Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: join the club (used idiomatically: yes)
They made off with nine birds worth a total of £ 180 from a house in Studley Road . TALKS are to be held between a cricket club and a rugby club over the future of a top sporting venue . Middlesbrough cricket club is to join the town 's rugby club in talks over the possible sale of the Acklam Park ground they jointly own in Green Lane , Acklam , Middlesbrough . But cricket club president Brian Kneeshaw stressed the move did not alter his club 's stated opposition to parting with the land , described by a local councillor as ' the jewel in Middlesbrough 's crown ' . Developers Foinavon has offered £ 5 m for the purchase of the whole of the ground with the intention of developing the site as a giant supermarket .
Idiom: call it a day (used idiomatically: no)
SCATTY great-granny Dorothy Ward nearly scuppered her chance to scoop £10,000 on Daily Mirror bingo . She put her card away in a safe place — then could n't remember where . She missed two games before finding it behind a cushion , but then took only a few days to call house on number 52 in game 230 . Dorothy , 65 , of Hinckley , Lincs , is putting the £10,000 in a safe place — the bank , not behind a cushion — while she ponders how to spend it . Today 's Game — Page 25
Idiom: an old flame (used idiomatically: yes)
Was n't he supposed to be doing all this as a favour to her father ? Did he think he was so important that he could finish the cottage in his own sweet time ? A spot of work here and there , liberally interspersed with rendezvous with an old flame ? She would mention that to him when he decided to make his reappearance . Then she changed her mind .
Idiom: strike a chord (used idiomatically: yes)
Workwear on the terraces , anyone ? The big jeans names are already aware of the authentic newcomers , and are beginning to realise that the original utility styles they updated and bastardised over the past 30 years are the current fashion winners : watch them scramble to regain their own heritage . The truth is that , like the traditional denim jean , workwear will strike a chord with those who want a certain amount of style without the risk of being labelled a fashion fool . Sporting your quality , functional threads , you 're always going to be safe from scorn . The risible Fulham farmyard set might have worn rugged outdoor gear for years , but remember , the Boo - Yaa Tribe never wear Barbour jackets .
Idiom: to boot (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Forgive me , Brother,’ he mumbled . ‘ A bad night , and I 've got an aching head.’ ‘ And a filthy temper to boot,’ Athelstan thought , but decided to keep his own counsel . Sir John would talk soon enough . Cranston chewed his lip and glared into a corner where a huge rat gnawed at a bloody globule of fat glistening amongst the dirty rushes .
Idiom: take a back seat (used idiomatically: yes)
Four of the highest judges likely to retire soon will replace them with more liberal appointments . That way America , and the rest of the world , stand a chance of getting the ‘ kinder , gentler’ approach Bush promised but failed to deliver . Foreign policy will take a back seat while Clinton sorts out domestic problems . But he can not ignore it for long . The US already stands on the brink of a trade war with the EC over the failure of GATT talks .
Idiom: grist to the mill (used idiomatically: yes)
BIMBO The Hey day Politicians , bankers , Fleet Street editors — all are grist to your kiss - and - tell mill . They get the sack . You get the loot when the beans are spilled in the Sabbath press .
Idiom: out of sight (used idiomatically: yes)
If parents are your primary role models , then Richard Jenkins was formed by an alcoholic father and a beloved mother who died and left him when he was two . They say that in such a case you search for your mother for the rest of your life . Oddly , though he could never bear to be out of her sight and cried whenever she left him , as soon as his eldest sister , the faithful Cis , got him to her own home he ceased to cry . To his great sorrow he could never recall his mother . You can measure the greatness of a life by the length and quality of the journey taken .
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: yes)
11 MARJORIE and the children were sitting on the lawn cutting out paper lanterns . Dressing to go to town , Nick could hear their voices through the open window and Marjorie 's occasional laughter , soft and contented as a cat 's purr . He was glad she was happy and whistled softly to himself as he tied his tie . The return to England had worked in a way he would never have believed it could .
