Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: neither here nor there (used idiomatically: yes)
The idea warmed her through and through . Mrs Kelleher , Willie 's mother , was keeper of the gate and lived in its lodge — so far as Nicandra knew Silly - Willie had no father . But that was neither here nor there . He had a mother and she had been , since an early age , housemaid in Nicandra 's house . Since Silly - Willie 's birth she had lived far away at the grand end of the West Avenue , in the Gate Lodge , which she kept as spruce as any bedroom in the Big House .
Idiom: strike it rich (used idiomatically: yes)
Peter Ueberroth , son of a travelling aluminium salesman , worked his way through college , single - handedly built a $ 300 million business , went on to organize the 1984 Olympics , became Time magazine 's Man of the Year and the commissioner of baseball . Steven Jobs built his own computer company from scratch and became a multimillionaire before his thirtieth birthday . Stories of entrepreneurial heroism , come from across the economy and across the country : professors who create whole new industries and become instant millionaires when their inventions go from the laboratory to the marketplace ; youthful engineers who quit their jobs , strike out on their own , and strike it rich . In the American economic mythology , these heroes occupy center stage : ‘ Fighters , fanatics , men with a lust for contest , a gleam of creation , and a drive to justify their break from the mother company.’ Prosperity for all depends on the entrepreneurial vision of a few rugged individuals .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
J/24 national champion Ian Southworth was recently signed up to support helmsman Tim Law as tactician . RYA keelboat coach Bill Egerton has been advising the team , along with Bryan Fishback of Farr International and North Sails ' Neil Mackley . Project manager Nick Schulkins maintains that , although ten of the crew are from the RAF : ‘ if any of the boys are not quite up to scratch , we 'll replace them with professionals.’ The RAF are putting their own stamp on the project . Between October and December when they were not competing in the Hamble Winter Series or jockeying against other IOR racers , the team was out everyday , practising manoeuvres aboard Oracle Arrow on a windward - leeward course at the mouth of the Hamble .
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
The pair met at the London office of Armitage & Norton , which merged with Saffery Champness in 1986 . Claire joined the firm from Bristol Polytechnic , where she studied accounting and finance , but Sandra had taken a more indirect route . ‘ I went straight from school to the Inland Revenue,’ she says . ‘ I worked for three years in the Collector of Taxes department , which was really just shuffling papers and asking for money . I had to speak to accountants , asking for information and so on , and they always seemed to be out at lunch , whether it was 10 in the morning or five in the afternoon .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
During his walk Van Cheele came to a deep pool under some tall trees . He knew it well : after all , it was his pool . But today , he saw a boy of about sixteen lying on a large rock beside the pool . The boy was drying his wet , naked brown body in the sun . His hair was wet too , and he had long , golden , wolfish eyes .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
Retirement age IT 'S laughable that the Government wants men and women to retire at 65 . Many 40-year-olds are considered over the hill these days , so what work can the oldies hope to get ? Gary Lineker GARY Lineker is wrong to have a go at England manager Graham Taylor for dropping him .
Idiom: hold water (used idiomatically: yes)
The appeal of the games to particularly young boys may be in the fact that a lot of the games are all about some little guy fighting and eventually conquering a large evil monster . Many see these monsters as father figures which young boys , obsessed with dear old mother , want to take on and usurp . Although such intellectual theories may hold some water , they do n't explain why teenage boys appear to be the only ones with the manual dexterity required to be a video games ace . Perhaps the secret 's in the wrist action — testosterone is n't the only thing that males have to discharge . Despite the advent of widespread home computer technology , a certain old pastime has n't been killed off .
Idiom: play for time (used idiomatically: yes)
As equipment becomes less distinguishable technically , it becomes more important to match cosmetics . Hence the fact that single - brand ski / boot / binding systems are imminent from Atomic , Tyrolia and Rossignol . A number of well - known independent brands such as Marker and Volkl continue to play for time , while others are doubtless praying for the white knights of the ski business . WHO OWNS WHAT This chart indicates the ownership of equipment as we went to press in January 1991 , but the pattern is developing every few months as companies change hands .
