Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: when push comes to shove (used idiomatically: yes)
It is the development of this strong group cohesiveness which , almost remarkably , has allowed the YCCC to call all the shots in their campaign . They have not handed over the arguments to be articulated by lawyers and scientists even now that they have taken the city and the tannery to court in a law - suit claim for $ 31 million . The major thrust may have been carried by a dozen committed individuals , but when push has come to shove , the YCCC have been able to fill meeting halls for important confrontations , and have succeeded in getting eight places out of eleven on the City Council filled by candidates representing a broad coalition under the slogan ' It 's time for change , ' which campaigned specifically on local issues . Also , much of the money for the campaign has come from the community itself , and where outside groups have provided assistance , either financially or otherwise , it has been on the terms of the YCCC rather than anyone else . That this cohesiveness has persisted in the face of constant harassment , phone - calls , malicious rumours about YCCC members , threats of violence , and the attempted shooting of group members is all the more remarkable .
Idiom: grind to a halt (used idiomatically: yes)
Is that ever a problem ? Yes , it can be a problem . You certainly do n't want your computer grinding to a halt in the middle of your important statement run . And you have to have a maintenance contract . If you 're a serious user you simply ca n't do without it , and this can be expensive .
Idiom: give someone pause (used idiomatically: yes)
So does Eva Burrows . When African music is part of a meeting her staff speculate about how long she will be able to keep still . African tribal beliefs gave her more serious pause for thought . She had too great a respect for the people to discount their inherited wisdom and instinctive worship of a power beyond themselves . From her studies and the things people had shared she felt there were strong links between the Christian faith and the Bantu religious background .
Idiom: child's play (used idiomatically: yes)
A user - definable speed bar at the top of the screen holds icons representing frequently used functions . Fig 2 ( qpro02.TIF ) Turning your data in a graph is child 's play . Simply highlight sections of data and they automatically appear in the Graph window . Quatro Pro provide a complete range of graph types in 2D , 3D and combination styles .
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
The first involvement with Derry by NICRA was a visit by its secretary , Derek Peters , in August 1967 . He discussed prospects for activity in the city with Terence O'Brien , a Magee College lecturer who was a member of the executive committee of NICRA . In September , O'Brien called a meeting in an attempt to establish a Derry branch of the association but it never got off the ground ; indeed even at the height of the civil rights movement NICRA had branches in north and south County Derry but in the city itself the principal civil rights organisation was the DCAC , which although affiliated to NICRA , was completely autonomous . In 1967 no one in Derry showed much interest in the civil libertarian work of NICRA . The city was dominated by material problems like unemployment and housing , which although related to the issue of discrimination , were more obviously tackled by campaigns that focused on the issues themselves .
Idiom: all and sundry (used idiomatically: yes)
It appears the naughty boys were in the altogether just as a primary school field trip walked past . Hey , look on the bright side , at least it gives them a head start for their biology GCSEs . And finally we return you to America to party on down with those incredibly nice chaps from TEENAGE FAN CLUB , who have been winning over all and sundry with their boyish charm , roguish antics and , occasionally , pop music . Guests at their big Los Angeles show included KURT COBAIN and COURTNEY LOVE , who were so impressed by king of the skins BRENDON O'HARE that they are seriously considering naming their imminent first - born after him ! Bloody hell , hope it is n't a girl .
Idiom: crystal clear (used idiomatically: yes)
The last couple of days had been wonderful . Fernando had driven her all over the island . They 'd climbed down to rocky secluded coves and bathed in crystal - clear waters and picnicked in shady pine forests . They had seen the windmills of which there were dozens on the plains in the interior of the island . Some of the inland villages stood still in time and were quiet and peaceful respites from the glamour of the coastal resorts .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Tuesday was the Music Exam which was not difficult as I was already working at the Theory of Music at the Royal College . On Wednesday came the Greek paper . I knew the two plays almost by heart . Though very tense throughout the whole week , I felt that things were not going too badly . But I was dreading the French paper to which I had only given the dregs of my time as I had had so much else on my plate .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
Every article and member of the staff , from the fire - buckets to the boot - blacks , had to be the best available . Compromises with his few but firmly held prejudices were only made when to hold out meant risking something irreplaceable . James , for all his vagaries , was the best PRO in the hotel business , which explained why I , a non - Jew and a woman , had obtained my present job . I knew he 'd fought James on it tooth and nail , and though in all honesty I felt I 'd won him round to some extent since , the prejudices remained beneath the surface of benignity , waiting only for some unwary blunder on my part to crack the surface and let them burst through . Such a blunder I 'd now committed .
Idiom: in stitches (used idiomatically: yes)
She knelt down on the cushion , placed her ungloved hands together , closed her eyes and appeared to be either thinking or sleeping in an upright kneeling position . Dot decided she had better copy Mrs Hollidaye . She found a similar cushion hanging in front of her place , sewn in neat wool stitches . Hers had an embroidered picture of a lamb standing in a field of flowers with yellow light sprouting out from around its head . The lamb had a nice expression rather like a kitten 's .
