Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: song and dance (used idiomatically: yes)
And , if you applaud hard enough ( very likely ) there could be a very special encore ! Sikulu The Warrior Sikulu is a terrific musical , packed with song and dance , and bursting with energy and joy . We are immensely proud to be bringing it to the UK for the first time . ( And , yes , we 've seen it ! )
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: no)
Yeah Newark it 's not far . It 's not that far . Cos that 's , we go to Newark then Grantham going down south to me mum 's we go all that way . Well it says Newark on front . I says Scunnie but it 's not Scunnie is it ?
Idiom: sweep the board (used idiomatically: yes)
With 464 delegates out of the total of 1,276 , they are by far the largest bloc . The numbers are important , because the new party 's leadership will be elected from lists submitted by the various factions on an all - or - nothing principle . If the reformists emerge as the largest group , they will sweep the board . In the first vote of the day , they ensured that Central Committee members and regional party secretaries not elected as delegates were allowed to attend the congress only as observers . The confidence displayed by reformers such as Mr Nyers and Imre Pozsgay , who introduced the new party 's programme , was in sharp contrast to the air of resignation in the conservative rows .
Idiom: come a cropper (used idiomatically: yes)
It acts as if it is looking after all our interests in ways too subtle and refined for us to understand . Many British institutions are secretive , but few are quite so patronising about it as the City . Therefore , when it comes a cropper , there is a tendency among the rest of us to enjoy a quiet chortle , even if suspecting that all our wallets will end up lighter as a result . In classic City style , however , the precise dimensions of the cropper remain obscure . Top estimates so far put the cost at £ 450 million ( the Guardian ) and 1,000 jobs ( the Independent ) .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
After a lifetime of distorted thinking , it is not easy to change your prejudices . Peter 's approach is highly instructive . When Peter saw the evidence that the Holy Spirit had come upon the Gentiles , the words of Jesus came to his mind . '' Then I remembered what the Lord had said : ' John baptised with water , but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit . ' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us , who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ , who was I to think that I could oppose God ? ''
Idiom: fun and games (used idiomatically: no)
We 've asked parents , professionals and children for their views Erika Harvey HAVE A SPLASHING TIME Fun and games with water Sonia Leach FUN FOR FREE Kate Taylor
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: no)
For it is clear that she was an extraordinary woman ; only not in the manner of legend . The legend must go — but at the same time we must be careful not to let the queen out with the asses ' milk . When Henry and Eleanor held their Christmas court at Chinon in 1172 whatever tensions there were between them remained hidden from public view . The King , now reconciled to the church and formally absolved from complicity in Becket 's murder , pursued his old path of family politics and territorial expansion . Since 1171 he had been negotiating with Count Humbert of Maurienne .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
The great projects of understanding have now reached such a scale that , in many cases , they are best served by the united efforts of all the world — or at least , of all those who are interested in pursuing them . In many cases , such co - operation is a matter of swapping data arrived at by various different means — pooling knowledge of genes or weather systems , for example . By and large , scientists are pretty good at this . In some cases , though , the co - operation has to be institutional — the instruments of understanding , as well as their products , have to be held in common . Here the challenge is being ducked .
Idiom: in broad daylight (used idiomatically: yes)
I think you 're the woman I 'm looking for , and I 'm not going away until you give me what I want . Now do you come quietly or do I use force ? ' ' In broad daylight ? Do n't push your luck , ' she said , her words ending in a wail as he picked her up and dumped her in the car like an unwieldy parcel . He moved so rapidly that by the time she had recovered enough to scream they were driving towards her flat .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
The Truth About Sovereignty CAMBRIDGE – In the French parliament ’s recent debate on Europe ’s new fiscal treaty , the country ’s Socialist government vehemently denied that ratification of the treaty would undermine French sovereignty . It places “ not one constraint on the level of public spending , ” Jean - Marc ~ Ayrault , the prime ~ minister , asserted . “ Budget sovereignty remains in the parliament of the French Republic . ” As Ayrault was trying to reassure his skeptical colleagues , including many members of his own party , European ~ Commissioner for Competition Joaquin ~ Almunia was delivering a similar message to his fellow social democrats in Brussels .