Idiom: slippery slope (used idiomatically: yes)
The failure of the phenomenological approach to teach skills of discernment , and to wrestle with truth - claims and the problems these present when they are conflicting , does not prepare pupils to cope with secularist objections to religion . Thirdly , the phenomenological approach can easily convey relativism . The attempt to be fair to all traditions , by being equally tolerant of all and non - judgemental , can lead like a slippery slope from well - intentioned neutrality to profound scepticism about religion . For the descriptive approach carries hidden messages of the impossibility of any fair evaluation , for all such beliefs are subjective and relative to particular cultures . The " sartorial " version of religion is smuggled in unawares , and with it radical doubt as to the truth of any religion .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
But the chief objection is much worse . By allowing ourselves to be forced to carry these cards for the convenience of the state , we will be acknowledging that we are at the disposition of the state and its computers . At the touch of a button , the metallic strip on an identity card will surrender every scrap of information about us stored by any government department , as well as whatever ' confidential ' and uncheckable information may have been collected by secret means . Even with nice Mr Major as Prime Minister I feel we should resist it with all our energy . Nobody knows who will succeed him .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
His back seemed to be hard and was not likely to suffer from a fall on the carpet .
Idiom: stroke of luck (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Put them back,’ she instructed in a cool , disapproving voice . He did , smirking as he closed the drawer again . In another room they had a stroke of luck when they came across a large paper bag of fruit , a couple of packets of biscuits , a tin of shortbread , a jar of butterscotch and an unopened bottle of Johnnie Walker whisky . Maggie asked two of the Australians to take these items , along with the carafe of water and chocolate bar , back upstairs . ‘ How are we off for bed - clothes now?’
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Hmm . Well , for God 's sake see that Micky and Alex get some practice with that bloody walkie - talkie tomorrow afternoon . There 's a long way to go before it sounds natural.’ ‘ Do n't worry,’ said Paul Lexington diplomatically . ‘ We 'll sort it out .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
He picked up the gun , and held it to his temples , ‘ One 's arms simply are n't long enough to pull the trigger.’ Daisy had gone absolutely scarlet . ‘ I was just worried , with the telephone off the hook and all.’ ‘ I 'm quite OK,’ said Ricky , slotting the gun back in its case , ‘ and I would like to come to supper.’ ‘ You would?’
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: yes)
New customers should try the sampling case of reds ( which includes a couple of fine Rhône reds as makeweights ) at £ 99 . Among alluring clarets is Château Branaire - Ducru 1982 — an absolute classic — at the remarkably low price of £ 15.95 for a great wine approaching maturity . El Vino is unusual in offering so many traditional wines of a drinkable age , and prices compare well across the board . The list includes good madeira , port and sherry and some fine German wines , but does not dabble in the New World . The guide is available from El Vino Co Ltd , .
Idiom: all the rage (used idiomatically: yes)
With luck , it has launched a new one NOT so long ago , it was bankers who were telling businessmen what to do . Financial engineering was all the rage . Main Street looked to Manhattan for clever and not - so - clever ways to finance leveraged buy - outs , or hedge their revenues and balance sheets . Now , it seems , bankers are growing keener on importing ideas — and bosses — from industry .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
Service agreements In the SM component you can make various agreements in respect of the service offer for a customer : For provisions that are valid in the long term , there is an option of agreeing service contracts , quantity contracts for spare part deliveries and warranty agreements .
Idiom: in tandem (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ May I ask you a question , please?’ ‘ Yes,’ he said , his mouth quirking a little , despite himself . McAllister 's perfect manners , running in tandem with her fiery , impulsive nature , made a mix which had begun to amuse him , and added to her disturbing charm . ‘ That woman … the one who had twelve children.’ She trod on the word in her horror .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
The question of warnings may be relevant here . A failure to warn that a product is not suitable for a particular purpose may give rise to liability : e.g. that fireworks are not suitable for indoor use . If the use of the product is clearly out of line with reasonable expectations ( e.g. the poodle ) then failure to give a warning will not be fatal . Time of supply Safety is to be judged in terms of the time when the product was supplied .
