Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: tongue in cheek (used idiomatically: yes)
If the difference between prose and poetry is defined at its most banal level , by the absence or presence of verse form , then some types of poetry are more " prosaic " than others , and some types of prose are more poetic,"than others . Here we may confront Lodge with his fellow critic - novelist , Anthony Burgess , who in Joysprick : an introduction to the language of James Joyce , proposes a division of novelists into " Class 1 " and " Class 2 A Class 1 novelist is one " in whose work language is a zero quality , transparent , unseductive , the overtones of connotation and ambiguity totally damped The Class 2 novelist is one for whom " ambiguities , puns and centrifugal connotations are to be enjoyed rather than regretted , and whose books , made out of words as much as characters and incidents , lose a great deal when adapted to a visual medium " . James Joyce is a pre - eminently Class 2 novelist , and so for comparative purposes , Burgess offers us ( tongue - in - cheek ) a translation into Class 1 language of the opening of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man . We give here a brief sample both of the original [ 10]and of Burgess 's Class 1 version [ 11]:[10]Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo … His father told him that story : his father looked at him through a glass : he had a hairy face .
Idiom: under the influence (used idiomatically: no)
At fifteen , Catherine was the most beautiful girl for miles around , but she was proud and quick - tempered . She led what was almost a double life . At Wuthering Heights , under Heathcliff 's influence , she annoyed Hindley , laughed at Joseph , and was rude to me . But at Thrushcross Grange , which she often visited , she showed a different , calmer side of her character , and was polite , intelligent and amusing . The Lintons all liked her , and poor Edgar had fallen in love with her .
Idiom: pay through the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
But this man 's job was the creation of adventure where clearly none was available . There 's definitely money to be made by running an Outward Bound course . All you have to do is grow a beard and look rugged , take a bunch of gullible kids from good homes , make their parents pay through the nose to let them sleep in bunks and eat beans , and then pretend that mundane things are difficult or unusual . It was n't as if they were heading for the hills . After their terribly exciting bridge crossing , they hopped back over the shallows and headed back to their mini - van .
Idiom: think twice (used idiomatically: yes)
So , if inflation is low and stable , central banks can not be blamed for low long - term rates . In fact , I strongly suspect that if one polled investors , monetary policy would be at the top of the list , not absent from it , as an explanation of low global long - term interest rates . The fact that so many investors hold this view ought to make one think twice before absolving monetary policy of all responsibility . Nevertheless , I share Bernanke ’s instinct that , while central banks do set very short - term interest rates , they have virtually no influence over long - term real ( inflation - adjusted ) rates , other than a modest effect through portfolio management policies ( for example , “ quantitative easing ” ) . A lot has changed since 2005 .
Idiom: touch and go (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It 's been a lifelong ambition of mine to beat him but at the big jump before Ballyboley Corner , Joey whizzed past me and although I tried to catch him again and take a tight line at Ballyboley he had just too much experience and he held on to beat me . ‘ Although I 'm champion and it 's been a wonderful year I feel I ca n't truly call myself the title holder until I beat Joey on the roads.’ It certainly was touch and go for Dunlop who was registering his fourth Regal win on the Ulster roads this year . Joey does n't compete in the short circuit section of the championship in which King has excelled but he has generally been in command between the hedges and today it looked like the same old story when he took the lead after the first lap . However , King was determined to catch him and he moved into the lead for the next two laps before Joey hit back and with a speed of 110.34 mph regained the advantage .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
' This is a bloody nightmare . Where are all the people ? ' The Doctor had bent to examine something he had seen on the dappled carpet beside the communications terminal . He stood almost immediately , and only Bernice noticed that , by aiming a bony finger at the floor , he was covering the fact that he 'd pocketed something . She moved closer to see what he was pointing at .
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
Thief . professional thief . But those are few and far between . Most of them are opportunists , most of them come from the local area they 'll know the housing estates and whatever happens . They 've already chosen their set routes .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
He should n't be disappointed . He must n't be . The muttering was relentless ; it went on and on , indistinct from a distance , and it did n't stop , even when his mother held Ken 's hand . After a while Jack bent over and listened , although she said , ' It does n't mean anything , love . It 's all nonsense at the moment .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
He usually sat with the prompt book , next to Miss Thorne . His head still spun slightly as he followed the words and looked upwards intermittently to see by the expression of a face if someone had forgotten their lines . But after a while he soon knew large chunks of the play off by heart and could occasionally prompt without looking at the book . It was difficult at first . Initially he whispered the line , but it was embarrassing to have to continually repeat himself after a series of ‘ pardons’ and ‘ whats?’and he soon discovered that if he spoke a line clearly and loudly he was n't noticed as much .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
In one corner stands a silver - topped trolley with a pair of scalpels , a few scraps of dry skin , and some oddly - curved blunt metal spatulas . There are no valuables in this room . This is a disturbing scene to say the least . If the adventurers enter and begin any kind of search , some of the muscles in the bodies twitch , and one of the corpses opens its mouth in a silent scream . Anyone in the room must make a successful Cl test or gain 1 Insanity Point as a result of witnessing this event .
