Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: to the bone (used idiomatically: yes)
I suppose I can look upon her as a younger sister?’ ‘ That you ca n't , because I 'm mother to neither of you . He had been about to open the door into the kitchen , but now he turned and looked at her , and his next words cut her to the bone as they were apt to do when they spat the truth at her . ‘ And for that you 're to be pitied Aggie.’ The Nursemaid
Idiom: come clean (used idiomatically: no)
High electric sockets , along with all gas supplies and vacuum , ensure no cables or tubes trail on floor . WALL CHART THIS wipe-clean wall chart keeps a check on the number of swabs , instruments and needles which come into the theatre during the operation and all those going out . This ensures nothing is inadvertently left inside the patient , although modern-day swabs do show up on X-rays . THEATRE TROLLEY
Idiom: on the button (used idiomatically: yes)
At best , it will become a ping - pong of kicking . In his programme article for that Leicester v England match , Tony Russ of Leicester predicted that the new law , which intends to free up the game and lessen the effect of kicking , would have the opposite effect . He was on the button . It will have an opposite effect , and a drastic one . ‘ We 're Number 1 , mate!’
Idiom: have a few (used idiomatically: yes)
In the first half , it did n't really matter , cos it was great to see Leeds doing so well away from home . The second half saw Leeds do even more , but it just ended up frustrating . City had a few chances , and unfortunately they took one late in the second half , shortly after we 'd started shouting ‘ What 's like to be outclassed’ at the boys in blue . Somebody crossed in from the right , Lukic blocked a shot from Sheron , but the ball fell at the feet of Flitcroft who could n't really miss . That was one of those sickening moments so familiar to travelling Whites last season .
Idiom: lift a finger (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ An ' yow can come an ' give me a hand . An ' shut that door too before all the neighbours come nosing in.’ But Mum did n't lift a finger to help and gave as good as she got . ‘ Do it yerself . I 'm gooin ' ter put the kettle on an mek a cuppa tea.’
Idiom: give something a miss (used idiomatically: yes)
Pepe 's Bar day . And last Sunday Miguelito had rung Miguel to ask if he could meet her again . She had exactly six hours till midnight , six hours to make up her mind whether to go down to the beach bar , or give it a miss for the very first time . It seemed unthinkable to turn Miguelito down now , after that warm flush of pleasure just thinking about being with him , his strong body and arms , his soft mouth and deep beautiful voice . But Rosie had come first , and real people mattered more than fantasies .
Idiom: come the acid (used idiomatically: no)
Yeah well I got that 's what I have got one . That 's right . And you have acid coming up the gullet , Yeah . it can irritate the airway too and you can cough because of hiatus hernias .
Idiom: without fail (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Never mind ! It must go tonight , remember,’ Rosalind told her . ‘ I want him to get it tomorrow without fail.’ Peggy nodded . Richard was Rosalind 's young man , and Peggy liked him , especially as he sometimes brought a bag of sweets for her .
Idiom: fly in the face of (used idiomatically: yes)
Hinsley is bound by all kinds of rules about what he can and can not reveal , in the ‘ national interest’ , of which the authorities are the sole arbiters . He also can not cite the sources for many of the bits he is allowed to reveal , with the result that they can not be independently checked . This flies in the face of the most fundamental principles of the historian 's — or indeed any scholarly — profession . The result is a deeply flawed book in many ways , though useful , to a limited extent , in others . It deals with the domestic intelligence front .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
Deciding which to use and where is obviously important , a theme that has been explored before on these pages , but many users seem bewildered by the range of typefaces that are available . Which work with what software ? And , in the final analysis , are they any good ? To understand the font situation it is necessary to step back to the time before there was desktop publishing , at least in an electronic sense . Type was available in one of two forms ; lead or optical .
Idiom: pull someone's leg (used idiomatically: yes)
I was n't desperate enough to get under the lawn - mower . The floor of the barn was cold stone and slimy and smelled of engine oil and damp cereals . I scuttered around until I was facing the doors and pulled my legs in just as they opened fully . Sergeant Waters stood in the opening , his right hand reaching down to his side . He produced a set of car keys and loped past the tractor about ten inches from my nose .
Idiom: give someone the eye (used idiomatically: no)
TITLE : Give me a buck . TITLE : C : No ! W : I 'll give you a black eye plus .