Idiom: make a killing (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's a market as well that 's created a few monsters of its own . It 's created companies that are more concerned with their future international profits as global energy companies , than in expanding their home base . It 's created senior executives in water , gas and electricity , who have made a killing through massive pay rises , but they pall into insignificance , when you look at the scandal of the share allocations and what 's been going on there . In the water companies alone , if you , there are thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds have been made by one or two people , as directors or chief executives of these companies . It 's one of the quirks of the system , one of the little perks of the job , that he has therefore been able to make erm a rather quick killing of three hundred and ten thousand five hundred and thirty five pounds .
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: yes)
He said : ‘ I was on the verge of the England squad with Norwich and played for the Under-21 side a few times . The next stage is to get into the full international team . ‘ I did n't manage to get on last summer 's tour of Australia , but that was just one of those things . My form 's good this year and I 'm scoring goals . I 've got five so far and I 've been getting into good positions.’
Idiom: get stuck into (used idiomatically: yes)
Well in some of he boxes like that and once he hits them , and he knows he 's hurt them , then they Oh yeah ! get stuck into them ! He 's a heavy hitter , admitted . Yeah .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
The truth , both for Owen and Marx , is likely to be this : that in the pervasive optimism of the time , it was natural for the revolutionary to suppose that the change to usher in the new order was at hand , whether prompted by an Owenite vision of human perfectibility or by the culminatory movement of the perfecting Marxist dialectical materialism . Since both were wrong , it is of little practical significance that where the one saw the change stealing upon the scene like a thief in the night , the other envisaged the proletariat oppressed beyond further endurance rising in response to the call to the class war to enforce the change . For if , as we have seen , the vacuity at the heart of Owen 's prospectus was the tacit assumption that owners , having seen the light , would agreeably acquiesce in the expropriation of their property in order that it would be beneficially used by the workers , that at the heart of Marx 's was that the proletariat would as the movement of the dialectic ordained , seize the means of production . In this , as much as in its expectation of the proximity of the event and of the brave new world that the event would introduce , Marx 's vision was as millenarian as Owen 's . It was as millenarian because there was no tension in the mainspring of the mechanism , in the idea of the alienation of labour .
Idiom: in Dutch (used idiomatically: yes)
Acts of violence were committed against Dutch people and firms ; 45000 Dutch citizens were expelled . This was to continue until by 1962 300 000 Dutch citizens had been sent back to the Netherlands , 280000 of them being ‘ Brown Dutchmen’ , Eurasians , strangers to Europe . These measures caused economic chaos ; in particular , 80 per cent of inter - island traffic had been carried in Dutch ships which now moved hastily out of the archipelago . 1962 : Dutch Quit New Guinea At last , in 1962 the Dutch abandoned their costly and useless possession .
Idiom: on the fiddle (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , we know , we know … JOHN COPPOCK MORE and more company bosses are on the fiddle in the recession , a new report reveals . Record numbers are being caught with fingers in the till — like ex - Mirror chief Robert Maxwell . A survey by Director magazine shows that 337 bosses were prosecuted in the last financial year .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: yes)
15 . Patricia Brake . Two hearts beat as one on ice . Shame about Torvill and Dean ‘ We 're such very different people … even Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire never ended up together’
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
The runner who raises the most money for St. John Ambulance in the 1991 ADT London Marathon will win a trip to the New York Marathon ( including guaranteed entry , return airline ticket , accommodation and transport to and from the Marathon ) . Win a Trip in St. John 's Hot Air Balloon Anyone who raises money for St. John Ambulance in the 1991 ADT London Marathon will be entered into a prize draw to win a fantastic trip in our very own hot air balloon . After all we might as well put all that hot air you produce to some good . To run for St. John Ambulance simply complete the form below and send it in to our Marathon team .
