Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: life and limb (used idiomatically: yes)
The Tokyo to Kobe train travelled at an average of 12 m.p.h . , because It makes fifty stops en route , some of them of considerable duration , and , as has been shown , much time must be wasted at stations . As the Japanese are at present constituted , accidents to life and limb would most certainly occur if trains made but a brief halt to entrain passengers . For Paul Theroux seven decades later one of the great mysteries of Japanese train travel was the manner in which Japanese passengers could safely disembark and entrain at stations where trains stopped merely for seconds . Timins 's ‘ placid little people’ had indeed found the ‘ feverish existence’he had predicted .
Idiom: out of the blue (used idiomatically: yes)
About ninety two . Oh well . And she said , she said to her mother last week she went up to see her and she said to me she said , out of the blue it come she said Ah ! Ah !
Idiom: night and day (used idiomatically: no)
I 'll think of him , she realised , appalled . I already think of nothing but him , but this will be different ; this will surpass everything else . He 'll be there , night and day . I 'll see him at rest , at work , at play . Tired , irritated , angry .
Idiom: out of the blue (used idiomatically: yes)
Harvey kept quiet . ‘ Claire 's father married a farmer 's daughter . Right out of the blue ; ran away and married her in England . There was the most God - awful row with the family . They would n't accept her at any price .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
Before Arnold , the public schools were bearpits . After Arnold , they were still bearpits , but with the bears required to put in compulsory attendance at chapel . It is a tribute to the formative power of the experience that by and large the contradiction was internalized . There were very few cynical Englishmen running the empire , or , for that matter , running the country . Arnold was an evangelical pur sang .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
On the contrary , May Day in 1990 and Revolution Day in 1989 and 1990 were , for the first time since the early 1920s , occasions for protest , for the people 's indictment of their rulers . They marked the beginning of the end . In 1965 , in the Brezhnev era to which many old - style Communists were to look back with fond nostalgia , an Englishman observing the May Day festival on Red Square wrote : ' The tourists , even the Americans , are delighted : they clap , cheer , photograph , and at the end simply gasp , as if they have just seen the greatest show on earth … May Day in Moscow might outdo Easter in Seville . ' That was a time of great Soviet confidence and influence , buttressed by military massiveness .
Idiom: high and dry (used idiomatically: yes)
Three of the instances of maladministration related to the licensing of the Chesh ire - based savings group in 1984/85 , where the Ombudsman felt that there was enough evidence to have ordered Barlow Clowes to cease op erations . The DTI was found not to have heeded a number of warnings from authoritative sources about the dubious status of the Clowes em pire : witness the Bank of England , the Stock Exchange and the regula tory bodies . He was not impressed either by the Department 's argu ment that to have revoked the licence would have triggered a dis orderly collapse , allowing the smart money to get out and leaving pen sioners high and dry . Yesterday 's report was welcomed by both sides of the House and , hopefully , will prove the last case of its kind now that the savings indus try has set up its own investor com pensation scheme . It is important for the Government to pursue other involved parties — including the company itself , but also the finan cial advisers who put savers into the Gibraltar fund without inquiring too much about how it was able to offer such high rates of interest , not to mention the auditors who looked at the books .
Idiom: flash in the pan (used idiomatically: no)
The 50-year - old prince beamed after passing the trucker 's test near his mansion in Stroud , Glos . TEST : Prince Flash in pan blew Gents to pieces GEOFFREY LAKEMAN A STUDENT larking with chemicals sparked a chain reaction in a public loo — and blew it to bits .
Idiom: in the loop (used idiomatically: no)
The first bunch of patterns are just cyclic replacements . By this , I mean patterns that repeat in nice concise loops , like pop ~ music .