Idiom: keep tabs on (used idiomatically: yes)
The control layout is on a par with ART 's tried and tested formula , and on the face of it should be fairly simple to understand . However , as a lot of the controls serve two functions , some initial confusion can arise . LEDs alongside certain buttons indicate which mode of operation has been selected and these do help in keeping tabs on what 's happening during programming . The LCD display window to the left of the front panel and the LED readout in the centre are clear enough : the LCD shows patch name , effects in use and other essential programming information ; the LED tells the patch number and also becomes the tuning meter when the Alpha 's internal bass / guitar tuner patch is selected . Between these two displays are the rotary encoder control and four push buttons .
Idiom: cut and run (used idiomatically: yes)
In fact it is only with Mr Golyadkin very near the beginning of his writing career , and with Stepan Verkhovensky towards the end , that Quixotic features of courtesy and romance become prominent . Mr Golyadkin 's response to the elopement letter was a two - in - one attempt to assume a chivalric role and reach a lovers ' destination . Stepan Verkhovensky has only himself to elope with , and it remains an open question whether he will go on enduring the indignities of his hanger - on position , or cut and run , somehow , somewhere . He remarks to his son that unhappiness is just as necessary to mankind as happiness — one of those cherished convictions of Dostoevsky that get slipped in when our attention is elsewhere . But , as Peter immediately tells his father , this is just the sort of bon mot to expect from an idler who is being kept in the lap of luxury .
Idiom: catch fire (used idiomatically: no)
‘ For half an hour Russian pilots were flying over the base , preventing a missile and bomb attack by two Georgian SU-25 fighters,’ an air force spokesman was quoted by Itar - Tass news agency as saying . ‘ After that , contact with one of the Russian planes was cut off . Intelligence reports say the plane caught fire and disintegrated in the air after being hit by a Georgian missile , launched from the ground,’ the spokesman added . He said Russian planes were not carrying ‘ air - to - surface’ missiles or bombs , which could allow them to attack targets on the ground . Mr Shevardnadze says local Russian commanders are responsible and not President Boris Yeltsin .
Idiom: off the wall (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Everybody 's following everybody else at the moment ; everybody 's got very serious and safe . We want to do something a bit different . We both love things that are a bit off the wall , and we love pure pop.’ None of the tracks were actually intended as jokes . Not even Edmundo Ros 's version of El Dondo Sur La Collina ( The Fool on the Hill to you and me ) , nor the Met men 's When I 'm 64 .
Idiom: song and dance (used idiomatically: yes)
A shapeless bundle of dirty rags was in front of her , the face no more than a grey shadow . No one of consequence . If she had wanted to stay she 'd have made a song and dance , but it was better to move . That way she might warm up . She stretched creakily .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
He returned to his office to write his letter of resignation and clear his desk . He thanked Mr Major for clearing him of any breach of ministerial rules . But he made no reference to how this is contradicted by the ministerial rule book , which states : ' No Minister or public servant should accept gifts , hospitality or services from anyone which would , or might appear to , place him or her under an obligation . ' Mr Major 's reply expressed ' deep regret ' .
Idiom: beg the question (used idiomatically: yes)
This view sounds consistent with the philosophy often cited by groups of service users — that standards should be consistent across the country and that people should have minimum entitlements to services wherever they live . But it sits uneasily with the often - heard principle that ' local services should respond to local needs ' . It also begs a question about whether the government is changing its tune ? John Major is the first prime minister in 40 years to have any background in local government . So there could be reason to think his administration would bring a new dawn for local democracy .
Idiom: swings and roundabouts (used idiomatically: yes)
Annie herself had grown very fond of the child . Whenever the day was dry and not too cold she would take Rachel into nearby Southwark Park . As the days became warmer they would go to the pond to feed the ducks and then along to the terraced rose gardens before making their way to the nearby swings and roundabouts in the small enclosed area . It was in the rose gardens that Annie McCafferty met the young ex - boxer one fine , crisp morning when the buds were appearing and trees were coming into leaf . Annie was sitting beside Rachel 's pram , talking and laughing with the child , when she noticed the young man walking slowly along the paved path .