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: yes)
They do n't want to hump gear and things like that,’ says Houghton . Their system of working can lead to extraordinary scenes . Before a concert in Manchester on the ‘ Bizarro’ tour , Gedge was holding court with about six fanzine editors while Solowka sat just outside the circle , counting out huge wads of money from a leather briefcase . Such a scene could only take place in The Wedding Present 's dressing room . On the Ukrainian tour , Houghton thought the band were too fervid about keeping it in the family .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Self - Confidence Self - confidence describes the dog 's ability to act on his own initiative and to face stressful situations without becoming fearful . The term that comes to mind and is much used by Germans in the training clubs is ‘ empty vessels make the most noise’ . In other words , a dog who continually barks and shows fear can never be regarded as a dog with high self - confidence . A dog who has high self - confidence is never worried by strangers or strange stimuli .
Idiom: blood is thicker than water (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 'll ask Seb , but I do n't suppose he 'll be stupid enough to tell me . In fact I expect he 'll be mad I 've told you that much.’ ‘ You remember , blood is thicker than water . I 'll kill you if you do n't let me know what 's going on.’ Nutty was trying to put in her new contact lenses , which she found very difficult .
Idiom: lend a hand (used idiomatically: yes)
They had envisaged a two - month period to put the exhibition together but Central Promotional Services of Leicester , who manage the Centre , offered free exhibition space on 17 August , just ten days after their initial inquiries . Colin takes up the story : ' I was busy making the display cases at home , whilst John made inquiries regarding tables we could use . We both decided that we needed more detector users to help us on the day , so John contacted members of the Shropshire Antiquities Group , who were more than willing to lend a helping hand . Despite the short time available , ideas were formulated quickly into action and an overall package began to emerge . ' My inquiries with the RSPCA Wildlife Division were very fruitful .
Idiom: take it easy (used idiomatically: yes)
But once I saw him lumbering down Ward Street , you know , opposite , and he was here as well , messing around with the television . And the television picture changed , Phil ‘ it changed , it changed , it changed.’ ‘ Lee , take it easy . So a television picture changed at the same time as you saw your ex - lover walking down the road opposite . So what ? ‘
Idiom: hammer and tongs (used idiomatically: yes)
At the wire Sir Ivor had won by three quarters of a length . This had been Sir Ivor at his brilliant best , striking with one deadly burst of speed . But the American press , used to seeing horses flat out from the start and going at it hammer and tongs , were not in tune to the subtleties of Piggott 's unleashing that burst , and the criticism started . Although Joe Nichols in the New York Times wrote that ‘ Lester Piggott rode with the competence that has stamped him as one of the world 's great riders , and brought his mount home in time’ , the Washington Post thought that ‘ there could be fault - finding with Piggott 's tactics in tucking in on the rail and not asking his mount for more of the effort he had in reserve’ . Gerald Strine in the same newspaper was more forthright : for him Piggott ‘ nearly got the best horse beaten’ .
Idiom: rock the boat (used idiomatically: yes)
But trade war fears continued to undermine brewers with Guinness down 6p to 510p . Ratners , seen as a recovery play , gained 2p to 18½p . Water shares , firm for most of the day , lost ground toward the close on fears that today 's Ofwat measures on prices may rock the boat again . Mopping up extra 124 % Liz Dolan
Idiom: give up the ghost (used idiomatically: yes)
Sorry to be a coward , but I do n't want to be left in the dark.’ ‘ Not surprising , under the circumstances . And if the generator gives up the ghost in the night you 've got a torch on the table , and a candle . Or you can holler for me . I wo n't mind.’