Idiom: top dollar (used idiomatically: yes)
It was as it was represented , not rusty , and essentially intact . Dick Hansen called the owner of the P-40 and negotiated the deal which he closed on immediately . He added , ‘ I paid top dollar , but it 's a good thing I did , because there were two other people who were after the plane and I just moved quicker than they did.’ Dick Hansen hauled the pieces of 1051 to Blackhawk Aviation in Janesville , Wisconsin , where the restoration would be done . Dick decided from the start that he wanted a ‘ museum quality aircraft’ and his goal set the tone for the excellence that was to follow .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
The main reason Q&A was introduced in the What Personal Computer office was ease of use . We needed a word processor that anybody could sit in front of and use quickly and easily . Q&A fitted the bill . As you launch the program you 're greeted with a friendly main menu rather than a blank screen . From here you can set up other applications to launch from within Q&A.
Idiom: carry the day (used idiomatically: yes)
There had not been time to teach them . That Groa understood , even if Thorfinn 's southern council did not . He had carried the day , of course , for although in fourteen years he had made himself supreme King in Alba , he was born to the north , and from Moray to the northernmost island of Orkney he was the leader men trusted and knew . One day , when he was gone , they would turn to Paul , and to Erlend when he was old enough . It was to safeguard Orkney that Paul was being left there at this moment .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
Well I think it 's er down to the competitive tendering process where the County Council has had to put out the cleaning contracts for schools to tender . There were problems a few years ago when it first started with th the initial contract which was was won by the the County 's own direct service organization and now it seems we 're having a repeat of of those problems . Er with the new contracts that started in September erm basically it seems that some teachers are having to do bits of cleaning themselves to keep their their classroom up to up to scratch up to the standards they ought they ought to be . Erm we 're hearing reports that parts of schools having to to be closed or th threatened to be closed because they 're not sufficiently hygienic for pupils or teachers to work in . Oh how disgusting .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
Commentaries to the new regulations stated that " As a general rule , Jews are to be considered as endangered " .
Idiom: burn the candle at both ends (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet he was such a skilful flyer that to an American of the Lafayette Squadron it seemed as if a plane obeyed his thoughts rather than the controls , and at Verdun alone he shot down six German aircraft and a balloon . He had an artificial jaw held together by a gold armature , and his twisted smile revealed two solid rows of gold teeth . Despite his injuries , he burned the candle furiously at both ends ; often , after a heavy day 's fighting , he would roar up to Paris , 150 miles away , in his huge open sports car , then return after a night of carousal and heavy drinking to fly a dawn patrol . Though wounded seventeen times , he was one of the very few aces to survive the war . There was the handsome , twenty - year - old Warrant Officer Jean Navarre , who chalked up the Cigognes ' first victories at Verdun with a right - and - a - left over Fort Douaumont the day after its fall .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
Flight of larger owls slow and flapping , of smaller ones quicker and markedly bounding . Stance upright . Nest in hole , in old nest of other bird , or on ground . BARN OWL Tyto alba . White - breasted race alba is the only owl which is golden - buff above and white below , though most often seen ghost - like in the dusk , or caught in the headlights of a car , when it appears all - white .
Idiom: wipe the floor with (used idiomatically: yes)
So the latest version of Lotus 1 - 2 - 3 includes such delights as fully customizable Lotus Smart Icons , mouse support and better printer drivers . The company also claims it 's substantially faster than previous versions of 1 - 2 - 3 . In speed terms , it 'll wipe the floor with anything running under Windows . For more details take a look at our full review on page 56 . Andy Wyatt , product marketing manager for Lotus Spreadsheets , says : ‘ There will always be a residue of DOS users .
Idiom: jump on the bandwagon (used idiomatically: yes)
I see the same silliness happening . Three guys – and I wo n’t say who they are because I am not impressed with them – decide to start a venture fund to invest in high tech in Europe and off they go ; they raise a $ 100~million easily . Even people who used to invest in Russian oil and steel companies have jumped on the bandwagon . I got a fax from one , Boris ~ Jordan , telling me he was starting a European high - tech venture fund and would I care to work with him . So , from a time when there was a shortage of venture capital , a shortage of interest , we are moving quickly to a point where there is too much .