Idiom: drop a brick (used idiomatically: yes)
He himself removed the aspidistra and put a match to the fire before departing to see about their frugal meal . ‘ So they were talking about us!’ said Breeze . ‘ He did n't realize he 'd dropped a brick when he admitted that he knew where we were going . I hope ‘ my lord — Mr Smith’ was n't listening through a secret panel!’ ‘ My dear , do be quiet — he may be listening now!’
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
It was A T S. Why did it gobble his card up then ? Well because A T S had gone straight to the bailiff and the courts to freeze his account . Ooh my God ! Mm because his account was frozen as soon as he put his card in it took it in !
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: no)
Remember her theory about Hell ? ' Preston frowned . ' It rings a vague bell . Go on … ' ' She reckoned it was like a department store , do n't you remember ? '
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
I 've got my watch this time , Uncle Ron . Well done son . Oh sorry I 'm falling short in my duties are n't I ? You are yes . Right pensions is n't it ?
Idiom: rock the boat (used idiomatically: yes)
But the government may have to let Kowloon 's shadowy firms go on polluting . With the Chinese border so close , a rise in costs might persuade many of them to move there , where wages are lower and filth tolerated . Rocking the boat American Telephone & Telegraph has opted for a closer partnership with its trade unions to boost productivity and the quality of its services . The experiment has already run into trouble
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: no)
But the Department of Health said it was doing its best to help hospital staff cope with change . EC hearing on Rock deaths trio RELATIVES of three IRA terrorists shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar will learn tonight whether a campaign to put the Government in the dock over the killings has been successful . After an all - day private hearing involving lawyers for both sides , the European Commission of Human Rights will decide if there is a case to be answered before the Human Rights Court . Danny McCann , Mairead Farrell and Sean Savage died in the 1988 shootings after the SAS were called in by Gibraltar 's police commissioner to help round up what was believed to be an IRA active service unit preparing an attack against British troops stationed there .
Idiom: catch fire (used idiomatically: yes)
It is int it ? Mortgage . Are there erm , insurances in force covering the property , say if it caught fire , etcetera ? Any other insurances ? Yeah .
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
BLACKPOOL — The Chancellor 's entrance to the platform was greeted with a standing ovation . After his speech the conference clapped and cheered as if he had announced the abolition of the income tax . In between these demonstrations of loyalty and discipline under fire he had said nothing to clarify the Government 's policy for combating inflation other than that there was no alternative to what he had been doing . That phrase ‘ there is no alternative’ has a special meaning in the vocabulary of Thatcherism . Margaret Thatcher herself said it so many times in reply to‘wet’ critics that it became known , not very affectionately , as Tina .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
I knocked , and a tall man opened it . He was very old , but his eyes were blue and bright . He was wearing black trousers and a beautiful white shirt . He had a lot of straight , silvery hair . He looked just like his picture on the wall of the theatre .
Idiom: in the raw (used idiomatically: no)
Substances used are chlorine , potassium permanganate , sodium arsenite , copper salts , and algicides , such as Panacide ( BDH ) and Algistat ( BDH ) . An effective dosage has been found to be 1 mg/1 . of chlorine , applied as sodium hypochlorite . The quantity needed may , however , vary according to the quantity of organic matter in the raw water . After purification treatment , the process water can be stored in elevated tanks and fed by gravity to the machine , or it can be pumped directly with only a small balancing tank overhead . The gravity feed is more expensive in that large overhead tanks are needed , whereas the pumped supply can give water at high pressure hut is dependent upon trouble - free running of the pumps .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
Unfortunately , after the first six or seven freebies things got a little hazy and I understand that I told everyone that Singh and his brothers ( no relation ) were indeed going to build a superstore on ‘ The Tip’ , but that they were also going to spend £ 2,000,000 on a new stadium for Athletico to be built on top of Mitchley cemetery . Oh , Jesus ! I knew all along of course that Pahdra Singh was only interested in the club for his own profit . You ca n't pull the bobble hat over my eyes . He knows sod all about football and , talk about stingy , I wish the defence were as tight as the clasp on his wallet .
