Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: go by the board (used idiomatically: yes)
I do n't think it would be possible to be busier than I was when I was permanent under - secretary . Two years ago , I really had very little time to myself.’ These days he has plenty of time to run the legs off his dog Quintus in nearby Richmond Park , just outside London , to indulge his hobby of stamp collecting and just to read novels , something that went by the board during his last few years at the Foreign Office , familiarly known as the FO . In career terms , Sir Patrick regards himself as the ‘ freak’ of the Wright family . The Wrights had always been classics masters at the great public schools , or clergymen .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's just dawning on me now that I 'm not rea I mean you know having had a conversation , proper conversation with my dad this weekend just me Yeah . and him , my mother was away and erm I was with him and we went out he took me out to lunch and he took me shopping and stu well I mean he took , but he was really really , you know how your father always dotes on you if it 's just you and him ? And he bou he bought me this top and he bought me a , a polo neck and bought me a C D and then we went out to supper and then we went to a pub and everything and erm , you know , had a really decent conversation with him and just talking to him makes me think , you know , and it dawns on me that he 's just a big he 's just a big child and he 's not , he 's never grown , he 's not , you 're not gon na grow up . What you are now is how the
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
The nettles took over and nothing survives now . It was such a shame because Grandad James Hauxwell had lived a life somewhat fuller and more exciting than most in Baldersdale . I understand he was always ready for a bit of mischief and they used to tell many tales about him . He had two brothers , one called Robert , who was employed in the household of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland as a footman , I believe , and another called Frank who became a policeman . They were both very smart and correct , but Grandad was a little more wayward .
Idiom: have an eye for (used idiomatically: yes)
MICHAEL BURKE SINKING soap Eldorado , desperate to improve its dismal TV ratings , is to launch a fightback with a shock new weapon — AIDS . Handsome Costa hunk Jesse Birdsall , who has only had eyes for the girls up to now , is about to become a bi - sexual victim of the killer virus . Eldorado — reported to be for the chop when John Birt takes over as BBC director general in March — is changing tactics in a last ditch bid to win a reprieve . And actor Jesse 's fate in his beefed - up role as two - timing villain Marcus Tandy will be the first of a string of strong new storylines .
Idiom: sweetness and light (used idiomatically: yes)
Although guaranteed the drivers ' championship , McLaren are on a loser no matter what happens . If Prost wins , then he takes the title with him to Ferrari and , in exchange for the highly desirable numbers 1 and 2 the Italians will present 27 and 28 to McLaren , a particularly irksome detail for such a dominant team to accept . If Senna becomes champion , and to do it he must win in Japan and Australia , then Prost 's recent criticism of his treatment at the hands of Honda will immediately spring to mind regardless of a subsequent and rather naive document , signed by all sides and designed to give the impression that all is sweetness and light . Ever since Prost confirmed his intention to leave McLaren , he claims to have been increasingly isolated within the team . Prost 's observations need to be weighed against his mounting paranoia as Senna continually proves to be the faster of the two but , when you see only one member of the McLaren - Honda management standing by Prost 's car on the grid in Spain while five key people fussed around Senna , Prost 's fears would appear to have substance .
Idiom: nothing doing (used idiomatically: yes)
Mm , they all come and visit . Is she , is she gon na move or does sh , cos she was thinking of moving She 's talked about going to Yorkshire , but , not at the moment , there 's nothing much doing in the market , er . Who is , is there , got a family at Yorkshire or ? Mm .
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
Eight weeks . No . That 's totally over the top is n't it really ? Mm . But that er technical supervision seems very high .
Idiom: take the biscuit (used idiomatically: yes)
Who needs a toy telephone , when the real one makes such great noises ? Let 's seen how many buttons I can press on the video and radio ! And — this idea really takes the biscuit — the cute TV puppy impersonation ; you know the one — grab the end of a full toilet roll and run off with it , laughing , Mum in hot pursuit ! Tea parties are wonderful fun — especially if you hold them in the garden on a hot day . They you can provide a plastic jug full of ‘ tea’(actually water ) to pour and even a real picnic .
