON caused one of the biggest upsets when they toppled holders Coventry three years ago and today ex - Sky Blue Greg Downs returns there with his HEREFORD team .
Idiom: meat and potatoes (used idiomatically: yes)
We were only a few miles from the coast , but in the days before we had our own car , visits to the sea were exciting expeditions . Mr Lewarne would take us in his car to one of the nearby beaches . We would take our swimming costumes , buckets and spades , and a picnic lunch consisting of Cornish pasties — meat and potato ones for the main course , and apple or jam pasties to follow . Many of the beaches were almost deserted in my early childhood , and to walk on a newly washed shore as the tide receded , and look back on the footsteps in the shining sand was a delight . The north Cornish coast is rocky , and climbing the rocks was a constant challenge and excitement .
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
If you roll a misfire on your bounce roll then this merely indicates the ball has stuck in the ground and does not bounce . If you roll a misfire as you shoot the cannon then consult the chart below . If you roll a misfire on your bounce roll then the cannon is unharmed , the Misfire result merely indicates that the cannon ball sticks in the ground where it hits . If the shot lands on top of a model then that particular model is hit as normal , but there is no further bounce damage . PROFILES
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: yes)
Satz ( 1977 ) has exposed the folly on probabilistic grounds of inferring right sided speech dominance in an individual with a left - sided ear advantage . He estimates ( using parameters derived from the brain damaged population ) that though the probability of left sided speech given a right ear advantage is 97 per cent , the probability of right sided speech given a left ear advantage is only 10 per cent . Hence , in view of the dubious validity of interpreting dichotic and tachistoscopic asymmetry in terms of left and right hemisphere speech dominance , recourse must be made to estimates based on samples of brain damaged patients , but here , too , problems arise . These are ably discussed by Levy ( 1974a ) . Hemisphere dominance for speech can be inferred from either the presence or absence of aphasia following a unilateral cerebral lesion .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: yes)
It took a little time , and without the guidance she would never have found it in a million years . The country was green and flat and featureless as they got nearer Hackballs Cross , with high hedges and few signs of human habitation . Rory made left and right turns in quick succession , seemed to go back on himself , seemed at times to be driving blind . Jessica followed closely , watching the stop - lights and the curly hair she caught from time to time around the head restraint on his front seat . The concentration calmed her , soothed the worries that had surfaced on the drive from Belfast to the border .
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh no er er that 's the secret of er that was . Oh yeah , oh , h have a good look . Foggy mornings , you used to gallop them in the fog , the best , gallop horses in the fog . See say you do n't gon na gallop five fur you did n't gallop five furlongs , well , they might think you 're gon na finish five , you only galloped 'em four . See pulled up .
Idiom: teething troubles (used idiomatically: yes)
Network SouthEast provided its four showpiece routes north of London with new rolling stock , Bedford - St Pancras , King 's Cross - Cambridge/ Peterborough , Liverpool Street - Cambridge , and Euston - Northampton . First was the newly energised Bedford - St Pancras route which was the first home of forty - eight four - car Class 317s . They entered traffic in 1982 after a series of teething troubles , and union resistance to one - man operation . Their stay was brief however . The integration of the Bed - Pan service with Thameslink operation from 1988 onwards , allowed dual voltage use of the similar , brand - new Class 319 units , dispatch of the 317s to the Great Northern and London Midland , and closure of the recently modernised Cricklewood maintenance depot into the bargain .
Idiom: lay a finger on (used idiomatically: yes)
' However , I can see that I 'm in a no - win situation . Although how the two of us sharing a bed is going to make the twins more happy and contented is quite beyond me , ' she muttered grimly , adding quickly as he took a threatening step towards her , ' OK — OK , I 'll go along with this mad charade . But if you lay one finger on me I 'll … I 'll … ' ' You 'll what ? ' he drawled sardonically , before putting down his glass and carrying their suitcases through into the bedroom .