Idiom: force someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , that made sense . She had actually tried to use the photographs … perhaps to blackmail him into marrying her . ( That would tie in with the pregnancy in the summer — an earlier attempt to force Steen 's hand . ) She could have tried the blackmail approach on the Saturday afternoon ; then , when Steen cut up rough , she realized she 'd overstepped the mark and brought in Charles as a go - between to patch things up . That would even explain why she took him back to Archer Street from the Montrose .
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
They used to come there with timber that time o ' day ; owd Norwegians . Some of them had chains round their boats , fore and aft , to hold them together , do they d ha sunk ; busted right open from the swelling of the wood with too much water . Water used to come over the top , and swelled it up and bust em ! They used to have big chains right round , fore and aft to keep them together . I know , at one time o ' day in Shoreham I was doing ballast — in the Mount Blairie that was — and the owd mate was tipping these baskets of shingle into the hold , the empty hold .
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
Many councils were sceptical . Some are to this day . Many took the plunge and the great rail revival had started . The seven PTAs — Sir Peter Parker called them ‘ The Magnificent Seven ’ — have been the driving force behind scores of new initiatives to improve rail services by building new stations — often replacing ones closed by Dr Beeching — restoring passenger services to freight-only lines and , incredibly , in the case of the West Yorkshire PTA actually purchasing their own trains ! Yet at the end of the eighties the only government money paid to BR was the rapidly dwindling subsidy paid to Provincial and Network SouthEast sectors to support loss-making services and talk continued of ‘ bustitution ’ , however ridiculed it was by professional transport executives .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
' What happens then ? ' ' The chief cipher clerk , Walter Peckle , decodes them and hands them to the ambassador . ' Benjamin tapped the toe of his boot on the soft carpet . ' These messengers ? ' he queried . ' They are professional couriers .
Idiom: at cross purposes (used idiomatically: yes)
BEATRIX : Do I ? As I explained , I 'm growing more and more forgetful . I would n't want us to find ourselves talking at cross - purposes . Why do n't you remind me ? MAURICE : You do n't need reminding .
Idiom: wipe the floor with (used idiomatically: yes)
Ace said . ‘ But what are you doing working for IMC ? You could wipe the floor with them.’ ‘ My race has no interest in power,’ Legion replied haughtily . ‘ A mere three dimensions is nothing .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
She had the sensation that if she looked over her shoulder she would find Rohan Saint Yves watching her from the shadows … Her hand lifted and touched the medallion at her breast , as if warding off an evil spirit . They stepped out into a corridor , richly carpeted in Turkey red . ' This is madame 's part of the house . ' Marie - Christine lowered her voice .
Idiom: siren song (used idiomatically: yes)
Islands of Isolation PARIS – The Japanese and the British may seem very different , but a closer look reveals something akin to a parallel destiny for these two island peoples . With their old imperial ambitions and widespread distaste for the great continents from which the narrowest of seas divide them , both the British and the Japanese are vulnerable to the siren song of isolationism . Unfortunately , both now appear to be succumbing to that dangerous temptation . Perhaps geography is destiny .
Idiom: go it alone (used idiomatically: yes)
Some time must be found for first thoughts and to allow flashes of private insight . That apart , there have to be limits to the manager 's isolation . The argument that those who teach — and one would add those who manage teaching — can not be expected to go it alone was pursued by Clive Beck ( 1990 ) . If teachers were to improve , he emphasized that other groups and institutions in society would have to play their part . His plea is powerful ( Beck 1990:49 ) : teachers must become " intellectuals " to a greater extent than they typically are at present … they should have greater awareness of the interconnected theory that bears on both the content and method of their teaching .
Idiom: hit and miss (used idiomatically: yes)
Befriending services are also now provided by some local voluntary organizations . A volunteer normally offers to spend two or three hours per week as a companion to a former patient and may go out with the person or help him with specific tasks . There is , of course , a difference between companionship and true mutual friendship and these schemes can be rather hit - and - miss in matching the ‘ befriender’ and the target . Also , while unpaid volunteers have much to offer , and their work deserves to be commended , long - term commitment is sometimes improved if the befriender is paid for the hours of ‘ companionship’ work as well as being reimbursed for travelling and related expenses . Statutory services have , however , done little so far to encourage the development of such services , even though they can bring very significant emotional benefits to individuals , particularly those living alone or who are estranged from their families .
