Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: slippery slope (used idiomatically: yes)
MOVING TARGETS ? That 's the sort of thing we like to hear — NOT ! A Microsoft Corp staffer is reported to have told Sun Microsystems Inc that Microsoft would make Windows such a moving target that Sun , with its WABI Windows Application Binary Interface , could not keep up ( CI No 2,147 ) : if the tale is true and Microsoft means it , it means that the company has learned a little too well from its long cohabitation with IBM , and that the seeds of its own destruction are now being sown — for years , IBM added features and tweaked its mainframes with no thought of improving them from the user 's point of view , but simply to trip up competitors , and once a dominant company starts resorting to such tactics , it fatally injures the regard with which it is held by the outside world , and is embarking on the slippery slope that leads to the debacle IBM finds itself in today . SANDERSON SPONSORSHIP PAYS OFF It 's not often that sponsorship pays off so handsomely , and Pick - popper Sanderson Electronics Plc must be feeling pretty pleased with itself , getting to both cup finals : its local team , Sheffield Wednesday , whose players bear the Sanderson name on their breasts , will be contesting the League Cup this weekend and the FA Cup in May — against Arsenal on both occasions .
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
Not so much for the platform speakers , who have arrived , but for some of the floor speakers , who have n't and would like to . I refer to would - be parliamentary candidates , Bordes - type aspirants with lunging bosoms and other improbable specimens , who seek to board the Candidates ' List , and in due course may turn up before our selection committees . These types hang around the Great in the hope of getting them to pull a string . WE agents are Shepherds of the Faithful — the 5,000 or 6,000 who fill the hall , averaging a dozen per constituency . We book them into the Seaview and the Esplanade and give them a comradely nosh - up at the Claremont .
Idiom: force someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
Portuguese subsidies to the state - owned petrochemical company Companhia Nacional de Petroquimica ( CNP ) have been condemned by the EC Commission . The Commission says that the government 's practice of propping up the company by waiving interest payments due on CNP 's debts of ECU 1410 m ( £ 987 m ) — owed mainly to the state — serves to promote artificial preservation of the status quo , and to ' postpone necessary adjustments ' . Brussels concedes that government pressure for payment might force CNP into receivership , but has nevertheless launched legal proceedings which may have the effect of forcing the government 's hand . The Commission 's findings came after a 30-month investigation , originally prompted by a Lisbon plan to offer state subsidies of ECU 170 m ( £ 119 m ) to ease the privatisation of a CNP subsidiary , Portugal 's sole polymer producer Empresa de Poliméros de Sines ( EPSI ) . When CNP started trading in 1981 , it was initially planned to set up 12 downstream units using CNP 's cracked products , but in the event only one , EPSI , was created .
Idiom: go spare (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's the radio station . Christian 's away to the caravan this week . And he 's so excited he 's going spare . Jackie said he 's been up for seven o'clock . He came in to get his bag .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: no)
If the patient is left on insulin following discharge from hospital the question of continuing insulin therapy can be reviewed in the diabetic clinic . Clearly it is important to review all these patients after discharge from hospital and decide their long-term management . A minority of patients will run a very stormy course after admission with myocardial infarction complicated perhaps by arrhythmias , severe heart failure and reinfarction . They will be maximally stressed and probably able to take little orally due to vomiting and/or impaired gastrointestinal absorption . Under these circumstances an intravenous infusion of insulin provides a very convenient and reliable method for managing the diabetes .
Idiom: step on someone's toes (used idiomatically: no)
Despite strict rhythm and exact phrasing , the music was daringly frivolous in tone and quality because it was meant to entertain a popular audience . In following Stravinsky 's guidelines , Ashton found many new , sometimes frivolous , ways of performing class-room steps . The corps de ballet neglect the turn-out and step forwards sur les pointes , raising the working knee and resting the toe on the calf of the other leg , before moving forwards . They travel forwards instead of en place in échappé relevés after breaking the rule that the arms never cross the centre line of the body and are always ( except in arabesque ) rounded . If Ashton 's Scènes de Ballet is compared with Balanchine 's Ballet Imperial , it will be seen that Balanchine rarely breaks away from the classical technique as practised in petipa 's day when Tchaikovsky wrote the music .
Idiom: grasp the nettle (used idiomatically: yes)
We must ensure that the T U C tr er , programme remains , otherwise the cost to our union funds will be astronomic . Therefore , we 've got to review the training programme . We 've got to grasp the nettle . Yes , there 's going to be pain , but it 's our future , what is at stake , when we talk about the education training of the activists within this organization . I call for , therefore for the C E C to bring back to Conference next year , a full report on how training should be given to the education and maintaining the activists of this union .