Idiom: get a life (used idiomatically: no)
This kind of recognition seems to me to be as important in its own way as the lavish rewards which American companies give on complicated criteria . I am not against linking rewards to achievement : rather the reverse . But one must recognize that whatever system one puts in has only got a limited life before it becomes irrelevant , and if the payment is for achievement it must do just that . Lack of achievement must result in reduction of reward . On the other hand , I believe that in the area of remuneration it is the avoidance of unfairness which is the most important single factor , and the ability to reward and publicly acknowledge outstanding effort in ways which are cost effective seems to me to be another important feature .
Idiom: out of order (used idiomatically: yes)
A crowd of about seven or eight youths on their way out of a Chinese carryout were in high spirits . As soon as they saw the car , which had a police sign on the roof , they quietened down . We stopped beside a autobank , which was out of order . Referring to the crowd , one constable said , PC . 1 .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: no)
which her descent had wound so tight inside her . We entered dark interiors through white sockets where the light would strain to turn a corner but faint within a footstep of the doorstep . At last we mounted the cablecar that fell
Idiom: spit it out (used idiomatically: yes)
' And ? ' said Rohmer . ' It 's just a theory , of course . ' ' Spit it out . ' ' They drove into a Darkfall storm in the middle of a road . I believe that there was a lightning strike on the car .
Idiom: close to home (used idiomatically: yes)
SAGITTARIUS You are entering a rather happy go lucky phase now . Though you 're going to need more time and space to yourself though . CAPRICORN There 's likely to be more contact from family members this week , as you feel the urge to be closer to home . AQUARIUS You ca n't go far wrong this week when it comes to expressing yourself . Though you spend more time than usual gossiping !
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Yes . At first I would not even consider it but it fills her days , or at least it did until you arrived with your friend . I was afraid for her , anxious all the time , but she is like a monkey when she is in the saddle . Nothing can dislodge her and she has the talent for it . If she never sees again,’ he added fiercely , ‘ at least she will have this , something that few can do with brilliance .
Idiom: cool your heels (used idiomatically: yes)
Thursday could be a tiresome time thanks to the problems and difficulties making your neighbourhood a miserable place . Make the best of a bad job and busy yourself doing something that 'll keep you out of the firing line . Saturn 's brakes are well and truly on today as you are left to cool your heels with nothing special to do and no particular place to go . Use this useless lull in your life to think through your next step or rectify a recent move . Take a long hard , and penetrating look into the way you handle your life and the pattern of your partnerships in general .
Idiom: live it up (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Is that on the cards , sir?’ ‘ I do n't think so but we need to be sure . It 's no good looking for a man 's body round here if the owner 's living it up in Costa Rica . The evidence we 've got so far could have been manufactured.’ ‘ You said you had two jobs for me , sir.’
Idiom: spend a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
FLOOD : Edward BBC pays for stars ' shower THE hard - up Beeb has splashed out about £ 14,000 — so Anne Diamond can spend a penny in comfort . New loo , shower and dressing room facilities have been installed at the Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham . Anne and former TV - am partner Nick Owen will host a daily show from there next month .
Idiom: get a life (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It 's never happened to me before,’ gasped an incredulous Cummins . Noisy Californian roustabouts PAVEMENT are currently getting into a bit of a lather as some upstart garage band from Sacramento called SPIRAL STAIRS are laying a claim against Pavement 's guitarist of the same name , saying that they have an ‘ entertainment copyright’ on the name and want some compensation . Of course , they are being treated with the contempt they deserve and you have to wonder why they do n't just get a life … Unlike sometime TERRY STAUNTON birthday party backing band DODGY,(they'll do anything for publicity ) who have decided that life in London needs a bit of a boost , Dodgy - style , and are all set to re - open their ‘ Dodgy Club’ . They 're relocating from the wilds of Kingston and are taking up residence in swinging Carnaby Street .
