Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
All we have is a process of trial and error which , essentially , consists in seeing how well a particular indicator correlates with other indicators of the same concept and with other indicators of concepts presumed to be related in some causal connection . This process of refinement within and across studies will , it is argued , slowly build up our confidence that the indicators which work are measuring something , some phenomenon , that our concepts point to . This is never once and for all , but slowly and more or less surely . The refinement of concepts and the steady march of trial and error depends upon not only thinking up good indicators for our concepts , but also on measuring them appropriately . Measurement is , in many ways , the point of variable analysis and is its inferential backbone .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's no profit in it Claire . There 's no money in it for me . And if there 's no money in it for me I 'm not gon na give priority to going picking up a piece of wood for a customer . That 's not a very Christian attitude . Get off !
Idiom: see stars (used idiomatically: yes)
Suddenly she 'd forgotten the darkness , suddenly she was only twenty - one . They held each other tight , so tight that it took their breath away , zipped together into one being . ‘ I see stars,’ she whispered into his ear , clutching him tightly , her eyes shut , all - seeing in the darkness , understanding earth and time and life and what it is in the moment 's joy . ‘ I see flashes of light . God , I love you.’
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: no)
BLACK & DECKER 575E CUT SAW Black & Decker has introduced the Cut Saw on the d - i - y market . Previously only available in the Professional range , this multi - purpose variable - speed power saw , rated at 710 watts , does the same job as a range of hand saws : it will cut through hard or soft wood , fibre- and plasterboard , plastics and metals ( ferrous and non - ferrous ) , cutting through timbers or across boards with accuracy and ease . Working on the same principle as a jigsaw , but with the reciprocating blade in line with the saw body , it 's used in the same position as a hand saw , but held with both hands . One hand on the pistol grip handle controls the variable - speed trigger and lock - on power button , the other grips the saw around its insulated rubber ' boot ' .
Idiom: fly in the face of (used idiomatically: yes)
According to the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer , Britain has the world 's highest death rate from this terrible disease which kills 15,000 women a year . Drive these killers off Britain 's roads ONCE again we 've had to witness the horrifying sight of Christmas carnage on the roads because a few stupid people fly in the face of common sense and drive like lunatics whatever the conditions . My sympathy goes to all those who have lost loved ones in motorway smashes over the holiday season , but the emotion I feel most is anger . It really seems as if some drivers fall prey to a death wish when freezing fog descends .
Idiom: sell your soul (used idiomatically: yes)
Research is currently being carried out into cravings — why they start , what they mean and how to control them — and we can gain some reassurance and help from what has been learned so far . Yearnings are as individual as yearners themselves , but nearly all are for foods which are high in sugar , salt or fat . When was the last time you would have sold your soul for a stick of celery ? ‘ People just do n't crave vegetables or a slice of wholegrain bread,’ says nutrition expert Audrey Cross . This has been supported by tests : when a group of subjects was shown pictures of chocolate cake , they salivated ; pictures of broccoli , however , had no effect at all .
Idiom: breathe down someone's neck (used idiomatically: yes)
Only about half a minute of the first half remaining and er certainly Whitlow has hardly put a foot wrong at the back for Leicester so far . Played at left back and centre back this season Mike Whitlow . Here 's Jochim He needs a bit of help here Cooper breathing down his neck . Did well . Agnew turned in towards Speedy Pearce gets it clear .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
If your balance is correct , dramatic passing shots hit on the run become possible , followed by quick recovery while still in a balanced position . It begins with the ready position . Knees should be flexed comfortably , the racquet pointing towards your opponent , weight on the balls of the feet , and the body bent slightly forwards at the waist . You should feel your centre of gravity to be located down through the hips . In the same way , when running for a shot , try to keep your centre of gravity under control .
Idiom: go downhill (used idiomatically: yes)
For the first 1/4 hour or so , I even thought that Deano was going to have a blinder . He was looking really sharp , and winning everything in the air . But then it all went rapidly downhill . A few long - range efforts , but nothing to write home about . Someone else might remember more of the details — personaly , I was bored to death .
Idiom: long in the tooth (used idiomatically: yes)
I do n't believe you ever did . She 's a mouse . She 's also getting long in the tooth and she 's subject to migraine . ( Abberley puts his hand to his head for a second . ) ABBERLEY : I 'm the better judge .