Idiom: win the day (used idiomatically: yes)
The election of October 1951 had brought 100 new Conservative MPs into parliament all of whom received the undivided attention of the lobbyists . Many of them also nurtured hopes that a new commercial sector would offset what their flights of fancy saw as the ‘ bolshie’ bias of the BBC . The new Tories talked of being ‘ on the side of the people’ and when , in March 1954 the Television Bill came up for its second reading , they won the day . ‘ Giving the people what they want’ had proved a more potent slogan than traditional Conservative paternalism . A Princeton professor who investigated the campaigns a few years later put it more bitterly : ‘ Cynical pseudo - egalitarianism replaced an older commitment to the maintenance of national standards.’
Idiom: thin as a rake (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's my sister Rose 's birthday on Sunday , if you must know . She likes a box of Black Magic now and then . She 's also as thin as a rake . There 's no justice in this world . ' Bye now .
Idiom: make someone's day (used idiomatically: yes)
By the way , I 'm Harry Russell … ’ She was quite entranced . The tall man looked so bereft at the loss of his luggage , his inability to recall where he was supposed to be staying ; she watched a lot of movies and thought he looked a bit like that gentleman who was always asking people to make his day , but he talked like the man with the funny bird - feather in his hat from ‘ Dallas’ . It never occurred to her not to believe him , or even to ask for identification . Blackwood 's did not normally take guests with neither luggage nor reservation , but losing one 's luggage and forgetting one 's hotel , and because of a British airline …
Idiom: no man's land (used idiomatically: yes)
Iran has opened the gates ofa large canal north - east of Basra . The flooding renders some Iraqi positions on the border untenable but would make the going there impassable for tanks if fighting resumed . In the centre of the front two Iraqi oil wells and a gas well have been burning in no - man 's - land since the last days of the war . Between feasts , UNIIMOG collects dead soldiers . So far , more than 2,000 bodies picked up in the border area have been sent back to their families .
Idiom: joined at the hip (used idiomatically: yes)
She gave a short laugh . ‘ There 's nothing to pry into , Ben . We see each other every now and again , but we are n't joined at the hip like Siamese twins , you know.’ He chuckled . ‘ You ought to try it one day.’
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Do you have any more of your cake you could give him?’ ‘ I do indeed,’ the cook said . She seemed to have learnt her lines by heart . ‘ Then go and get it . And bring a knife to cut it with.’
Idiom: fall by the wayside (used idiomatically: no)
‘ I think the weather took its toll today . It was hotter than the last couple of days and there was a totally different bounce.’ Stich , who defeated compatriot Boris Becker in the quarter - finals and watched as other Wimbledon favourites Pete Sampras , Stefan Edberg and Goran Ivanisevic fell by the wayside , is now the form horse going into Wimbledon . ‘ So quickly’ But he warned : ‘ You do n't want to win this as much as Wimbledon,’ he said .
Idiom: come full circle (used idiomatically: yes)
He watched them rushing through Calais on their way to pay court to Napoleon ( Sonnet : ‘ Is it a reed that 's shaken by the wind ’ ) , and decided , since he regarded the French leader as a despot and a menace to free institutions , that the only course open was to support that party in England which wanted to continue the war , namely the Tories . His patriotism became inflamed ( Poems Dedicated to National Independence and Liberty ) and when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor , he shared the disgust of Beethoven , who tore out the dedication of the Eroica symphony . Wordsworth felt that the wheel had indeed come full circle or rather , to use his own expression , that France was like a ‘ dog / Returning to his vomit’(Prelude 1805 , x , 935 ) . He continued to support the Tories through the very difficult war years , and after 1815 seems to have felt that any popular demonstration or movement towards parliamentary reform would be the prelude to an English Revolution which would , in turn , throw up a ‘ Napoleon’ to tyrannize over the British people . After receiving a government post ( in 1813 ) he seems to have felt bound to repay the debt of obligation by political services , especially at election times .