Idiom: to the max (used idiomatically: yes)
Quite captivating . Zeni Geva , meanwhile , hooks up with Big Black / Rapeman leader Steve Albini to produce a guitar assault that is certainly not for the faint of heart . If Painkiller were to dump John Zorn 's sax squawk and turn their Marshalls to the max then they might just be edging close to what Zeni Geva and Albini have cooked up here . A horrible noise that you 've just got to call your own . These , and more , are available from :
Idiom: in the driver's seat (used idiomatically: yes)
After a few minutes they passed the first of the estate workers ' cottages , two storey , stone - built , and around three hundred years old . After the last of these ( which , being the keeper 's , now stood empty ) the road degenerated into a track , and the track degenerated even more over the next mile until it was only twin ruts with grass between them . Roots had split the ground in places , and the thickest of these jarred the Toyota so hard that Diane had an uneasy vision of the entire truck falling apart as every spot - weld gave at once , leaving her sitting in the driver 's seat with the steering wheel in her hands and nothing but open air all around . Aldridge , hanging on grimly , said , ‘ Does it get any worse?’ ‘ Do n't ask me,’ Diane said .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: no)
The two wives and two children he left behind in Russia call strongly to him , and when , under glasnost relaxations , he gets the chance to visit them , the relationship with Katherine can not take the strain . The play 's chief problem lies in the fact that its Russian aspects , and particularly Slava 's mysterious second wife , refuse to become real . This is enhanced by director Julia Pascal 's insistence on bathing in red and blue light the scenes where , perhaps in Katherine 's imagination , the ex-wife meets Slava . Fairly soon one realises that red means melodrama , and blue means romance , and you wonder if you have stumbled across the first romantic novel of the post-communist era . A genuine , old-fashioned , bedroom surprise scene contributes to the impression .
Idiom: jump the gun (used idiomatically: yes)
Mr. Julian Brazier ( Canterbury ) Does my right hon . Friend agree that , although I welcome the economic measures to assist the Soviet Union — granted , as he rightly says , because of the courage of President Yeltsin in implementing his reforms — the other side of the coin is that it would have been a terrible mistake if we had jumped the gun and granted the assistance before the reforms were implemented ? It is unlikely that Boris Yeltsin would be implementing those reforms if we had jumped the gun , as the Opposition wanted . The Prime Minister I agree with my hon . Friend .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: no)
As Joseph caught up with the senator and Chuck , Jacques Devraux appeared on the track ahead , walking quickly back towards them . " What was that shot ? " he asked in a sharp tone of reproof . " Since we were n't being shown any buffalo , " replied the senator , smiling easily , " we bagged a muntjac that I spotted on the plain — for one of our smaller groups . " " Your shot will make sure we see no big game for at least another hour , " countered the Frenchman tersely . " It 's better not to shoot smaller animals until you have the bigger prizes you seek .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
The alleged scheme , in which old loans were paid back to General Motors by ever - escalating new loans from its own finance subsidiary , dates back to 1980 . John McNamara , 52 , has been charged with defrauding General Motors of more than $ 400 m . The case comes at an embarrassing time for the world 's largest industrial company , which is already deep in the red and under attack for its bureaucratic management style . The company has refused to explain why its auditors started becoming suspicious only a few months ago and why the dealership was lent $ 425 m as recently as December . Bail was set at a remarkable $ 300 m , one of the highest on record .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
Your text and your paragraphs are indented by one tab stop but accept the first line . So we have , looked something like our in our conclusions , you 'll find the alt T is actually quite useful because you can go down in your first line move to the first letter o , after the number , hit the tab key and you 've actually lined up the first line along with the rest of your paragraph . So you produce nice numbered lists , looking very neat ! Okay ?
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: yes)
The Limo , a sub-28sec performer , has the style to go all the way in Saturday 's final . Toulon and Lets All Boogie at Walthamstow and Harbour Breeze at Hackney are other Tuesday fancies . CRAYFORD 's Some Rabbit was tagged The Fugitive when he went on the run from his Essex kennels . His 12-day taste of freedom slimmed down the heavyweight performer who has notched six wins from 16 starts . Some Rabbit , from a handy six - metre start , should quickly escape his rivals in tonight 's 540 handicap to bolt up .
Idiom: in the works (used idiomatically: yes)
It is equally important that their different roles and functions are properly co - ordinated with each other , so that the participants in the process are mindful of all of the child 's needs and rights , that they keep each other well informed , ensure that nothing gets ' left out ' and yet avoid duplication . And in all this , as so eloquently argued by Lord Butler - Sloss in her report to the Cleveland inquiry ( DHSS , 1988a ) , children must always be treated as people , not as mere objects of professional concern . Therefore , possibly more than in any other work concerned with children and young people , it is in the sphere of child protection that all of the people involved — whether they are professionals , volunteers or the child 's parents and wider family — need to be able to work together . Sadly , it has been all too often the case that it is precisely in this area that individuals and agencies have found it most difficult to co - operate . In the inquiries into the deaths of children like Maria Colwell , Jasmine Beckford and Kimberley Carlile ( DHSS , 1982 ; Blom - Cooper , 1986 , 1987 ) the observation has been repeatedly made that children who were known to be ' at risk ' were failed by those given the statutory duty to protect them , because of poor communication , mistakes about knowing who was ( or was not ) responsible for undertaking particular tasks , and , it has to be admitted , professional rivalries and jealousies .