Idiom: drop the ball (used idiomatically: no)
Oxford gave the 54,000 crowd the imperfect example of pressure , a sustained forward roll that yielded exactly zero . But Cambridge found their feet and took an audacious lead . Davies snapped the ball from the back of a ruck to send a drop goal sailing home true after 26 minutes but when Nial Malone equalised with a penalty two minutes later and then added a drop goal in the 32nd minute , it looked as if Oxford were going to turn their pressure into victory . Kevin Price gave us a glimpse of what was to follow with a clever break and when the ball was set up from the resulting ruck , Paul Flood was equally successful with a drop goal . When Davies converted a penalty three minutes into the second half , Oxford realised that it was time to take matters into their own hands .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
It may exist in disregard of a loving partner , it may be condoned in a marriage where that partner is unloving , it may be reprehensible in its effect on spouse and children or — occasionally — it may support the family 's continued existence in circumstances which might otherwise break it . These are the situations in which social work intervention is generally demanded . It would be naive to say that marital dissatisfaction is always a feature in marital unfaithfulness but in long - term or continued adultery the comment is probably a true one . The partner and the partnership need looking at as much as the unfaithful spouse . In looking at them one will frequently find that the main element of dissatisfaction is sexual or allied to sexual matters .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: no)
She called on her mother to leave the little green park , leave neutrality and passivity , and come to her aid ; she called on her grandmother to leave the grand study , to leave scientific fact and come out here and save her . She called to St Margaret and St Joan and to all the women who have fought the burning and conquered the dragon . She called to Hermione and Joanna and all the girls who had gone already along the paths she had rejected , called to them to wait for her and place their steady walking boots on solid earth to catch her . And still she fell and fell . Because she has called , they can answer .
Idiom: break someone's heart (used idiomatically: yes)
He wondered why she had not written . He forgot that he had told her not to write first . He did not realize that she was obeying his orders exactly , although it was breaking her heart . On his journey , he travelled with another Englishman . They were both depressed and both told each other their problems .
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
Ray Coventry casts off from Cruises RAY COVENTRY has retired from P&O Cruises ( UK ) after 14 years ' service having most recently held the position of Equipment and Stores Supervisor in the Hotel Services Department . Before joining P&O he spent 31 years at sea and ashore with Union Castle Line . At a farewell party held in his honour , Ray Coventry received a watch from P&O Cruises Operations Director , John Marden . Above : Ray Coventry ( left ) receives a watch from P&O Cruises Operations Director , John Marden
Idiom: kick the habit (used idiomatically: yes)
TOP Smokebuster Karen MacGregor has won a first class trip on an Intercity 225 for helping her mother quit smoking . The 11-year - old member of Wensleydale Smokebusters from Redmire will travel in style from Darlington to York and back on the new smoke - free train on Friday . She used treats and kindness rather than nagging to persuade her mum to kick the habit for at least two weeks . There are now plans to run the Kiss it Goodbye Buddy competition , organised by Northallerton Health Promotion Services , every year . More than 400 Wensleydale Smokebusters have pledged to help support someone wanting to give up cigarettes .
Idiom: come to a head (used idiomatically: no)
John Kennedy , the President of the United States , liked Sinatra and admired his taste in women . But brother Bobby felt that Sinatra 's lifestyle was damaging for the President 's image . Things came to a head in March 1962 when Sinatra offered Kennedy the use of his Palm Springs home . Bobby Kennedy , as Attorney - General , had been helming a penetrating investigation into numerous underworld figures , including Sam Giancana , a close friend of Sinatra , and another regular guest of the singer . Bobby Kennedy declared Sinatra 's home a security risk , and the President had to cancel his stay at the Sinatra mansion .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: no)
5 Do n't make a dash for the first restaurant you see . Some of the best food can be found in the smaller , less pretentious restaurants . If you make the right noises about the wine — it 's on the cards that it comes from the proprietor 's own vineyard — you 're likely to find another bottle on the table gratis … . 6 Do n't ignore the weather forecasts . When they say strong winds , they mean it .