Idiom: collect dust (used idiomatically: yes)
The ‘ Crown’ public house on the corner opposite the Alms Houses lost its licence and became an emporium for ‘ Surplus Stores’on a short lease , so that it could be demolished without delay when the go - ahead was given . However , there were no further developments during the remaining life of the trams and the road was not widened until 1967 . The overhaul of trams to catch up on wartime neglect was taking longer than anticipated and it was decided that Purley depôt , still standing out of use , should be cleared of the war damaged cars collecting dust in its interior and be brought back into use as an annexe to Charlton Works where painting and certain other work could be undertaken . Doors were fitted and it came into use on 7 September . A minor event during 1948 , in connection with a series of experiments in overhead current collection , three cars were fitted with carbon skid trolley heads like trolleybuses .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: yes)
Alice Kamara ( 9 ) attends a rural school in Western Sierra Leone . Apart from her exercise books Alice possesses just two textbooks , an English and a Mathematics reader . These she carries to and from school daily in a distressed plastic bag and uses continually . The books are paper covered and not very well bound . Both at home and at school they usually have to remain on the floor and Alice does n't always remember to put them back in the bag .
Idiom: cut corners (used idiomatically: yes)
There are also too many vehicle accidents , the costs of which now amount to over £ 1 million a year . For your own sake and for your family 's sake this Christmas — and always — drive carefully , courteously , safely and sensibly . Quality people do n't ‘ cut corners’ at work — do n't be tempted to ‘ cut corners’on the road . I thank you again for a successful year in Environmental Services despite the difficult trading circumstances . Some of you will ask ‘ where do we go next?’
Idiom: on the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
Lump of shrapnel in his back . ’ The shelling and mortaring was still intense as I followed behind the medics . When I came across Lovat he was lying on the ground . As I looked down at him lying there it was difficult to believe that this was Shimi Lovat . His battledress was soaked with blood on one side , his face was a ghastly grey colour with the mouth hanging open , his head was turned to one side with the eyes closed .
Idiom: come unstuck (used idiomatically: yes)
It is of course cheating . But if cheating is necessary , you can commonly get away with it for a time . So everybody had to go federal — Canada , Australia , South Africa and later on Central Africa and the Caribbean , where it all came unstuck . I have run ahead of chronology however and in particular of the First World War , which the peoples that had entered it as parts of the Empire ended as free - standing independent nations . Britain in 1918 was deeply impressed with the strategic and military contribution made by those nations to victory in Europe and assumed it to be proof of the success of the Canadian model , to which the second Labour Government in 1931 gave statutory form , rather like catching moonbeams , by declaring in the Statute of Westminster preamble that the common identity of the sovereign was of the essence .
Idiom: stand the test of time (used idiomatically: yes)
Thankfully he was wrong . Arthur Rackham : A life with illustration , puts the spotlight right back where it should be . His illustrations have stood the test of time and forever continue to fascinate and inspire the children , of all ages . SHARON BASSIN JOAN EARDLEY
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
Nevertheless , Bob Smith kept edging her towards Malta and at first light they saw the island over the long swells following the storm . A patrolling MTB picked them up , and Bob Smith later launched the battered canoe to paddle her across the harbour to the submarine base . HMS United was still at sea . Her second canoe , with Archie Hart and Eric Folder , had made a rough - and - tumble landing in heavy surf near Gela . Archie Hart 's suit filled and perhaps incautiously he made a dash for the shelter of some dunes , where he hoped to drain it out .