Idiom: tried and true (used idiomatically: yes)
Apparently people are even going back to the fifties contraceptives ! Supposed to be that this whole you know , Ronald Reagan , Swing - to - the - Right , Fun - Fashion , Fifties thing disny stop at the glitter - sox the roll - ons and the lurex ! It says people were turning again to the old tried and true spices of Guilt and Feeling Dirty and Furtiveness And Stuff in a frantic attempt to resurrect the whole sad affair . My boyfriend says that ladies like me huv been just too liberated for our own good . Just you mark my words , he says , the Worm Will Turn .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
She was in no hurry , and had made no plans to meet Rosie , since Francisco had come on the scene . She did n't mind talking to the doctor for a few minutes , if that was what he wanted . He was wearing light trousers today , and a light blue polo shirt that hugged his figure , revealing the muscles of his torso in precise detail . Shelley had to admit that he was a fine example of good health , with a light supple walk , bright clear eyes , a thrusting lean jaw and chin , and not an ounce of fat to spoil the contours of that shirt . Tonight for the first time she saw him as an attractive young man rather than as a boss .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: yes)
Middlesbrough manager Lennie Lawrence said : ‘ Scotland do n't have anyone to fill a wide left - sided midfield role . ‘ Roxburgh was all set to watch Falconer before his knee injury last September . He is keen to pick up the pieces again . ‘ A problem for Falconer is that he is just on the way back . He has had three tough games but is still short on match fitness .
Idiom: at a pinch (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah fine erm but as I say it 's just sort of you know kind of minor layout changes , that 's all I was suggesting Yeah . so you know at a pinch you could probably run it like that and I do n't suppose anybody would notice the difference but , you know , just in terms of you know making things look attractive Right . erm so you know but you may find if you give , print off a few and give them to a few people over the weekend
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
The European electrotechnical standards committee , CENELEC , is responsible for harmonising existing product standards and developing new ones . Where no appropriate product standard exists , generic standards are available which relate to the environment where the equipment will be used . Most of these standards describe limits on the levels of emissions or immunity across the frequency range . They outline test methods which may be used to ascertain whether equipment meets those limits . While there is no legal requirement actually to carry out those test , it is clearly a good way of ensuring that products comply .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: yes)
However , if they are attracted to The Wedding Present because of their stark honesty , they must accept opinions contrary to their own emanating from the group , and at the same time , the band must not become contemptuous . The songs on their first two singles were repackaged on a 12-inch EP called ' Do n't Try To Stop Me Mother ' . Many fans missed out on the limited runs of the seven - inch versions and the 12-inch was also more suited for export . The group 's first trip to Maida Vale on behalf of the John Peel programme was in February 1986/ They recorded four songs including a heady version of ' Felicity ' . Gedge joked to music writers that he had accidentally played the original Orange Juice song at the wrong speed and thought it sounded great .
Idiom: on the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
Choose heavy , stable furniture which ca n't be pulled over easily . 4 Do n't keep toys on high shelves where children may be tempted to climb up to reach them . IN THE BATHROOM 1
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
Lieutenant Margraff estimated it to be 112 feet from base to crest . The vessel survived . Bigger waves undoubtedly occur , but those who witness them do not return to tell the tale . Flying saucers and kidnapping aliens have been postulated to explain the disappearance of whole vessels , supposedly spirited off to distant stars . And giant waves are indeed like alien presences , as big as the Death Star , erasing ships and sailors as effectively as Martian ray guns .
Idiom: sitting duck (used idiomatically: yes)
He added , however , that hardware sales revenue this year would be fairly static as lower prices offset higher volume . Bull 's micro business , namely Zenith Data Systems , came under heavy fire from French journalists at the conference for being a loss leader in a market where making money has become more and more difficult . An insider at Zenith noted that the company ‘ is really a sitting duck target , with highly visible personal computer products in a relentless price war , which is also an acquired division with a different brand name that is not French.’ In 1991 , Zenith recorded a net loss equivalent to $ 290 m at the current rate of exchange , or over half of Bull 's total net loss of $ 589 m . Despite Zenith continuing to represent an unspecified percentage of Bull 's losses for 1992 , Pache would not commit to any drastic changes in that area .
Idiom: keep a low profile (used idiomatically: no)
Outside Formula One , you have a huge sport all over the world , particularly outside Europe , really just beginning in many countries . ‘ My primary task is going to be trying to make that work , improve it and lift the level in various countries . I will try to take a broad role , eliminate controversy and keep a low profile.’ By the year end , he was back again in Paris . It was the annual prize - giving and dinner for FISA and the Federation International Automobile ( FIA ) , a glittering assembly at the Place de la Concorde .
Idiom: think the world of (used idiomatically: yes)
But me , I 'm used to it . My father talked a lot about God … I thought the world of my father . I could do with having him here right now.’ Somebody was with me .