Idiom: spill the beans (used idiomatically: no)
Revived it at the Edinburgh Festival the following year with Angie Rew replacing Esther Allan who had fallen in love with a Frenchman and gone . We do bits together whenever we get the chance and ( someday ) will do a brand new one . We spilt a few beans and touched the odd ( female ) nerve and laughed off a few fiascos . It seemed odd that taking the ( gentle ) mickey out of women ( i.e. ourselves ) made some men ( not our Real Pals ) feel a bit got at … The subject was Women In Love .
Idiom: give someone the slip (used idiomatically: yes)
I do hope your friend was n't frightened ? The fact is that old Uncle Dan , who lives with me , is a bit queer in the head , and I 'm afraid he talked a lot of nonsense . Mrs Westaway is usually very good at keeping him under control , but he must have given her the slip somehow . He 's perfectly harmless , of course , but he — looks rather strange , and talks wildly at times.’ ‘ But I think he was quite rational last night,’ said Breeze , marvelling at her own coolness .
Idiom: reinvent the wheel (used idiomatically: no)
He was by temperament a true believer , who mistook the process of arriving at his own convictions for the unveiling of the eternal verities . On the eve of his first visit to India Curtis confided to an associate that the great task which lay ahead was ‘ to renovate the soul of the Indian people’ . He spoke with the fervour of discovery , unaware it seems that he was by this date , imperially speaking , reinventing the wheel . He was the kind of man who absorbed ideas unconsciously , made them his own , and pushed them to new limits . In this case he was carrying the task of soul renovation up to an altogether dizzier level of risk and aspiration than had hitherto been attempted .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: yes)
As Kylie jetted around the world from one assignment to the next , Dannii took time out from her own hectic schedule to be with her . For five weeks the sisters zoomed around Europe and on to the States . Dannii said : ‘ I had a ball with Kylie.’ During the trip the pair were able to indulge in their great shared passion — clothes . As a youngster Kylie had proved to be a wizard with a needle — amazing friends by being able to run up an outfit in under two hours .
Idiom: to the nth degree (used idiomatically: yes)
and bikini lines , wax off imaginary hairs and touch their painted toes like gymnasts , perfect to the nth degree of difficulty . Like the history of American cycle riding or the glittering career of a champion racer .
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
The journey back on the four mile journey took 24 minutes against 27 for the outward one , the brakesmen on both bogie trailer cars helping to control the descent . The Government Railway Inspector was generally satisfied with the trials , and public steam runs can now take place for the centenary of the MER next year . Those present on this unique occasion were well aware they were making history in riding a steam train on the electric line , the first time since a steam engine was used on the construction of the line in the last century ! Would members be interested in an organised visit to the Island 's railways in 1993 ? George Hearse .
Idiom: be all ears (used idiomatically: no)
Note work . In The Possessed nobody does any work except Mrs Virginsky . The sky clears in the childbirth sequence because of Shatov 's sublime murmurings about the arrival of a new human being , but also because the midwife has her sleeves rolled up , because she is attacking a difficult and strenuous professional job , organizing essentials , masterminding the whole exercise , scolding Marie Shatov who allowed Shatov to get between her and the family in which she was a governess ‘ with the egotistical object of marrying you , laughing at the distraught husband on his knees unable either to bear the sound or block his ears before the birth ; and when all is tidied up , ‘ after some pleasant–es about ‘ the happy couple' ’ which were not without a touch of contempt and superciliousness , she went away as well satisfied as before . ’ She has good reason to be pleased . She has done something , something on a different plane from making a toy church or pipping a social rival at the post or committing a mindless atrocity .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
As such they do n't deserve punishment , rather understanding and sympathy . It 's not their fault . ‘ Psychobabble’ can let them off the hook . Anyone who studies psychology must be motivated by a streak of optimism that people have the potential to change . Whether they believe that we change through investigation of the unconscious mind , through investigation of the relationship that forms between a therapist and client , through group experience or through changing patterns of behaviour will depend to some extent on which one of these experiences they can best identify with themselves .