Idiom: down and out (used idiomatically: no)
Indeed , at times she even seemed to go out of her way to draw attention to herself . One such occasion was on an outing with Steve to the Apollo Theatre in London 's Shaftesbury Avenue to see Peter O'Toole in Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell . Not for Fergie creeping to her seat with her escort after the lights had gone down and slipping out again just before the final curtain . Rather she seemed determined to draw attention to herself — and to wreck the night for other theatregoers . ‘ The Duchess had obviously seen the show before , ’ a member of the audience recalls , ‘ because every time a good line was begun by one of the actors she would finish it off quite loudly .
Idiom: spit it out (used idiomatically: yes)
Go on swallow . It 's awful cos Minnie keeps taking throwing her wrappers out , her food . Took it down to our bedroom and spitting it out ! Does she ? That 's
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: yes)
( b)‘If we go away this weekend I 'm not going to he relaxed — next weekend I 'll be a lot more fun.’ ( c ) Use this formula , and if necessary jot down on paper how you 'll use the three stages and practise it aloud , so that you get comfortable with it . As this approach is a tough , personal , confrontational one it only works when both parties have something to gain or lose . At work , emotional needs are stronger than a lot of people realise ; by letting people know that you have them , and identifying theirs , you can gain influence .
Idiom: nine times out of ten (used idiomatically: yes)
Cos I count . I , I use to go up the . But norm nine times out of ten you went the inside of it . Oh yeah , just sat there in the outside , down a . Well I , see , if , my memory
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I 've seen a lot of horse races but that does n't make me a jockey , does it?’ She smiled again and reached for her handbag , sliding the diary free , laying it beside her as if for reference . The photo was in there , too , but she left it for the time being . ‘ I know more about the Dublin Hell Fire Club , obviously,’ he continued . ‘ They were just one of the off - shoots .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
I would appreciate it if , on the close of this item of business , I might be allowed to give an explanation of vote on behalf of my Group . This is an important matter . It would be useful for the record of the House to state how people perceive what we have just done in the light of their own political analysis .
Idiom: easier said than done (used idiomatically: yes)
Now this next Sunday you 're preparing and saying Yes I definitely want to go ahead and be confirmed . And it it should be your decision . Erm I know it 's easier said than done sometimes but er it has to be your decision because even if you went ahead and were confirmed , we were tal talking about the idea of sometimes parents bring pressure on them on you to go ahead and do it and be confirmed , erm when perhaps you 're not do n't feel ready for it and it takes a lot of courage to stand up and say No I 'm not ready . But if you feel ready , fine , if you do n't feel ready , then even if you go ahead it wo n't be valid . It wo n't be worth anything because it wo n't have meant anything to you .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
Her brightly rouged cheeks crinkling into a fine network of wrinkles as she showed large yellow teeth . ' You 'll be the death of me , Mr Loveitt , dammee if you wo n't , ' she said , her voice as loud and hard as her laugh . The wizened man in black addressed as ' Mr Loveitt ' said precisely : ' It was no joke I assure you , Miss Jarman . It would seem the voyage hardly warrants the payment of this dinner . '
Idiom: under the sun (used idiomatically: no)
In historical studies the actual quotation from the appropriate Act of Parliament or the speech from Hansard or the letter from the collected correspondence may be the vital piece of information which needs to be placed in its right position to fill in a sort of jigsaw pattern which gives what can only be the one consistent answer . But , in the contemporary study of an institution such as a factory or a college , it may be necessary to analyse hundreds of questionnaires or interview schedules , and this will only be done successfully and without trouble if the research worker knew in advance what was wanted and how the data could be analysed before it was collected . The researcher who collects data on everything under the sun , just because it seems so easy at the time to ask a few more questions about this and that , usually rues the day when the analysis of all the answers has to be carried out . Questions which had no real purpose in the first place are unlikely to be easy to analyse at the answer stage since the researcher is seeking for answers to his hypotheses which will show whether they are to be substantiated or not . A particularly dangerous trap in analysis has developed with the increasing use of computers in data analysis .
Idiom: pull the plug (used idiomatically: yes)
' I needed that . ' Steve pulled the duvet over the two of them and began fiddling with the remote control . ' D'you know because so many people switch off their TVs by remote control instead of pulling out the plug , they go on using electricity , the same in one night that would power Leicester for one day . Or is it Hull ? ' ' Is that what you learned at school today ? '