Idiom: run the gamut (used idiomatically: yes)
Most old people love children , but usually in much smaller doses than their parents realise , and more often in your home , where spills , sticky fingers and noise are more easily dealt with , than in theirs . The most popular visitors to old people are the good listeners , who concentrate with interest on what they are saying , making the occasional encouraging comment . It is unfortunately very easy sometimes to let the eyes wander — and the mind as well— if an elderly person is running the gamut of a whole list of troubles , some of which may seem more like minor irritations . Sometimes , too , it is possible to make the mistake of thinking that she is expecting us to come up with all the answers when , often , all she wants is the opportunity to state the problem to someone who understands and will not criticise her . This is not mere grumbling or sourness , but a perfectly normal reaction to her circumstances .
Idiom: talk shop (used idiomatically: yes)
Now , er it 's , it 's not yet known when the General Election is , but er will you be ready for it ? We certainly will , we also launched today our er campaign for two million pounds , our General Election campaign for , for the money that we 're going to need to stand candidates in as many constituencies as possible , so we 're certainly gearing up for it , yes . What was your opinion of of the Conference , did you find it er a useful , a useful er talking shop ? Yes it was , and I think it also er really put paid to the journalists that came along expecting to write our political obituary , because what did come over in all the workshops er and in the main plenary sessions , was that , that local , local parties are doing very well indeed and are getting a very good reception on the doorstep , in fact some other polls on , on er the Green strategy to the environment show that people actually do still trust the Greens far more than any other party . But you 're still unlikely to make an impression at the General Election ?
Idiom: on a silver platter (used idiomatically: yes)
A rather curious look from Prince Philip wondering , no doubt , how this lowly two - ringer got into the act . Then on to the spacious dining saloon with its white and gold decor , now alive with the movement of gold - braided , be - medalled uniforms alongside glamorous ladies in evening dress . Cocktails and snacks borne on silver platters by ship 's officers , and a very grand piano on which to lean while I absorbed the experience of a lifetime . My detachment was not allowed to last , I was soon chatting to the ex - Lady Mayor of Portsmouth and later made friends with the Commanding Officer of one of the Army supply boats stationed on Benbecula with whom I was able to swap experiences in the Outer Hebrides . At the other side of the piano James Callaghan , then Prime Minister , was talking animatedly to a very distinguished - looking Admiral , while through it all the Queen and Prince Philip moved easily , chatting to their guests .
Idiom: not to put too fine a point on it (used idiomatically: yes)
I would hope that whatever the County would put in place would encourage the w the , the waste collection authorities currently the district er councils actually to offer at doorstep collection arrangements wo which I believe will substantially increase the amount of , of waste that could be recycled . There is evidence around the country particularly in , in , in , in Milton Keynes where that sort of arrangement applies and I think we as a County Council as the waste er as the Disposal Authority must make sure that we put in place arrangements which will encourage that sort of thing to happen . It , it , it , it , it 's , it , it surprises me that the amount of waste er that the proportion of , of the waste is , is , is fifty percent being er , er , er being builders ' rubble not to put too fine a point on it . Erm and I am also conscious of , of the amount of , of , of commercial er , er commercial er tipping and that , that , that , that , that goes on . We must ensure that any recycling point or any , any er disposal er points that we have and they may be er recycling points if , if , if , if this proposal is , is actually accepted .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
Pray that God would protect them from the evil spiritual powers that they are contacting . Remember — you are not alone Twice a week we have an assembly and , as a rule , assemblies are about the only occasions that Christianity gets a mention at school . ( I suppose RE lessons would be the only exception to this rule , but when you 've got an RE teacher that does n't believe in the existence of God and thinks that Jesus was an astronaut there 's a limit to how ‘ Christian’ Religious Education really can be ! ) Anyway , Friday 's assembly is a ‘ whole school’ event held in the school sports hall .