Idiom: presence of mind (used idiomatically: yes)
I picked up the nearest coil and began to gather it up , but whereas in the summer heat the pipe had been soft and flexible , it now had the consistency of a steel cable and was like trying to lift a bedframe designed by Salvador Dali . Stepping forward to get a firmer grip , I trod on the rake whose handle leapt up , giving me a nasty crack on the brow and a making me stagger , knocking a bottle of systemic insecticide on to the floor , where it shattered and spread a nauseating puddle at my feet . I would have kept my presence of mind if the mouse , disturbed by all the commotion , had n't actually jumped into my welly . Instead , I ran screaming like a banshee into the garden engulfed in coils of stiffened pipe and looking like some mythical figure being consumed by a serpent . THE MASTER PLAN
Idiom: on the double (used idiomatically: yes)
Cooper 's contract FORMER Notts pace bowler Kevin Cooper is expected to sign a one year contract with Gloucestershire . The 35-year - old will join his new county on tour in Sri Lanka next week , provided he receives a favourable medical report on the double stress fracture of his back he suffered two years ago . County secretary Philip August said : ‘ We do n't anticipate any problems after watching Kevin bowl in the nets at Lilleshall for more than an hour.’ Malone 's Cup dilemma
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: yes)
He said , that 's alright , take it . She said , alright , gets into this , and off we go down the road , the steering 's all stiff , I tried it myself , , alright , all of sudden she got all excited at the indicators . They work , this little light goes on and off . She 's doing all these things really thrilled to bits , and I say , well look , you like this do n't you ? She said , yes , I said look .
Idiom: green light (used idiomatically: yes)
The light from the torch hits a special reflective layer behind the retina , known as the tapetum , and some of it bounces back out again . By reflecting the light , the tapetum gives the rods a second change to absorb the rays . The pigments in the retina affect the colour of the reflected light , so a gazelle 's eyes emit green light , a cat 's eyes appear golden , while rabbits ' eyes glow bright red . The tapetum is so useful for seeing in the dark that some reptiles , moths and deep - sea fish also have one . Another marine creature , the scallop , uses mirrors in one of the strangest eye designs in the natural world .
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
The way to manage money is firstly to assess what you have coming in and what you have to pay out . Budgeting is an instant turn - off to many people . Organising your financial well - being , however , will prove more relaxing in the long run . To be fair to yourself you should be certain that you are bringing in as much money as you should . IS ENOUGH MONEY COMING IN ?
Idiom: behind bars (used idiomatically: yes)
Are you sure that there 's anything left out there beyond the Darkfall ? Maybe this Storm to end all Storms has killed everyone else out there ? And even if it has n't , maybe Rohmer can see to it that you 'll spend the rest of your life behind bars along with Jimmy Devlin ? And maybe … ? Lightning whip - cracked across the reception windows again — and in the brief instant that the windows were illuminated by the flash , they all saw the monstrous shape beyond .
Idiom: more's the pity (used idiomatically: yes)
Think of the manufacturing industries fighting head to head with Japan — cars , semiconductors , computers , telecommunications . None of these has been prone to takeover bids . General Motors and Ford have not been dogged by raiders — more 's the pity . The tyre industry did attract bids ( including that of Firestone by Bridgestone , a Japanese firm ) , but that is true the world over ( note Pirelli 's bid for Continental in Germany ) . So did the airline industry .
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: yes)
She knew the answer anyway . For her , this would last a lifetime , because she loved him . Luke would tire of her , and the answer to her original question already lay like a shadow on her mind . She would be left — bereft . ‘ Next question,’ she moved on with wan humour .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
We estimate that a teacher earning just over £ 16,000 a year , with a non - earning spouse , would pay £ 389 in local income tax , a saving of £ 175 on the poll tax or £ 31 on the council tax . A hospital porter earning just over £ 8,500 a year , with a non - earning spouse , would pay £ 124 in local income tax , a saving of £ 440 on the poll tax or £ 296 on the council tax . I could give many other examples which would kill once and for all the idea so often propounded by the opponents of local income tax that such a tax would not benefit people on the lowest incomes . Our research , and the examples provided by other countries , show clearly that local income tax would be based on justice and fairness . In all seriousness , I ask the Government not to deride the strong arguments for a local income tax just because they happen to be advanced by what they call minority parties .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
We 'll all drown , if they try to get in.’ ‘ Yes . Put me on the rock , lass , and then take the boat out again,’ shouted William . ‘ I 'll talk to them . We ca n't take more than five , the first time.’
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
Others , however , suggested factions inside DEC , previously thought to be the most difficult of the troika , are rushing to ensure Destiny gets on their platforms and will go further than might be imagined on Tuesday . HP , a more consensus - run establishment , might be a bit more tepid this week in its enthusiasms but is believed to be sending observers with at least a statement of goodwill . IBM is said to be late off the mark and may not get the chance to inject itself officially . However , it too is thought to be moving to catch up with the market . Since Tuesday is not exactly Unity II , but only its stepchild , much of the factionalism inside the industry is still lively .