Idiom: black and blue (used idiomatically: yes)
He was very mysterious … and rather ridiculous.’ Melissa smiled faintly at the recollection . ‘ He said , if I remember correctly , something like , ‘ We have n't heard the last of this’ while beating his nose black and blue with his Biro.’ ‘ Whatever could he have meant by that?’ ‘ At the time , he thought — no , it was almost as if he was hoping — that someone had pushed Klein off the cliff .
Idiom: one and the same (used idiomatically: yes)
Today we possess all sorts of studies on Indian , Chinese , and other philosophies , studies that place these philosophies on the same level with Greek philosophy , considering them merely as different historical formulations of one and the same cultural idea .
Idiom: hit the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ She wanted to speak to you about her sister , did n't she ? The late Clare Mallender.’ It was a guess , though scarcely a wild one , and Cunningham 's reaction confirmed it had hit the mark . ‘ Offhand , I ca n't think of a single good reason why I should tell you anything that passed between us , Mr Barnett.’ ‘ How about this?’
Idiom: go native (used idiomatically: no)
After the event , his role reverts back to that of an observer — and in this case , an analyst of his own actions while being a real participant.’ ( Gans 1962 ) This raises the ever - present danger of the researcher 's ‘ going native’ . This expression originated with the anthropologists , and refers to the possibility that the researcher will become over - involved with the people being studied , and so lose the detachment that is an essential part of the participant observer 's role . Pryce ( 1979 ) discusses this difficulty with great honesty .
Idiom: play with fire (used idiomatically: yes)
She heard the noise of the start but not even that had the power to disturb her thoughts , which were totally turned inwards on to herself . She 'd been such an idiot , had n't she ? Why , almost right from the start she 'd known she was playing with fire , and the rest of the cliché was proving to be disastrously right . What she 'd known instinctively from the start was absolutely right . She should never have allowed herself to become emotionally involved with a man who so patently distrusted her .
Idiom: same difference (used idiomatically: no)
Pack it in girls ! Queenie , come up to my office right away will you , I want to go over a mistake in the takings . Same Difference The Babygrow Song ( The Naked Truth ) When naked you fall into.the world
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
They have timed the deal pretty well , and not just from a weather outlook . Atco Qualcast , signalled as up for sale by BCI some two years ago , without takers , has been restructured at BCI 's expense by the very team now taking it over . The outfit has moved from losses of around £1.7m in calendar year 1991 , to an as-yet unfinalised figure in the black — which should be well in excess of £1m — for 1992 . Not a bad turn round . Or , as Roberts cheerfully confesses : ‘ We have had a good year .
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
You said you wanted information about the body , Your Highness.’ ‘ Yes?’ The District Chief hesitated , then took the plunge . ‘ What sort of information , Your Highness ? I will go and see the body if you wish and describe it to you .
Idiom: off and on (used idiomatically: no)
As well as McBride and Millar , four other Ulstermen were involved on that magnificent tour — Ken Kennedy , Mike Gibson , Stewart McKinney , and Dick Milliken . Milliken , now chairman of the Ulster selectors , played in all four Tests as centre partner with Ian McGeechan at present Down Under trying to plot the downfall of New Zealand . Milliken said : ‘ It was a phenomenal trip , both off and on the field . I remember it as if it was yesterday . I was only 23 and to hear players like Willie John , Gareth Edwards and Mervyn Davies saying that it was the best tour they 'd been on , then you knew it really was something special .
Idiom: go through the motions (used idiomatically: yes)
of pleasure up — Let 's face it Mrs Average is unlikely quite to measure up And if you keep my pic in mind As you go through the motions Of the marriage bed 's Twice weekly devotions Well the wife is none the wiser , She 's got us to
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
( Part of the reason for this , other than the high initial cost of the hardware , is that film recorders take quite an appreciable time to image the slide whereas a rostrum camera works as fast as the operator can change the artwork . ) At this point we are in the position that the market had reached just before Apple got interested . The traditional system suppliers such as VBS with their Beacon system and Genigraphics were few and far between while Matrix , now part of Agfa , was the dominant supplier of medium - priced film recorders . At this point the market began to bulge with new and lower priced devices such as the ImageMaker with its idiosyncratic optical font wheel , the Montage FR1 and the promised but rarely seen Mirus — a company in which Apple holds a 20 % stake . Matrix retaliated to some extent with their PCR / SlideWriter and more recently with the even cheaper ProColor but overall there is now much more of a market to choose from .