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
Girls generally did as well or better than boys on questions concerning knowledge of the names of parts of rectangular shapes ( cuboids , rectangles ) but a good deal worse on similar questions relating to 2-D and 3-D shapes with circular sections . There were three tests on map reading . The boys ' success rates were higher than those of the girls in 80 out of the 81 questions . Although sums of money are represented as decimal numbers , they can easily be thought of as pounds and pence , or pence alone : the idea of decimals can therefore be avoided . The questions on calendar dates require pupils to count , or at most calculate , using whole numbers .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: yes)
She said : ' It does a lot of harm . We rely on collections and donations and when we go round again people may say they have already given . At the end of the day it 's the animals that lose out . ' Shock blow for Protestant voice on West Bank THE voice of the Protestant people on Londonderry 's West Bank has been muted following the shock defeat of Independent Unionist councillor David Davis .
Idiom: heart of gold (used idiomatically: yes)
On one level The Freshman works exceedingly well , its clever - clever script and free - and - easy exploitation of Matthew Broderick and , remarkably , Marlon Brando find ways to make an audience laugh with a slick vengeance . Broderick , as Clark Kellog , a smalltown college boy out of his depth in big , bad New York , is excellent — if you can suffer one so purposefully cute . Brando , as Carmine Sabatini , the Mafia mogul with a heart of gold who takes Kellog under his sentimental wing , is great too , especially as the script bends over backwards to drop references to his Godfather legacy . All things considered , however , the film does n't exactly fly so much as hope from one gag to the next , relying on the awe of Brando and affection for the Kellog character to carry it over the many black spots . With a watertight plot that hardly suffers from its patent simplicity and loose , game playing by its stars , The Freshman manages to repel the cynicism such contrived exercises invite .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
Caterpillars breakfast on eggplants Is there any way of dealing with them without using chemicals ? As soon as you spot caterpillars , their eggs or signs of caterpillar damage such as ragged holes in leaves and the tell - tale small faeces , search them out and squash them . If you have a lot of plants and do n't want to use any of the usual chemicals , try a biological insecticide . Bacillus thuringiensis is sold as DiPel and comes as powder which you dilute to spray .
Idiom: in the can (used idiomatically: yes)
To get this information , you 'll need to use the column on the right . If you ca n't find the particular brand name , find one with a similar % alcohol . Make sure the quantity in the can or bottle is the same if you want to find out the units in the can or bottle you are drinking . In each section of the chart , drinks are arranged in order of their % alcohol . HOW IS SAINBURY 'S HELPING
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
It was there where , in a fit of depression , she hurled herself down the stairs in a cry for help . The princess 's decision to allow friends to go public with details of such bizarre goings - on created the yawning gulf with her in - laws . Never before has a member of the Royal Family stepped so far out of line and the Queen is not the only one who blames her for many of the misfortunes which have befallen the House of Windsor this year . ‘ Had Diana been within 10 miles of Windsor Castle on the day of the fire , they would have blamed her for starting it,’ admitted a senior royal source last night . Therefore merely the thought of exchanging gifts with the people she holds in mutual contempt was more awful than the prospect of being without her sons on Christmas Day .
Idiom: born and bred (used idiomatically: yes)
Nancy 's method of coaxing is to tell the individual he can do it and , if he follows Nancy , he will do it , ‘ I always succeed’ she assures me . She makes painting an oil look so easy that the student will automatically start believing he will be capable of the same . Nancy Kominsky was born and bred in Philadelphia , USA and became an art teacher on graduation . The story goes that , in 1963 , she opened her first Sunday Painters Art Studio in Burbank , California . She devised a unique ‘ anyone can paint’ system of teaching and became instantly successful .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You 're living in the wrong country , that 's the trouble,’ he said , grinning broadly as he spoke . Vologsky 's face clouded for a second . Even as a joke , such a slur was indelicate , to say the least . ‘ To go into space,’ Kirov added , quickly . ‘ It is only the Americans who continue to waste their time and money sending their expensive toys beyond the stars , collecting useless rocks from the moon .
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
Patrick O'Brian 's sardonic Dr Maturin , in conversation with a philosopher deeply interested in the ways of naval life , and perplexed by certain tactics in an engagement just ended , is more obviously explaining , and to O'Brian 's readers as well as to Professor Graham , when he enlarges on the customs of war : ' To the nautical mind some false signals are falser than other false signals . At sea there are clearly - understood degrees of iniquity . An otherwise perfectly honourable sea - officer may state by symbol that he is a Frenchman , but he must not state that his ship has struck upon a rock , nor must he lower his colours and then start to fight again , upon pain of universal reprehension . He would have the hiss of the world against him — of the maritime world . '
Idiom: spit it out (used idiomatically: yes)
When you are held in tight beneath the sledge 's nylon coverall that feels very quick . Occasionally the front of the sledge runner , about 2 or 3 metres in front of me , hits a hummock of snow and my face is thwacked by a handful of icy flour . I spit it out and flick it from my eyes . It adds to the exhilaration , bringing a smile rather than a frown . Next backwards comes a waft of dog fart .