Idiom: under the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
It must have been that day or the next , Adam thought , that he or one of them , surely he , had first suggested the commune idea . But not then , not yet . He had brought with him reading that was expected of him during this vacation , works on sociology and on linguistics and some where these two studies converged , but these were not the sort of books one much wanted to read under the hot sun and the influence of wine . Instead he read Hilbert 's books , notably selections from a shelf of classic pornography , not in any way hidden , the books not concealed under plain covers , but there on display for anyone to find . Adam rather admired his great - uncle for this .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
Barmy . Out of its tree . Round the bend , out to lunch . You know.’ ‘ Well,’ the Doctor 's brow furrowed , ‘ let 's just say that Pool is a little out of touch .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: no)
" No . You are . " And she went forward as if some irresistible force , slowly gathering behind her back , had suddenly erupted and hurled her against him . His body had been expecting her . " Come to me , Cara . "
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: yes)
For this he received a two - match ban . The latest row over the video nasty brought condemnation from Sam Hammam , the Dons chairman , and Players ' Union chief Gordon Taylor , who was ‘ appalled’ . And FA official David Bloomfield confirmed that Jones is back in the dock saying : ‘ Vinny Jones has been charged with misconduct , more specifically bringing the game into disrepute . He has 14 days to reply to the charges and request a personal hearing.’ Jones , fined £ 500 after making obscene gestures to QPR players in April 1989 , was twice charged by the FA last season .
Idiom: change hands (used idiomatically: yes)
Before the HCA deal was announced , Bupa had bought several smaller private hospitals . The other big hospital operator in Britain is AMI Healthcare , an offshoot of American Medical International . Two - thirds of AMI Healthcare was put up for auction this week after the company 's Los Angeles parent changed hands . Mercury starts to reap profits . By Tony May *
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: no)
However , further platelets aggregate to the platelet monolayer when an aggregation agent is added and an accretion of platelets occurs between the two electrodes . This resulting increase in impedance between the electrodes may be observed on a pen recorder . This may be a more physiological approach to the study of platelet aggregation as platelets are studied immediately after blood sampling in the presence of red cells , white cells and the heavier platelets that are removed by the centrifugation step in techniques using platelet-rich plasma . These cells may be important modulators of platelet function in vivo through their ability to take up adenine nucleotides and synthesize and release regulatory prostaglandins ( Roos & Pfleger , 1972 ; Blackwell et al , 1978 ) . In addition , important regulators of platelet function , such as prostacyclin and cyclic AMP , may have been degraded to inactive products during the time taken to prepare platelet-rich plasma .
Idiom: have words (used idiomatically: no)
You 've met Tom Arnold , he 's an old friend . So is Jeffrey Archer . ' ' Will you have a word with them ? ' ' I 'll do what I can . Most of our women in the House are frightful old bats .
Idiom: bring the house down (used idiomatically: yes)
His only concern was quite what officials will make of his wound when he appears as a witness at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today . Some of the brightest moments in the game stemmed from forwards and backs in blissful unison , fully exercising the courageous Welsh defensive repertoire : Derek Stark , one felt , might have done rather better with his chance in the second minute , created by Peter Wright 's lineout tidy , midfield linkage and Gavin Hastings ' incision . Evans made the saving tackle , just as he did when Tony Stanger , having barn - stormed out of Wayne Proctor 's tackle , threatened to bring the house down in a move created by Craig Chalmers ' adroit collection of Mike Rayer 's kick , the irrepressible Armstrong arcing out of harm 's way on a touchline blast and the thumping support of Cronin and Kenny Milne ( one tighthead to the good ) . Stanger also quite magnificently clawed down Proctor after he had been uncorked in his own 22 by the largely negative Neil Jenkins ( who had two goal - kicking failures ) , Rayer and Ricky Evans having capitalised on a Scottish attack short - circuiting . Andy Reed 's lineout provision had created that chance and the Bath lock could prove a real dark horse for the Lions given his sterling deeds at restarts , a superb chopping of Mike Hall , a dive pass from a ruck and his arrival in the burn - out of Gavin Hastings ' break which required more last - gasp heroics , this time from Stuart Davies , to prevent a try .
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
Basically , the tradition has been for financial landowners to pursue the investment route by building shopping centres as a long - term project , e.g. the Coal Industry Pension fund in North Shields . However , entrepreneurial developers have adopted a production route at least in part . Thus Cameron Hall Developments , who built the Gates head Metro Centre , seem to have done so on borrowed money and to have sold out to the Church Commissioners , although they remain in charge of operations . This means that both production and investment accumulation is involved . No development on former industrial land in North Shields is yet this far along , but possibilities exist and intentions have been declared .
Idiom: easy on the eye (used idiomatically: yes)
Both the sill and the luggage area are completely trimmed to avoid scratches or other damage when carrying awkwardly shaped objects . Attractive Fascia — The soft - look dashboard design uses fluid , rounded shapes to complement the form of the interior and two - tone finishing to blend in with the Clio 's light and spacious driving environment . Considerable attention was given to selecting a range of fabrics and moulding textures that were both easy - on - the - eye and in harmony with each other . Effective Heating — The Clio is equipped with an airmix heating and ventilation system so that the heating matrix is hot at all times for immediate response when required . Because the airflow is controlled by a 3-speed fan , the heating and ventilation is not dependent on the ‘ ram effect’ .