Idiom: take the wind out of someone's sails (used idiomatically: yes)
One of the few works in colour is York 's very own Christ Stilleth the Tempest ( 1852 ) , while the rest of the show is a selection of some 104 out of 156 etchings and mezzotints . After a brace of Classical Landscapes , there is a sequence of etchings done for Martin 's first commercial publication The Character of Trees ( 1817 ) and a portrait of Sezincot House in the Stour Valley . The huge and justifiably famous Belshazzar 's Feast seen in all its various states from 1821 through 1824 and 1826 and beyond together with Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still ( 1826/7 ) , The Fall of Nineveh ( 1829/30 ) , and The Fall of Babylon ( 1831 ) are powerful enough to take the wind out of anybody 's sails . All these fit neatly within Richard Green 's telling description of ' Old Testament scenes of cataclysmic destruction , with their fantastic architectural settings and tiny figures pitted against the elements ' . Whether Martin ever went to the lengths of Turner in inviting a practising architect to check his buildings for stylistic accuracy is not recorded .
Idiom: at loggerheads (used idiomatically: yes)
The eastern marches were seen as a means by which internal German social and economic pressure could be relieved , where economic expansion was far more feasible than competition with France and Britain . The Jews of Poland in particular were to absorb the shock of the German economic drive to the east since it was often conducted by emancipated German Jews — and this in turn fostered Polish anti - Semitism . That the Polish Jews were socially , politically and economically quite distinct from German Jews only made the business easier , since the two groups were at loggerheads with each other . Increasing pressure on the Poles to Germanise themselves , and the corresponding Polish reaction in both compliance and defiance , were all part of the impact of capitalist industrial organisation as it spread from the first comers of Western Europe , to the second rank of industrialising nations — to Germany , Japan and Italy in particular— and through them to their potential empires and marcher territories . Industrialisation , the foundation of the German state and the growth of national identity were all closely linked .
Idiom: born and bred (used idiomatically: yes)
Despite holding the seat only last May with a 70pc majority , Labour are running scared that they will now lose their last remaining stronghold in Wear Valley . For years Labour leader John Richardson has condemned newcomers to the area ( he calls them immigrants ) . Now Labour 's Willington candidate is a newcomer , while Liberal Democrat Dorothy Allan is Willington - born and bred . My remark about Coun Richardson losing his grip was a genuine comment of political reality and echoes what many Labour people themselves are saying privately . As for Coun Richardson 's ‘ leadership’(HAS February 2 ) , it has been a financial disaster for Wear Valley poll tax Coun Chris Foote Wood , leader , Wear Valley Liberal Democrats , .
Idiom: ten a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
' Which guys ? ' ' I have two guys guarding him . ' I stand clutching the receiver while he lets out a sigh so long I have to feed another ten pence into the meter . When the pips stop he still does n't say anything . So I break the silence : ' I 'll go sort it out .
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: yes)
The carefully prepared catalogue contains detailed notes on each work , a piece by the artist himself , some contemporary criticism , and memoirs written by De Staël 's wife Françoise , his daughter Anne , and Braque 's assistant , Mariette Lachaud , who was a great friend of the artist . ‘ Nicolas de Staël priorité peinture’ runs until 25 July . Private dealers in the States go public NEW YORK . In June the Private Art Dealers Association of America published its first directory of members .
Idiom: get a grip (used idiomatically: no)
We all , of course , would like to go Skye diving . WIN THE SUPER SUMMERSLAM ‘ 92 VIDEO Get to grips with the mightiest prizes SIGNED BY THE KINGS OF THE RING NOW you can see the fearsome fighters of the WWF in your own home — if you 're brave enough to let in a muscular gang of mighty strong men .
Idiom: feel the pinch (used idiomatically: yes)
NICK MAYS The National Labrador Welfare Centre was started by the efforts of one lady and is run from her own home ; but decreasing resources could mean the end of this rescue success story , now in desperate need of your help Everybody feels the financial pinch during times of recession and , sadly , charities of all descriptions are no exception . Many animal charities have reported an average 25 per cent fall in donations during the past year , and despite upbeat predictions for economic recovery this year , the future looks increasingly bleak for charities . I 'm sure , then , that readers of Dogs Today will be as concerned as I am that a well respected and successful breed rescue charity looks set to collapse this year , unless they receive real help — financial and physical — immediately .
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
Kinnock reshuffle brings back Clare Short and puts more women into traditional male jobs Boateng first black to join a front bench . By Patrick Wintour THE Labour leader , Mr Neil Kinnock , made history yesterday when he appointed Mr Paul Boateng to his front bench Treasury team , the first black MP to be given a front bench post in Parliament . Mr Boateng 's appointment was part of a reshuffle announced late last night by Mr Kinnock of his middle and junior ranking front bench spokesmen following the Shadow Cabinet elections last week . Mr Kinnock also sprang a surprise by restoring Ms Clare Short to the front bench less than a year after she resigned as spokeswoman on Employment in an acrimonious row with Mr Kinnock over the party 's stance on the Prevention of Terrorism Act .