Idiom: get on someone's wick (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah . Ooh that door ! Yes that was getting on my wick that door , yeah . Shut up door ! Mm .
Idiom: stand up and be counted (used idiomatically: yes)
I agree with every word . Thank God someone 's said it . We really need more help from you good men to stand up and be counted ! Kate O'Connor London NW1 PARSONS ' piece was well meant , but very revealing about the attitude of a supposedly enlightened male .
Idiom: in my book (used idiomatically: yes)
But you have used Princess in your book ? Female speaker All the information in my book is approved by the Princess and is common knowledge anyway . Voice over Astrology is now hi - tech .
Idiom: go hand in hand (used idiomatically: yes)
For example , there might be one or two parents , or some older , responsible young people , who could accompany the younger ones . Learning to be responsible Teenagers have to learn that privilege and responsibility go hand in hand . Sometimes , as in the case of a foreign or inter - state trip , the youngster may just not be old enough or experienced enough to cope , but at other times they may not be showing enough sense of responsibility to be safely granted privileges . Teenagers who consistently fail to let parents know when they will be home , or where they are likely to be , can not expect to be allowed to stay out to all hours .
Idiom: throw in the towel (used idiomatically: yes)
They have a good scrum - half in David Llewellyn and the backs have the confidence - boosting presence of Roger Bidgood , whose display against Scotland on winning his first cap was excellent . However , despite my misgivings , I plump for Swansea to face Llanelli in the final . I do n't think they will throw in the towel as they did against Pontypool last year . Coach Mike Ruddock is sure they ca n't fail again and I agree with him . So there should be a tremendous final on May 16th and I look forward to being there to see Llanelli and Swansea do Welsh rugby proud .
Idiom: carry the day (used idiomatically: yes)
In one notable Supreme Court decision , the government was allowed to bar a merger of two Los Angeles supermarket chains whose combined market share was only 7.5 % . The government acknowledged that this merger posed no immediate risk to consumers , but reasoned that other chains in the area might follow the example . With logic like this carrying the day , it is little wonder that one dissenting judge observed that the only rule of law governing merger cases in this period was that the government always won . Levels of antitrust enforcement in the United States have moved in cycles . Things have begun to swing towards more enforcement after a period in which , as you note , the Sherman and Clayton acts were forgotten and the authorities charged with enforcing them were starved of resources .
Idiom: pull out all the stops (used idiomatically: yes)
Three years ago , Slater said , ‘ I predicted that there would be no more major RISC announcements , and then came Alpha — I could still have been right.’ He is cautious about all the hype that has surrounded Alpha from the time of announcement and warns that too much is being promised by a chip that was designed in the first instance to provide a Unix migration path for VAX users . He said DEC has pulled out all the stops to achieve the fastest possible clock speed — 200MHz in a CMOS silicon implementation — and a pure 64-bit architecture . In striving for this goal , however , DEC has sacrificed cache memory capacity — a third of the chip is actually taken up by clock buffers which dissipate half of Alpha 's notably high level — 30 Watts — of heat emission . Although Alpha is packaged to the same die as the Viking SuperSparc , Alpha manages only 16 K cache while Viking has 36K.
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
He took a lot more photos of me this morning . He really enjoys it . He likes me to smile at the camera , so twice I pulled shocking faces . He was not amused . Then I put my hair up with one hand and pretended I was a model .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
PHASES OF PNP There were 71 mainly inner - city schools in PNP Phase 1 , 56 schools in Phase 2 , with the remaining 103 schools being in Phase 3 . Given PNP 's commitment to positive discrimination in favour of children and schools with particular needs , the phasing system for introducing schools to the programme was , by and large , appropriate and equitable . There were of course anomalies , but some would have occurred whatever mechanisms for resource allocation had been adopted . RESOURCES FOR PNP
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: no)
" Of course she must sit with us ! What do you think she is , a skivvy ? " So an extra place was laid , and Jennifer allowed to sit between Jill and Nathan , with Matthew pulling faces to amuse her from across the table and Tristram in a flame of embarrassment at having her so near and yet so far . Harry was enjoying himself : he had been drinking , and was in that pleasant state of semi - inebriation that softened his tongue and turned him into a quite amiable human being . He was also very taken with Jennifer .