Idiom: break someone's heart (used idiomatically: yes)
( Feb 20-Mar 20 ) You should read the forecast for Sagittarius , so much of it applies to you at the moment . Partners , lovers and business associates alike are behaving like things possesses , and harping endlessly on about who earns what or owns what . In fact , as early as October 1 , when your ruler Neptune is challenged by Jupiter in Cancer , you will realise that money is really only half the battle or problem you 're facing this month — because someone appears to be breaking all the rules , if not breaking your heart . Things will really hot up around the 12th or 14th — just remember your worth ; your time and talents must be bough and paid for in full . In other words , you do n't have to go on working for peanuts !
Idiom: act of God (used idiomatically: yes)
As Keith Miller has pointed out , ‘ all a man does when he commits his ‘ whole life’ is to commit that of which he is conscious … . So the totally committed Christian life is a life of continually committing one 's self and problems day by day as they are slowly revealed to his own consciousness’(Miller 1965:60 ) . Conversion , which emphasises the human response , would be impossible without the accompanying initiative - taking and power - enabling act of God . There are five key theological terms : Reconciliation , Redemption , Justification , Regeneration and Adoption , which express God 's involvement in the total process . ‘ Reconciliation ’ means the ending of a quarrel by which former enemies become friends ( Rom . 5:10ff ; 2 Cor .
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: yes)
Tomorrow his United team face them again . So does that nightmare live on ? Greg Downs says it was just one of those things and his Hereford team are playing well and have a good cup record . Canary Wharf in London was built in the wake of the big bang in the city . It 's a bit like a ghost town at the moment , but there could be a boom if window cleaner , Dave Sansom has his say .
Idiom: in the works (used idiomatically: yes)
An abstract arch ' ! ) . Matthew Weinstein , at Sonnabend from 14 November to 19 December , makes abstractions aggressive , colourful , even violent in spirit , using enamels and glazes and flirting with notions of vulgarity in which the imagery of the tattoo parlour hearts , skulls , etc . sometimes peep through . Tattoos also appear , of all places , in the new work of Christian Eckart , which may cause some of his devotees to do double - takes worthy of Edward Everett Horton . Previously his work seemed to be strictly about the inter - relationship of material , colour and shape , but in his new ' Shadow Paintings ' at Rubin Spangle until 18 November tattoos , car explosions and other scenic bits coalesce behind veils of white paint . Known , but somehow often overlooked , is the fact that Ellsworth Kelly he of the precise abstract geometries and the monochromatic fields has always kept a pencil within easy reach , taking it up regularly over the years to make line drawings , uninflected by modelling , chiefly of plants and flowers .
Idiom: off the record (used idiomatically: no)
So we 'd want to put an embargo note on this release , so it could n't be used prematurely . Do you In connection with embargo dates they may or may not be useful , but in relation to‘off the record’ , there 's no such thing as ‘ off the record’ I have to tell you . Not unless you completely blackmail the person and say you , you know , you have his wife locked up and maybe even that 's not a good
Idiom: with a vengeance (used idiomatically: yes)
Eachus , challenged by Stephen McBride , palmed out Raymond McCoy 's left wing cross when he could possibly have grasped it . Waiting to pounce was Nigel Quigley with a header into the net . Glenavon , who had won two and lost two of their previous matches , had succeeded in taking control and they did so with a vengeance . Geoff Ferris gained possession , took the ball round the keeper but Raymond Hill succeeded in scooping his low drive off the line . When a penalty was awarded after 37 minutes , Tony Canning impeding Ferris and Glenn Ferguson , given the job of marking John O'Connor , scored from the penalty spot .
Idiom: neither here nor there (used idiomatically: yes)
Billy McNeill , who was working at last night 's game for television , recalled a visit to Canada when he was invited to watch Toronto Blizzard . McNeill was reluctant to accept because it meant asking the club for 14 tickets . An official eased his embarrassment by pointing out that since they gave away 8,000 tickets at every home game another 14 was neither here nor there . Not surprisingly , the noise bellowing around Ibrox when the teams took to the pitch was an octave or two higher than normal . But there was no denying the passion of this young audience .