Idiom: fly the flag (used idiomatically: yes)
The pro - Europeans and sceptics — each camp backed by an ex - Prime Minister — went into battle . The treaty 's supporters , led by Sir Ted Heath , demanded Mr Major ' show leadership ' and fight to save the deal . But their enemies , with Lady Thatcher flying their flag , called for the treaty to be killed . Sir Ted warned Thatcherites last night that the party would never allow them to destroy the EC . And on Channel 4 , he accused Mr Major of ' hiding behind the Danes ' .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
Hi . First of all what exactly is the role of the R Y A ? Well the R Y A is Britain 's National Authority for the sport of sailing , simple as that , we look after every aspect of sailing and powerboating but our particular role in training is to set the syllabi pre to the courses , to train the instructors and to make sure the standard of teaching in every centre is up to scratch . That beautiful white sail belongs to a Topper , does n't it ? Now why do the R Y A specifically recommend these sail boats ?
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
The first is to provide a sampling facility and the second is to draw attention to products which might otherwise be overlooked . There is also sometimes a case to be made for offering a present as a " thank you " . It should , of course , go without saying that presents as bribes are at best ill advised . Honest journalists will be justifiably annoyed and there is no guarantee that those who do accept will actually produce a more favourable report than would otherwise have been the case . If you do decide to offer items to the media , your organisation or client 's own products are by far the best giveaways , for they enable the producer , journalist or researcher to try them out for themselves before featuring or writing about them .
Idiom: by the same token (used idiomatically: yes)
Caitlin was right , of course . The boys should never have left her there . But by the same token , the girl should have had more sense than to walk along a road like that in the dark . But that bloody Caitlin , he had to throw his weight around . He had to make himself heard .
Idiom: in a nutshell (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah I will ring him again this afternoon , but it 's May day and I I 've no doubt that Beeston wo n't be authorising their C P Os to work on a bank holiday That 's it ai n't it in a nutshell Erm Because it 's their money that 's gon na be
Idiom: dead as a doornail (used idiomatically: yes)
They were close to starvation and — typical of barn owls when they 're frightened — they sat as stiff as dummies , not making a sound . They must have fallen from the loft and hopped inside , and touched something in there that brought the rusty flap crashing down to entomb them . Another day and they 'd have been as dead as doornails . I wriggled down underneath the contraption and found a fourth , barely alive . This one eventually died , but I 'm delighted to say that , with Maureen 's assistance , the other three all survived .
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
It may possibly be seen that in some cases the application of the united front from below is the only possible tactic , but it can never be the case that the application of the united front from above is the only possible tactic . While this may appear a grudging recognition of negotiation between Party leaders , it was as significant as the breakdown of the anti - Communism of the LSI . The British Labour Party , after its stern admonitions at Southport , showed no signs of abandoning its decision that collaboration with Communists was out of the question . However there was some hope that proposals for " Unity " put forward by a self - effacing and cooperative Communist Party might be accepted by the Left of the Labour Party . The ILP , despite the endless trouble which the United Front had caused , was still prepared to work with the Communists .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
What does it do sense a sound and then ring Yeah ring a bell or does it actually pour out of a speaker what comes out of a speaker ? No it rings a bell Does it ?
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
They may even wish for death , but they still care.’ ‘ Perhaps,’ she said , ‘ yours should be the ballad of naivety ? I shall have travelled away in the flesh from that wretched court — light years away by then , light decades . With every light year I redeem a year of my lost life.’ ‘ And how about your cat - creature?’
Idiom: give someone the creeps (used idiomatically: yes)
The woman lowered her voice so that Ianthe could hardly hear it above the noise of the train . ‘ I do n't think they ought to let them out , walking about like that in those black clothes . It gives me the creeps and I know it frightened the kiddies . I mean it 's not very nice , is it.’ ‘ Oh , I did n't mind,’ said Ianthe .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
She made an effort to recall all he had told her during the previous ride , and paid attention to the way she sat , as well as to the positions of her hands , elbows , knees and heels . As they moved along the route she became aware of birds singing in the trees , and of sheep grazing peacefully in the fields . The distant mountain ranges made her think of giants sleeping beneath blue blankets , but most of all she was vitally conscious of Silas , who guided the party of young women over hills , down valleys and along a track beside the bush . Drawing to her side , he said , ' You 're doing well . I can see you 're remembering my instructions . '
Idiom: go the distance (used idiomatically: no)
Nitwit ? NITWIT ? IS Scissormen 's first release , a six - track mini - LP that goes some considerable distance towards explaining their steadily - growing popularity in the capital . What Scissormen do is take a series of chaotic noises , disturbed atmospherics and fragments of other people 's music , then hammer melodies and songs out of the cacophonous melée . That they make it sound as natural as breathing is something of an accomplishment .