Idiom: up the river (used idiomatically: yes)
Notice that at so young an age he knew that ‘ the Rev.’ was better than ‘ Rev.’But the book was not orthodox in divinity because father locked it up and would not let Michael 's sister read it . When Michael was 5 the family moved house , only half a mile , to a larger house nearer Magdalene College , Howfield beyond Castle Hill . What the older Michael mostly remembered about this were the games — croquet in which the parents joined the children , tennis , a sort of squash with his brother hitting a tennis ball against a veranda wall , expeditions up the river through the Backs and then up to the village of Grantchester . The other children found Michael to be very odd , and the girls ( two sisters now ) resented the oddness . This was in part due to a disability which was not realized .
Idiom: pull out all the stops (used idiomatically: yes)
The most common response was that they felt better able to empathise with their patients and clients and understand the social and psychological implications of disability . Some of the professionals believed that they had greater patience than their able - bodied colleagues , and often pointed out that their patients and clients had greater confidence in them and were more likely to take their advice . One person said : ‘ Many clients thought they 'd get a slightly better deal through having a blind social worker because they thought I was having to pull out all the stops to prove that I was good and therefore they would get a spin - off.’ Most people felt that they could empathise with and understand those with a similar impairment best . A partially deaf therapist stated : ‘ I 've got a lot more patience with deaf people and I get more out of them .
Idiom: on the house (used idiomatically: yes)
Thanks to Government deregulation of buses we now have a dramatic improvement in Oxford 's bus service . HOUSING In Oxford , Labour has used up the housing reserves and still owes £ 22 million on its council houses . Conservatives believe in good management and not paying out £ millions in interest . NO ALTERNATIVE
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: no)
At that time Branson said no . But as the Time Out dispute gathered steam , he telephoned Elliott with another proposition . ‘ It 's clear from what you 've said in the papers that you 're determined to have a full blown lock - out and deal with the union problem once and for all,’ Branson said . ‘ That means you 're going to be off the streets for quite a while.’ ‘ It looks like it,’ said Elliott .
Idiom: have a few (used idiomatically: no)
The agent has to be external and never within themselves . They can not imagine any delight in a tumble of ungainly bodies nor can they accept the fact that the sexual act is not graceful . Usually they have few if any memories of being comforted on a lap , tossed in the air by their father ( why do men toss babies and women so rarely ? ) , delicious bathing times with games and squeals of delight , and well - earned praise and parental pleasure when they excreted in nappy or pot . More often the memory is of the displeasure that their body and its excretions caused . Because the genital organ is also the urinary one , or adjacent to it , attitudes inculcated in respect of urination can get displaced on to sex .
Idiom: point the finger (used idiomatically: yes)
In seven areas — Scottish Borders , Dumfries and Galloway , Tyne and Wear , Northamptonshire , Shropshire , Gwent and Gloucestershire — the losses amount to around 60 per cent . Of the remaining ancient woodland , over 80 per cent consists of small copses of less than 50 acres . Commenting on the report , WWF - UK 's forest conservation officer , Jean - Paul Jenrenaud , said : " We have spent too long pointing the finger at the tropical countries for cutting down their forests , without examining what is happening in our own backyard . " * The WWF has published a report arguing that economic analysis of forestry should include consideration of the social and environmental costs and benefits . Trees and the treasury : Valuing Forests for Society argues that a history of subsidised conifer plantations has left timber growers with a surplus of mature trees which cost more to fell and process than they earn as timber .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Right then . Okay . I 've got ta off by heart . If you can learn those , er that 's good . Right .
Idiom: money talks (used idiomatically: yes)
Their speciality is jumping over obstacles , to jump , queue jumping to be precise . Other doctor 's patients are having their operations postponed in order to allow the patients of G P fundholders to be treated first . Money talks , is exactly what we warned about . Cash coming before care . Congress , I did n't look into any crystal ball .
Idiom: take a hike (used idiomatically: yes)
For others the anger stems from frustrated hopes . He 's not become rich and successful and , tied to the drudgery of housework , she 's no longer the beauty he married . While all sex therapists insist on the need for emotional involvement to sustain good sex , there are some couples whose sex life takes a hike because they have become too close . A fear of intimacy tends to affect men more than women . Jason was typical crazy about Helen , he wanted sex every day .
Idiom: jump on the bandwagon (used idiomatically: yes)
' A collective image grabs people 's attention more that yet another picture of a rainforest . Just after the Gulf War , there was a lot of talk about pollution and green issues , and I had the idea of cutting a cross - section through London — underground , overground and sky . But it 's also a personal thing : I do n't want to look as if I 'm just jumping on a green bandwagon . It 's what I feel ' . Similarly , ' Cultural Genocide ' is his personal and powerful emphatic response to the oppression of the Australian aborigines .