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: no)
Creating , Entering and Installing A Process Model — A Check List This paragraph is designed to provide the user with a chronological list of the operations required to affect a process model within LIFESPAN . sketch out on paper the process model which you want to use within LIFESPAN . Keep it simple , you can always add to it latter . decide on the module type and subtype which it is to effect .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: no)
' I have always spoken and used European languages a lot and my wife Annie is the same . You feel very much at the centre of things , ' he said . ' Britain , I often think , is on the edge of Europe , not only geographically but philosophically . ' From the Italian viewpoint at least , he sees the Single Market changes making little difference to how things work . ' Italy was already fully integrated into Europe as a country and Courtaulds is reasonably integrated into Europe as well .
Idiom: back to the drawing board (used idiomatically: yes)
Lord Boyd - Carpenter said that criticism was unhappily ‘ not confined to the other side’ and it would be many years before the scheme would bear fruit . His colleague , Lord Beloff , asked why the Government had brought forward a bill without support in either House for a scheme the vice - chancellors had repeatedly told them was impossible . Professor John Ashworth , vice - chairman of the committee of vice - chancellors and principals ( CVCP ) , also urged Mr MacGregor to use ‘ a heaven - sent opportunity to go back to the drawing board and look at the entire issue of how students are supported — grants , loans and fees.’ Professor Ashworth , Salford University vice - chancellor , said repayments of loans , worth up to £ 460 a year , should be made through the Inland Revenue — an option consistently ruled out by ministers and officials . ‘ The university or polytechnic should administer the grant and loan and collect the full - cost fee .
Idiom: make the cut (used idiomatically: no)
Acceptance forms are needed in the office as soon as possible , particularly if lunch is required . LOCAL AUTHORITY CLASSES : We know that local authorities are in financial difficulties and many are having to make drastic cuts in all areas . Please encourage class members to lobby their local councils about cuts in classes , either personally or by petition . Noises need to be made NOW so that when the political situation improves we shall be able to negotiate classes on good terms .
Idiom: Jekyll and Hyde (used idiomatically: no)
Set against the enduring strength of the city 's architecture and way of life , the film reflects an attitude that you would recognise even now in Marchmont and the New Town . Of course , this is a tribute to Muriel Spark 's novel as much as to the film ; and this is a key to the moving image portrayal of Edinburgh and its surroundings — film - makers have come to Edinburgh to produce stories which are set here already , generally well - known stories from fact or fiction . Apart from those already mentioned , there were the various Burke and Hare / Jekyll and Hyde adaptations , the Thirty Nine Steps at South Queensferry and parts of Chariots of Fire at Goldenacre and Inverleith . ( The exception , proving the rule , was Brigitte Bardot 's sojourn in Dirleton for Two Weeks in September — not a conspicuous success . ) Films from indigenous writers and producers have also tended to be written about some aspect of Edinburgh , like Bill Douglas ' autobiographical trilogy , My Way Home , Jam Jar 's Conquest of the South Pole and Tickets for the Zoo .
Idiom: watch your back (used idiomatically: yes)
See that tree there ? Run to it . I 'll watch your backs.’ But before they could go shots rang out . They grouped together on the ground .
Idiom: way to go (used idiomatically: yes)
Even if a gull out - manoeuvres them , they can escape by diving below the surface of the water where the gulls can not follow . They are , however , vulnerable when getting from one of these places to the other . Leaving their nest - holes they have some way to go before the sea can provide them with a refuge . And coming back from the sea , laden with fish for their young , they can only find safety in their nest holes . So the black - backed gulls wait for them in the air in front of the cliffs , wheeling and circling on the up - draught created as the wind , blowing in from the sea , is deflected upwards .