Idiom: against the grain (used idiomatically: yes)
If someone is critically ill , what well - disposed person will choose the moment to tell him that his business has crashed and his wife has gone off with another man ? There is some danger that founding an ethic in ‘ Be aware’ may encourage ruinous excesses of truth - telling like the events in Ibsen 's Wild duck . However , a consequence of so extending the scope of the imperative is that it becomes relevant only to the logic of value judgments , and has no direct bearing on how far a creature adapted to heed only what pleases it can push towards awareness against the grain of organic functioning . Our choice of ‘ aware’ , as a philosophically uncorrupted word which can help us to approach philosophical problems from a different angle , does have something to do with its recent currency in the valuations of ordinary discourse , as when someone is said to apply abstract principles without being aware of other people as persons , or to have lost by too exclusive concentration on the uses of things awareness of the colours of dawn and the scent of the flowers . But having turned awareness into the universal test of value we can not , as perhaps would most habitual users of the word , take the side of perceptual and emotional awareness against the abstractions of philosophy and science .
Idiom: rock bottom (used idiomatically: yes)
The price - stability mandate has been trumped by concerns about growth . The fear is that tightening monetary policy to bear down on inflation could snuff out the faltering economic recovery . So not only has the MPC kept interest rates at a rock - bottom 0.5 % since 2009 , but policy has been loosened further by the Bank of England 's so - called " quantitative easing " – that is , expanding the monetary base by the stroke of a pen in the hope of reinvigorating domestic credit markets . But the United ~ Kingdom is now faced with the worst outcome : stagflation . The economy is incurring the inflationary costs of the Bank 's policy while missing out on the intended benefit of growth .
Idiom: by the back door (used idiomatically: yes)
All due , of course , to the fact that she had bested Travis McKenna . Yet she was n't about to take any chances . She would leave by the back door and pick up a taxi several blocks away . As she stood up she caught sight of her reflection in the fly - spotted mirror . She had dressed for comfort , knowing the travelling conditions would be fairly primitive .
Idiom: steal the show (used idiomatically: yes)
Busacher was suddenly blinded by tears . It was the old Therese , the happy , extrovert Therese , the golden girl who had lit up the stage of the Volksoper . Of course , she still was n't as good as Gesner , she did n't steal the show from him by any means . She was uncertain in some places , still finding her way , upstaged by him whenever they were on together , but the rippling golden voice never faltered , and in the Varasdin duet with Freddi she took flight again , gave the whole scene a sense of gaiety and even kept Freddi on key for once . ‘ I 'll be all right by the time we come to Luxembourg next week,’ she said confidently to Franz and Willi at supper that night .
Idiom: free rein (used idiomatically: yes)
I intended to stay longer than their short breakfast stop — because this is the town of David Thomson , who spent part of his childhood here ; his late adolescence and young manhood in Ireland ; his maturity as a writer and BBC radio producer . The fascination of writing is the attempt to render personal experience into objective beauty and understanding , how to take the fleeting run of life and suspend it , turn it to something tangible , capable of being perused , of being learnt from by others , beginning with the passionate subjective , ending in the dispassionate objective . Discovering Johnson raises the issue of whether this is best done in fiction , where the imagination would seem to have freer rein , or in non - fiction , a more finite , circumscribed form . In Samuel Johnson and David Thomson , Nairn created a happy conjunction of two men who turned the factual stuff of their lives into beauty : not by great timeless plot , nor by intricate , archetypal and immortally - spoken characterisation , as Shakespeare did , but by felicity of spirit and language . Thomson , born in India in 1914 , had Scottish parents , and until 1929 spent fourteen years of summer holidays and many other times in his grandmother 's family home , Newton , now a hotel , on the edge of Nairn .