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
A currency flow deficit will appear as a negative figure . Also included in item 4 is that part of the PSBR that is funded by borrowing in foreign currency . Since , as we saw when looking at the financing of the PSBR , such borrowing does not increase the money supply , it reduces the otherwise expansionary effect on the money supply of the PSBR . It thus enters item 4 with a negative value . The flow - of - funds equation we have just described is a simplified version of the one actually used in official statistics to analyze the components of changes in M4 .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 'm sure it 's only the shock,’ said Melissa , aware that it sounded unconvincing . ‘ No , it 's all this wretched business over Dieter Erdle . I 've made up my mind — I 'm going to tell him myself that this nonsense has got to end once and for all . I tried to catch him this morning , before we went to our appointments , but he would n't speak to me . I called to him but he did n't even turn round … pretended not to hear!’
Idiom: out of the woods (used idiomatically: yes)
Nottingham seed . Yeah , well that 's grown special , for the seed . But this is , evidently out of somebody 's own wood . You cut down two trees and the the grass has been left and they took advantage of the bit that was there . Where did he get the address from ?
Idiom: to the hilt (used idiomatically: yes)
Trousers ' triumphant re - emergence ushers in a new type of androgynous sexiness , a quirky mix of the severe and the sensual — a lace camisole under a double - breasted trouser suit , or a glimpse of fishnet under a trouser cuff . Think Annie Hall and Annie Lennox ; Marlene and Garbo . The imagery is fuelled by designers , who have exercised to the hilt their fantasies of women dressed as men . From Sicilian wide - boys and regency rakes , to upright City chaps and downright nasty mobsters , the inspiration is as varied as a Hollywood archive . Marks & Spencer has turned Brooks Brothers ( which it owns ) into ‘ Brooks Sisters’ , with a women 's range of classic gilt - buttoned navy blazers , grey flannels and front - pleated pinstripes .
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
The hothouse flowers gardenia and stephanotis had to be coaxed and nurtured into flowering for the posies and the bridegroom 's buttonhole . It was touch and go , because gardenias in particular are very moody . ' We had a bit of a struggle to get them for the wedding , but you can pull various strings to hold things back . ' Then there was the bouquet - making — no simple feat with the large quantities involved . The bride carried the roses ( ' I am worthy of you ' ) mixed with white carnations ( ' pure love ' according to some sources , ' disdain'according to others , so it is imperative to synchronise your sources ) , edged with myrtle ( more love — this stems from the Arabic tradition that Adam was expelled from Eden carrying a myrtle sprig plucked from the bower in which he first declared his love to Eve ) .
Idiom: run out of steam (used idiomatically: yes)
His hair , similarly , has collapsed onto his head so that at first— I see him at the end of a corridor — he appears to be completely bald . He has very fine hair , resting timidly and lifelessly on his skull . He is a man of about fifty - five , with a quick ‘ nervous manner , as if he had pressing engagements elsewhere , which seems unlikely : the university has run out of steam and its faculty members are all jumping ship , if they can . Uitsmijter has made a study of Maa . He holds his translation of the laibon 's monologue .
Idiom: in the can (used idiomatically: yes)
It was to be the cause of his downfall . His first plan was to have the film , provisionally entitled Who Killed Bambi ? directed by Russ Meyer , a corpulent , moustachioed American whose films featuring pendulous - breasted women had made him an improbable recipient of cult acclaim . Meyer duly came , and went again , leaving McLaren and the Sex Pistols some thousands of dollars poorer , and with a negligible amount of film in the can . McLaren decided to try another tack . A new face had tagged on to the Pistols party .
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
TERRACE : The Turning Point And this week 's Djax release … Djax - Up are currently releasing records faster than most people can note and , with at least another seven in the pipeline over the next two months , they continue to stop anybody standing in their way . ‘ The Turning Point’ is also one of the label 's strongest releases for some time and it 's the ever popular Terrace front of Stefan Robbers that once again leads Djax out into new regions . ‘ In Search Of …
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
All lit up , right down the coast there . And there 's this plane ! See its lights , look ! It 's circling round … coming in to land . ' ' It 's a fantastic view from up here , is n't it ? '