Idiom: beat about the bush (used idiomatically: yes)
The lads just have n't been doing the business over the last 2 or 3 games though have they ? The back 4/5 will have to be as solid as they have looked in recent games . The midfield 3/4 , presumably including Macca & Strach , will have to get their act together , and lets not beat about the bush , ‘ drop the dead f*****g donkey’ and play Wallace and Forrester up front . I agree with you about Battyburn . Shearer is some talent , but Newell & Gallagher are no slouches .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: no)
Mr Taylor , who has two children , Patrick , 24 , and Jennifer , 21 , spends part of his retirement as a voluntary Justice of the Peace . He said : ' I undertook work as a Justice of the Peace because I think I have a highly developed sense of fair play . I like to see the right thing being done . In my own case no one can be expected to remember every fine detail of matters they have undertaken . It angers me that an insurance company attempted to kick us in the teeth when all we were trying to do was protect ourselves . '
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: yes)
A Gyroflo oven with Ticene linings and twin oven lights . A sealed hotplate with concealed ignition and an automatic oven timer with the time of day clock . The Eclipse is exceptionally easy to control , with mains electric ignition , a slow cooking facility , a plate warmer ( in the grill area ) and an oven timer which you can pre - set to switch the oven on and off at times convenient to you ( perhaps while you 're busy entertaining guests before the meal ) . Of course , the Sola grill and Gyroflo oven themselves are inherently more controllable , too . Which adds up to the Eclipse doing things your way , not vice versa .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
When everything was ready and Rosemary was later than usual , Leith could stand Travis 's anxious glances at the door no longer . ' I 'll just go and see what 's holding Rosemary up , ' she said , and went across the corridor to Rosemary 's flat . She rang the bell , and waited . It took Rosemary about a minute to answer the door , but , as all the flats in the building were of the same layout , Leith 's ' Ready ? ' query never got said . For over Rosemary 's shoulder she saw at once beyond the short width of the hall and into the sitting - room — and Rosemary was doing some entertaining herself .
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: yes)
The CID are now waiting to interview him.’ The man who is said to be in his 40s and local was taken to the specialist burns unit at Whiston Hospital but his condition is not known . Aussie ace in the clear MICHAEL BRIAL has moved from a likely Wallaby tour drop - out to a possible starter for Saturday 's game against Wales B in Cardiff . The flanker underwent a series of tests at Cardiff Royal Infirmary which showed there was no cartilage damage to the knee which has twice ‘ locked’ during training and again while swimming .
Idiom: for the hell of it (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ True . But why the murders ? Even Fouché does n't order people killed just for the hell of it.’ ‘ Ah , there you have me . It 's possible that Fedorov may have exceeded his authority : I forgot to mention that he 's a madman , though he succeeds in disguising it most of the time .
Idiom: high and mighty (used idiomatically: no)
She 's beginning to think herself far too grand for us . The Honourable Miss Trevelyan ! When they were swanning around looking pretty , our families were working their fingers to the bone for virtually nothing and now Miss High - and - Mighty thinks we should admire them . Poor Will would turn in his grave ! Anyhow , I think that Hatherby woman has far too much influence on Constance . '
Idiom: spring to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Some people who are not very interested in politics probably have had their fill of elections . But not only will real voters be asked to exercise the franchise on behalf of local councillors next Thursday , the Speakership and the Labour leadership elections have offered MPs a chance to play this most invigorating of democratic games . When one examines the performance of the two latter sets of electors , the words ‘ too clever by half’ spring to mind . True , the way in which the general electorate pulled the wool over the eyes of pollsters , even exit pollsters , suggests sophistication is no long - er the exclusive prerogative of MPs . But Westminster seems to have converted such mind - boggling sophistication into an art - form .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: yes)
We we heard just now from the the County Council , that they have looked at Hambleton 's district wide local plan , looked at the constraints in that back to Hambleton effectively as housing requirement . Rather than establishing at a strategic level housing requirements , so that local plans being formulated can weigh those housing requirements against environmental constraints . Because at the end of the day , it is essential that a balance is struck between meeting housing needs and conserving environment . That can be illustrated by a complete lack of information in front of us on the that that actually applies any consistency to er the the environmental discount applying in different parts of the county . I 'm looking at the helpful assessment provided by Selby in A seven double O four .
Idiom: talk shop (used idiomatically: yes)
They got a wheelchair for John : he was tired . A lot of Mickeys and Goofys recognized John 's condition and were especially kind to him . Andy the Mouse got pretty manic and spent half an hour talking shop with a Mickey . He was overwhelmed with joy . And the halls of plastic America rang with the laughter of heroes .