Idiom: come to think of it (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Why should you be worrying?’ ‘ She 's my friend,’ said Constance , who was no longer really lying . Now she came to think of it , she was a bit worried about Scarlet . ‘ She 's like a trapped animal , and she upsets me . You want to pick her up and run with her and put her safe in the loft with the apples .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
uptake Since the programme started there has been a steady refusal rate of 5–6 % ( fig 1 ) . One problem which proved far greater than anticipated was where no option was marked on the screening card . This was in excess of 10 % for the first few months and was over 20 % in some parts of Wales . As testing was done on the basis of parental choice these infants would not be screened .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: yes)
The basic principle behind all the various systems is that of the x , y co - ordinate . Just as a graph can be plotted by defining the co - ordinates through which the line must pass so any shape can be broken down into a series of co - ordinates . To be able to join these co - ordinates together in order to recreate the shape there must be some form of movement and so the pen is fixed to a travelling gantry that can move in the × axis ( left and right ) while the pen moves along the gantry in the y axis ( up and down ) . The traditional type of plotter is known as a ‘ flat bed’ plotter because the paper is fixed to a flat plate with the gantry travelling over the top but the disadvantage is that the plotter must be at least as big as the piece of paper . The mechanism that captured the attention of the micro industry when it first appeared in the Sharp CE-150 printer was the four pen printer / plotter .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: yes)
Let me explain by going back to the end of the inflationary 1970s , when President Jimmy ~ Carter appointed Paul Volcker to lead the Fed . In order to prevent pathological inflationary dynamics from becoming embedded even more deeply in the structure of the economy ( including through wage indexation ) , Volcker dramatically changed the policy stance and made inflation public enemy number ~ one . The equivalent of today ’s policy rate rose to 22 % as he launched a bold anti - inflationary crusade , accepting significant upfront costs for gains down the road . This “ Volcker moment ” was , as students of economic history know , the catalyst not only for “ winning the war against inflation , ” but also for a multi - decade shift in conventional wisdom about central banking . Most important , inflation targeting and independence from the fiscal authorities became core features of mainstream policy – a requirement for any country seeking the macroeconomic stability deemed crucial for sustained economic growth and high rates of job creation .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
Er er it was where break even points were . And what level of attendance was required to actually break even on a performance . And I do n't wish to know if we 've failed to break even on one occasion or whatever but the thing is how often are we failing to break even . And looking at that in relation to cultural policy . Now is there a connection or is n't there a connection ?
Idiom: the die is cast (used idiomatically: yes)
Often the height and fast bipedalism of the carnosaurs enabled them to tower over the extremely well - protected horned ceratopsians , and simply seize them from above with a powerfully armed mouth . Nevertheless , a combination of structural and morphological modifications , including growing yet bigger and rearing up , mammal - like , to reach higher growing leaves , were great evolutionary advances , integrating important ecological changes . The die was cast for great species longevity . Indeed , the vastness of the vegetation enabled the plant - eaters to expand , both irradiationally and physically , so that the meat - eaters were seldom deprived . By focusing on the herbivores and their relationship to changing plant life , we can gain a better idea of what happened next to the dinosaurs .
Idiom: neck and neck (used idiomatically: yes)
CONCEDE I the bottom of the table battle , Abbeydale Park , Sheffield were forced to concede maximum eight victory points to opponents Corby . ' Neck and neck ' in Area 4 of this national event are Clearview , Brentwood and Puma , Welwyn . Brentwood enjoyed a hard - fought home win over third - placed Batchwood , St Albans , whilst the Welwyn leaders collected eight points effortlessly , as their opponents Harpenden were forced to concede the tie . EMPHATIC
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
The regulation of takeover offers Statutory and other regulations Takeover offers are regulated primarily by the City Code but are also affected by the Yellow Book ( where the acquirer or the target company is listed on the London Stock Exchange ) the CA 1985 and the FSA . The relevant provisions of the Companies Act include : ( a ) the compulsory acquisition procedures ( ss428 - 430 ) ;
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
A shy and unpretentious woman , she was dominated by her husband , who expected her to organise his home life , act as his hostess , show a picture of domestic bliss to his constituency , listen to him rehearse his speeches , endure his frequent absences , cope with the bruised feelings of those he had insulted and be prepared to be woken up in the middle of the night to hear his account of his part in great events : ' Wake up and listen , what I 'm telling you is history ! ' Mr Paterson is at his best in conveying the feelings of those Brown tormented ; but oddly , given his professed admiration for his subject , he is less good at capturing the qualities that made this former fur salesman and trade - union official the deputy leader of his party and a powerful cabinet minister taken seriously even by those who disliked him . In 1963 he fell only 31 votes short of being elected Labour leader ; he might have become prime minister . When not drunk or nursing a grievance , Brown was capable of being a big man , honest , courageous , intelligent , prodigiously hard - working and with an unclouded view of Britain 's proper place in a changing world . The author 's failure to capture Brown 's dynamism probably owes something to his apparent lack of interest in the substance of issues .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
see that er paragraph three of the statement of claims sets out the history of the transaction a and pleads the relevant facts . The meeting of the seventeenth of September at the defendants offices is admitted by the defendant erm , but there is no admission as to what was said at the meeting . Er the er facts set out in that paragraph are admitted by the defendant er in relation to that letter . The matters obviously moved fairly rapidly because the parties were then almost ready to exchange contracts . So my Lord on the twenty sixth of September , a Thursday , contracts were exchanged er and that completion date was then fixed at the eighteen of October and those facts are admitted , there is no dispute about those .