Idiom: no holds barred (used idiomatically: yes)
His gamble made £ 666 million . Meanwhile , Premier John Major was walking a diplomatic tightrope in Washington yesterday to avoid Britain being drawn into a ground war with Serbia . He was under immense pressure from the US to give in and back no holds barred military action by UN forces in the former Yugoslav republic . But he is ready to accept the need for air power to be brought into play against the Serbs to enforce the UN no fly zone over Bosnia . He also wants to create a safe haven for the Serbs ' Moslem victims and is prepared to offer increased UN troops to safeguard relief supplies .
Idiom: on the ropes (used idiomatically: yes)
Alexei had risen before the sun broke the horizon , and because he was engaged to wait upon Jehana at the house of her father — a public display to advertise the fact of their intended betrothal which was designed , he guessed , to make it believable — he was among the first to witness the damage which the teams of wrights and carpenters now laboured to repair . That much of the decoration was shredded or defaced beyond hope of repair , Alexei thought , was quite clear . Clad in a coat which was so stiff with gold wire and seed pearls that he could scarcely bend his arms he rode with his escort beneath a line of arches which were suspended on ropes between houses on opposite sides of one of the main streets . The material which yesterday had draped them now lay in discarded heaps on the stones of the paving below , and men were hastily tacking new lengths — the mercers and drapers must have ransacked their warehouses to find enough , and the cost would no doubt make the court treasurer blench — to the framework . The troopers of the Kha - Khan 's guard who were detailed to line the processional route had been pressed into service to clear away the debris , and their facial expressions reflected their feelings as the dye from the cloth stained their hands and surcoats .
Idiom: save the day (used idiomatically: yes)
There is nothing anachronistic about the change of medium ; it was common around the time of the composition of these pieces to hear them transferred to instrumental groups . But despite the presence of several musical forms here — canzonas , capriccios , ricercars and motets — and it does begin to sound a bit samey , and I was just beginning to tap my fingers halfway through when the Loeki Stardusters began their arrangements of a part of Palestrina 's Lamentations of Jeremiah , a hauntingly beautiful piece of music , arranged here for a lower - pitched recorders than the rest of the programme . It 's only five minutes long but it saves the day . Yet even if there is a little textural variety in the CD as a whole , in performances as polished as these you ca n't begrudge the time spent listening to such uniformly lovely music — it just does n't take to end - to - end listening . Indeed , this is the kind of music that is better enjoyed in playing than in listening passively ; still , swallowed in limited doses , this CD will give a lot of pleasure .
Idiom: up the ante (used idiomatically: yes)
George Shultz , the bluff and portly secretary of state , evidently thought much the same . He had received word of the Iran scheme in a stream - of - consciousness memo from McFarlane , delivered to ‘ Secretary Shultz personally and to no other for him’ , aboard his aircraft on July 13th , 1985 . McFarlane , having spelled out with caution the Israeli arguments and the Iranian blandishments , admitted that ‘ the concept raises a number of imponderable questions’ , including ‘ where this might lead in terms of our being asked to up the ante on more and more arms and where that could conceivably lead … Clearly that is a loser.’ ‘ George’ , he concluded , ‘ I can not judge the equities on this .
Idiom: paper over the cracks (used idiomatically: yes)
Mike Walters Arsenal 1 , Middlesbrough 1 IAN WRIGHT 'S equaliser papered over the cracks of a sluggish Arsenal display but it did n't stop Boro 's Lennie Lawrence dreaming of a Whyte Christmas . Wright 's smart reflexes rescued a point for the Gunners eight minutes from time , which was tough on Middlesbrough 's Derek Whyte , his shadow all afternoon . But Arsenal 's first League goal for six weeks failed to placate the Highbury faithful after four successive defeats , and Wright 's overdue reconciliation with respectable behaviour was a small mercy indeed .
Idiom: know the score (used idiomatically: yes)
All right , Dimitrios . I ai n't got that far myself yet . Just let the others know the score.’ Patrick put down the receiver and closed his eyes tightly . He was going to hound the slag into the ground .