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
Why does slow productivity growth translate into high costs ? The problem is that service industries ultimately have to compete for workers in the same national labor pool as sectors with fast productivity growth , such as finance , manufacturing , and information technology . Even though the pools of workers may be somewhat segmented , there is enough overlap that it forces service - intensive industries to pay higher wages , at ~ least in the long run . The government , of course , is the consummate service - intensive sector . Government employees include teachers , policemen , trash collectors , and military personnel .
Idiom: down and out (used idiomatically: yes)
From : Date : Mon , 29 Nov 93 12:52:55 GMT Subject : Rocky 's down and out Congratulations to Mr Howard Bloody Wilkinson , not only has he presided over the transfer of David Batty , the sale of the League to the scum but he now seems intent on pissing off Rocky . What the fuck is he doing ?
Idiom: small potatoes (used idiomatically: yes)
Preparation time : 10 minutes . Cooking time : 40 minutes . Serves 4–6 . 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil 225 g ( 8 oz ) onions , skinned and finely chopped 25 g ( 1 oz ) garlic , chopped 225 g ( 8 oz ) celery , finely chopped 225 g ( 8 oz ) small potatoes in 5 mm ( ¼ in ) slices 25 g ( 1 oz ) pearl barley 1.75 litres ( 3 pints ) boiling chicken stock or water 225 g ( 8 oz ) leeks in 5 mm ( ¼ in ) slices 225 g ( 8 oz ) cabbage , shredded finely 225 g ( 8 oz ) dwarf beans , trimmed 225 g ( 8 oz ) cauliflower , broccoli or mixture , cut into tiny florets bunch of fresh herbs : bay , thyme and parsley salt , freshly ground black pepper handful of parsley , scissor - chopped Heat oil in a large deep pan . Sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes until aromatic and tender . Add celery , potatoes and pearl barley and stir for 5 minutes more .
Idiom: cold comfort (used idiomatically: yes)
The greenhouse effect means the world is in hot water . But how fast and far is it rising ? Jeremy Leggett reports on some cold - comfort clues from the Ice Age , while David Pugh considers the particular dangers facing cities like Venice as sea levels rise The big melt - down to a flood of fears . THE RISE of sea level predicted as a consequence of global warming has been the subject of some spectacular doom - mongering since the greenhouse effect leapt to prominence . But as in all aspects of forecasting the greenhouse world , the task of prediction is clouded by uncertainty .
Idiom: step on it (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ But that 's enough theology for one day.’ The Rolex was consulted again . ‘ If we do n't step on it the inn will have closed for the afternoon , and we wo n't get a glass of the urine of Culex pipiens . That which passes for beer in these parts.’ So it 's Broadhurst 's Wager that comes to me now , comes to me at three o ' clock in the morning while I harken to the cooling unit .
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
Neath , rocked by centre Colin Laity 's decision to leave in midweek , were relieved when giant No 8 Paul Jones got the all - clear after being kicked in the head . Jones played on , helping back row partner Adrian Varney grab two tries , before going to hospital for x - rays on his jaw . MARK Egan of Newbridge gets to grips with Cardiff 's Mike Rayer on Saturday . MOON : Ready That 's final by George
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
Stalls brandished stacks of holly and decorations of the kind beloved of Mrs Brissett . Unwholesome pink and yellow candies were sold from trays . Cut - price toys in boxes and cellophane wrapping spilled out of cardboard boxes . Vegetables seemed to have reached a record price . Meredith bought two pounds of satsumas and retired defeated .