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: yes)
Nevertheless , whatever the mechanism involved , there is an increasing volume of evidence of a strong correlation between extinctions and magnetic reversals . Thus six out of eight species of radiolarians that have become extinct in the last 2½ million years show a very strong correlation between their last appearance and a reversal horizon . This has been observed in a large number of deep sea cores from both high and low latitudes , though one is tempted to ask how many other species did not become extinct during this period . Naturally , if one goes farther back in time the evidence becomes more shaky , but nevertheless there apparently were reversals in late Permian and late Cretaceous times which coincide with the two most important extinction levels . In any case , there are earthier explanations , such as the changes in sea level favoured by Newell ( 1963 and 1967 ) , or changes in climate ( perhaps themselves brought about by changes in the earth 's magnetism ) which are favoured by many authors .
Idiom: set eyes on (used idiomatically: yes)
Memories of the past , which now filled her mind to the exclusion of all else . CHAPTER THREE It was not difficult for Laura to remember the first time she had set eyes on Ross Wyndham , because it had also been the day of her cousin 's wedding . As the only bridesmaid , she had been following Liz up the aisle of the small country church , nervously clutching her bouquet of trailing greenery and praying that she would n't make the awful mistake of treading on the long train of Liz 's wedding dress . It was n't until they had come to a halt that she had felt able to raise her eyes from the floor and look at the two men standing by the alter rail .
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I feel I must have trained in the Dark Ages . But when I started at Benedict 's nineteen years ago , and during my training , though a few forced the pace , no - one thought one odd , or sick , if one did n't leap into bed with one 's boyfriend , or indulge in violent necking sessions on every date . You may not believe this , but though Richard and I have now known each other for eighteen years on and off , the first time he kissed me was in the car - park last Thursday.’ ‘ You 're not serious?’ ‘ Perfectly.’
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: no)
Peter Cole , chairman of Bramshill Parish Council , in whose bailiwick the town would have fallen , said : ' I might have an extra beer today , but I am saving the champagne for another 21 days . ' As things stand Mr Patten is minded to turn down the application , but there will be a 21-day stay of execution for appeals . ' He said the parish , which has just 100 people on the electoral roll , would have been swamped by the new town . Mr Cole said the area was used for horse - riding , was a haven for wildlife and people came from miles around on summer evenings to hear the nightjars . Mr Patten said that he had not turned against the idea of any and all new towns : ' So long as the location is right and so long as people can have real confidence that a decision in favour of a new settlement will relieve development pressures elsewhere , then new villages and new settlements could have a part to play in increasing the acceptability of new housing decisions . '
Idiom: true to form (used idiomatically: yes)
I think I told you some months ago that I would be asking you to consider that . in the course of your budget debate and er true to form I 've brought it in front of you this morning . The need to prepare schools and help to help schools prepare themselves for the erm review of the national curriculum the changes that they will have to deal with and in particular I think , erm to help secondary schools to come to terms with changes in key stage four and the likely erm opportunities there will be for a more diverse curriculum including eventually er the opportunities for more vocational programmes in schools and to assist schools .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Good!’ The man handed it to her with a smile , then turned back , shaking his head . ‘ Now get lost , you little fucker . If I so much as see you in this section during the flight … ’ The Han swallowed and backed away hurriedly .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: yes)
( This is not too difficult and usually only has to be done about every three months , when the newsletter is due . ) Welcoming newcomers . Going to the committee meetings once a month and then keeping the groups informed of anything going on within the Central Branch . Newsletter team member The post involves every three months sharing the duties of the team i.e. reminding committee members of necessary articles , putting in ideas for articles , typing and printing on word processor ( training given if necessary ) collating and posting completed newsletters .
Idiom: have the last laugh (used idiomatically: yes)
Sold ! Whata loada Skoda DON'T scoff at Skodas , they 're having the last laugh . Sales of the low - priced Czech motor have soared by a quarter in crisis - hit Britain this year . Spokesman Peter Titterton cheekily suggested that Princess Di should drive one now she has given up her Mercedes .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: yes)
The urge to succeed and be competitive was stronger in some of us than in others , and although the section was theoretically united there was a faction which stood apart from the rest . The members of this group changed regularly , and were composed of those who had done well on this or that physical test . You only retained membership as long as you succeeded on the runs , and in the classroom periods , which were held in a sodden marquee on the hillside . Being in with the gang did n't stop you getting hit but it meant that the Corporals might think for one second before lifting their fists Along with Mike the Rhodesian , Marius , Robert from Oberammergau and Chris , there was myself and a Frenchman called Tignet . Corporal Herve had christened us ‘ Les Aigles Noirs ’ , The Black Eagles , after a comic strip story about superhuman warriors .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
I was just thinking it was very mean of me to have ordered sea - horse - on - toast for my tea … Or was that a half - waking thought? … when my alarm went . Got dressed ( glanced out of the window — hot again ) , made up ( Gothic again ) , sat on the edge of the bed and took out my envelope of dreams and scribbled down last night 's dream . Hunchback … Dad …