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: no)
And she says well I thought if I buy you one you can buy other one , I says go and naff off . Well that 's daft innit ? I says I do n't , I says when am I gon na be able to go to town I says and afford fifteen quid for another bloody rail ? I says you When you 've already got some up .
Idiom: every last (used idiomatically: yes)
The curving pond , flanked with stunning peonies which were another legacy of the garden and thrive in London 's clay - based soil , is an experiment , says Patricia , that she intends to improve on this summer . ‘ I like it , and so do the frogs , but now I want a bigger one that does n't have plastic edges , so the effect is completely natural . My hope is to have fish that will reproduce but , so far , all that 's happened is the neighbour 's cat ate every last one . Once a month , a gardener comes in to do the heavy work for me , and I hope he 'll dig the new pond . Last time I half dug it up myself and I thought my back was going to go .
Idiom: read between the lines (used idiomatically: no)
Of this , comparatively little was from Walter Machin himself , and some of these Greg had already seen in the Sunday paper articles . There was a fairly large number of letters about him , sent in the last few months both to Jackson 's and to Viola Machin by people who had known him at one time or another . There were schoolfriends , work - mates and ( reading between the lines ) girls whom he had made love to ( who had , for the most part , sent their reminiscences to Jackson 's rather than to Viola ) . All these reminiscences told the same story : a big , healthy , gregarious man , full of fun and sport , always living life to the full and extracting from it all the juice it contained , and more . ‘ He could always make you tingle , just being near him,’ wrote one old woman who had worked with him in Bury as a girl in 1929 .
Idiom: good Samaritan (used idiomatically: yes)
So both in your letter to me and your letter to Mr Deva MP , you are helping to keep the voice of public opinion heard , and I thank you for both . Yes , the first couple of months of my detention were very difficult , but since my ‘ conviction’ and placement in the central prison , with full contact diplomatically , my situation has improved 200 per cent thank you . I have been shown real ‘ good Samaritan’ help by people in prisons here , and without their help I have found things a whole lot tougher than they were . The ball is now firmly in the British Government 's ‘ court’ , and I hope that pressure from the public will push them into action . 30 under 30
Idiom: go to seed (used idiomatically: yes)
Parsley seedlings can be grown in terracotta pots and placed on a patio , or they can be planted outside . It is a good idea to grow a selection of 13–15cm/5–6 in parsley pots for the kitchen to ensure a crop for the whole year round . Going to seed If weather permits and the soil is n't too cold and wet , the following crops can be sown outdoors at this time . However , delay sowing for a few weeks if conditions are poor .
Idiom: in full swing (used idiomatically: yes)
A year later a major steel plant announced the dismissal of 901 of its 3700 workers : The unions demanded the cancellation of the dismissal decision on condition that the workers would accept a proportionate wage cut . With the company rejecting this request , the workers have gone on strike … while the strike has been in full swing a second union has been organized by 800 workers under the auspices of Zenro [ right - wing union federation]with a new slogan of ‘ immediate acceptance of dismissals and reopening of production’ . Under police guard the members of the new union tried to break through the picket line formed by the first union , with fierce clashes taking place … ( Oriental Economist , November 1954 ) .
Idiom: make the cut (used idiomatically: no)
It is envisaged that there will be different targets for different countries , based on assessments of the " critical loads " of acid rain that ecosystems can tolerate . The targets which won support at the Geneva meeting involve reducing the gap between acid fallout and critical load by at least 50 per cent . This would require an average reduction in acid emissions of 63 per cent from 1990 levels , but with some countries being expected to make much higher cuts : a reduction of 89 per cent would be necessary in the case of the UK . No date for the target to be met has yet been set , although several nations called for a deadline of 2000 for western Europe and 2005 for eastern Europe . The British delegation was reported to have suggested a deadline of 2010 , claiming that an earlier target date would force countries to waste money on fitting desulphurisation equipment to power stations nearing the end of their useful life .