Idiom: have it both ways (used idiomatically: yes)
I take I mean what you 're looking for is a reduction or what you would have liked to have seen a reduction in the land allocation for employment needs , and yet in the other breath you are saying to North Yorkshire , you should really cater for one hundred percent migration . Now you ca n't have it both ways , surely ? Dave Girt , Leeds City Council . We 're not asking R P G two has to have it both ways if if that idea is er is there at all .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: no)
For many people , it has represented an expensive , unnecessary , and unsuccessful war against the body . A truce is long overdue . ' Although a whole fashion can not be reversed by a single book , Gurin and Bennett provide a scientific analysis of dieting and why most people should n't do it . From science to metaphor Psychological life by Robert Romanyshyn , Open University , pp 209 , £ 11.95
Idiom: the whole shooting match (used idiomatically: yes)
There is , I know , much gnashing of teeth , banging of beer glasses etc . about the non - appearance of the Ogwen & Carneddau and Llanberis guides , but both these tomes are at least on the horizon now . The Climbers Club guidebook setup has been undergoing changes that should result in a much smoother flow of up to date guides without the huge time - lags that have recently featured between one volume selling out and the next one being published . The whole shooting match is being computerised and guides will be held on disc and hopefully updated constantly to ensure the minimum of delay in publishing a new volume . There are only so many ways to describe a pitch and there is very little need to alter descriptions if the existing ones work perfectly well , thus cutting down on the number of major rewrites required . Another advance is to have writers working on each volume much sooner before the existing one sells out : hence work has already started on Tremadog , Gogarth , Cloggy and even Lliwedd .
Idiom: state of the art (used idiomatically: yes)
UK 's LOWEST PRICES ! Standard Charges — ½ Minute Billing — Offer subject to status We are prohibited from mentioning the manufacturer 's name / model in the ' National Press ' — however , we can state that the list price of this slimline , state - of - the - art handportable cellphone is £ 1,695 ! Airflor Communications Limited PETROMIZER UK LTD
Idiom: child's play (used idiomatically: yes)
Luckily Pond 's moisturisers help counteract this by replacing essential moisture . Plus they 're now lighter and more easily absorbed . Just rub in a little every night and morning and make child 's play out of keeping your skin looking young . Helps skin stand the test of time . Jonathan , 18 months , demonstrating the principle behind Togs new wetness barriers .
Idiom: give someone pause (used idiomatically: yes)
Carefully , crouching to hold the jar low against the ground lest the wind whip any of the powder back towards him , he sprinkled the contents of the jar across the end of the dirt road just before the gate . Tossing the empty jar aside , he then pulled out a piece of chalk and drew a complex symbol full of mind - twisting curves on to each gatepost . ' That should give Mait pause for thought , ' he muttered , straightening and stepping back into the cemetery to retrieve his umbrella . ' I 'm sure it will , ' a voice agreed in a cynical tone . The Doctor spun around to see a German officer leaning against a skeletal tree , his Steyr automatic aimed comfortably at the Doctor .
Idiom: have words (used idiomatically: no)
' You look like Midi Ha Ha , ' said the blond man , smiling slightly , but when Daisy unearthed a bottle of made - up vodka and orange from the chaos of her bag he shook his head . Helping herself , Daisy noticed he never took his eyes off the play and was now turning on the windscreen wipers to watch a dark - haired boy coax a fat roan pony down the field . ' That child 's definitely team potential , but the pony 's an absolute bitch , I must have a word with his parents . And Christ , that pony 's improved since last year . ' Then , consulting a list on the dashboard , ' No , it has n't , it 's another pony .
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
Magic wands There have also been several innovations in the design of styling wands and hot brushes . One new idea is to combine a styling brush with hot air , so the hair can be dried , curled and styled at the same time . Models include the Blow'n'Curl Plus by Carmen , £ 16.95 , which has retractable bristles so the wand can be slipped out without unravelling it , however — about 250W is average . Other innovations are wands of all shapes and sizes that can be used to create different effects such as spiral , flat or zig - zag shaped curls in dry hair .