Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
The second application of Groucho 's question was that citizens of most Communist countries soon learned that the loss of freedom that they suffered was not compensated by greater prosperity or a higher quality of life . The more that Russians , Poles , Czechs , and others saw of the life - style in the Western democracies , the more they questioned their own system . In his magisterial book The Rise and Fall of Communism , Archie ~ Brown notes how travel abroad opened Mikhail ~ Gorbachev 's eyes to the failure of the system that he had lived under all his life . So , in the political sphere , reason has trumped both faith in an unattainable goal and self - delusion about the consequences of its pursuit .
Idiom: work like a charm (used idiomatically: yes)
' An RAF Dakota which had crash - landed in Holland and was put back into service . To all intents , a British plane flying home if anyone saw it and all it had to do to make the drop was fly in under eight hundred feet because many sections of the English coast have no low - level radar . ' ' Worked like a charm , ' Devlin said . ' Except on the way back . Gericke , the pilot , was in the same hospital as me .
Idiom: to die for (used idiomatically: no)
The all - conquering Abbagnales — twice Olympic victors with a combined age of 63 — had no answer to the explosive finishing power of the Searles , combined age 43 , who were goaded on by cox Garry Herbert . While the brothers stood erect on the medal platform , it was Herbert who showed the full range of emotion , weeping uncontrollably during ‘ God Save the Queen’ and leaping about in triumph after the anthem . Herbert , a 22-year - old Reading University history student , said : ‘ I wanted them to be prepared to die for it — and they nearly did.’ ROWED TO GLORY : Pages 26 , 27 Crying fame !
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: yes)
Now I really must dash.’ She glanced in the wing mirror as she pulled her car into the road . The young boy was running down the road towards Martin with a posse of four helpers close behind . Christina did not reach the Waterside Café until fifteen minutes after one , panting , agitated and apologetic . ‘ Do n't worry , this is the West Indies .
Idiom: new blood (used idiomatically: yes)
Using customary pseudonyms , the artists to be found on this album will give any Detroitphile palpitations , especially as they are previously - unheard tracks . Juan Atkins is in electro moonscape mode , Eddie Fowlkes hits the deep garage button , and the much - loved Open House team , who so impressed on Carl Craig 's now - defunct Retroactive label , display their lush aural waterbed . There 's the rapidly - rising Kenny Larkin with his exotically sepulchral ‘ Serena X’ , and two deep , dreamy excursions by new blood Dan Curtin . And could the mysterious Voyager Times Two responsible for Inertia 's Saturn - skimming ‘ Satisfaction’ be Carl Craig himself ? Such are the mysteries and such is the music which made Detroit techno the most innovative musical event of the last decade .
Idiom: lose heart (used idiomatically: yes)
She paused , suddenly downcast . ‘ It does n't look as though we 've got a chance.’ ‘ Oh , do n't lose heart,’ Helen said briskly . ‘ One of you should go in early tomorrow and try your luck . That man may not be a vet at all.’
Idiom: go to town (used idiomatically: no)
If you ca n't , check up . And if they come out with that line : ‘ Oh but mum , everyone else 's mum lets them stay out until three in the morning/hitch a lift home from Glastonbury/take the short cut across the meadow at night/ride a bike without wearing an orange band … ’ then find out what other parents really think . Ten to one you 'll find that they hate the idea but are going along with it because they do n't want to be thought of as the oldest fuddy-duddy parents in town — little knowing that their consent is the only reason why other parents are being unnecessarily liberal . One phone call to other parents will bind you together — and give you the parent power to put all your combined feet down with a loud stamp . But unless you collaborate about rules with other parents , the kids can invent their own .
Idiom: lay an egg (used idiomatically: yes)
Most birds take about 20 minutes to lay an egg . The ability of the cuckoo to lay its egg so quickly is a major adaptation of brood parasites . For their body size , cuckoos lay remarkably small eggs . The average cuckoo 's egg weighs just 3 g ( 1/9 oz ) , while most birds of the same size lay eggs weighing about 10 g ( ⅓ oz ) . This must be a factor in the cuckoo 's ability to lay its eggs so rapidly , but it also has other advantages .
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
i Hero : This child believes that he or she can only obtain love and appreciation through achievement . ii Delinquent or scape goat : This child gets his or her status from identification with similar " delinquent " children in other families . iii Caretaker or lost child : This child takes responsibility for the family and looks after it by gently blending into the background and keeping the peace . iv Comedian or mascot : This child , often the youngest of the family , is treated as a pet and is not meant to be bothered by " serious " matters . In each case these children do not have any clear picture of reality and they are not able to express or receive full gratification for their own needs .
Idiom: bugger all (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh ! See what my stars say . , they 're all bugger all Albert ! Any time you get any money is when you work for it ! Ha !
Idiom: take a powder (used idiomatically: yes)
' Could n't say . I did n't stick around for the session . Utilizing some of the truly awesome powers at my disposal , I took , as Laz would say , a powder , and went on the lam . A sprout can take just so much and then no more . If you catch my drift .
Idiom: town and gown (used idiomatically: yes)
That was the film of the book . Now there 's the video of the film of the book launched by Morse 's creator , Colin Dexter , who wants to show us the Oxford the inspector Morse knows and loves . He says Morse is town and gown . The video tries to show different sides of Oxford , Jericho and Cowley and North Oxford and pubs and alleyways . Our guide to the spirit of Morse is radio presenter , Brian Redhead .
Idiom: bear in mind (used idiomatically: yes)
They 're done because the old - fashioned way of doing a , putting something together is a paste - up job , you 've got all these stories filed about all sorts of things , and then some editorial chap or chapess sits down with sort of paste and scissors and cuts the things off , and they tend to cut things off the bottom to make it all fit until it feels about right . This is done electronically now , but the principle is , is often the same , and the instinct is to do it the same . So if you 're writing something which is in the form of a newsy form of activity , bear in mind the sort of ever - increasing circles . ‘ Man Bites Dog.’ Headline .
Idiom: play with fire (used idiomatically: yes)
Soldier 's parents demand the return of his body . An accident waiting to happen . Charity stunt team warned … you're playing with fire . And jobs will go : Warning to Lamont over VAT on books . Good Evening :
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: no)
Mark Kiff 's action round - up has the rest of the news Voice over Good news on the ice : the Swindon Wildcats and Milton Keynes Kings have both qualified for the knockout stages of the Autumn Trophy . They 're in action at home tomorrow . But do n't turn up at Oxford 's Ice Rink on Sunday ; their game 's been cancelled .
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: no)
morning . When my We had games on Wednesday afternoon but we had , in the senior school When my we had school on Saturday morning as well as the rest of the week !
Idiom: come up trumps (used idiomatically: yes)
Oxford , with Australian flanker Brendan Nasser the only full international on view , had most people 's money on their backs on the strength of an allegedly superior back row . And Cambridge were doubly hampered by what Peters admitted was ‘ major problems with our goal - kicking . He said : ‘ We have struggled all season to find the right guy but Lloyd Davies came up trumps when it really mattered.’ Davies kept his nerve , contributing a drop goal , two penalties and a conversion to the final tally . And Peters added : ‘ This makes it a university record .
Idiom: spit it out (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'll have it cut . I 'll wander round this place and find a cheapo hairdresser and I 'll get it done — Gothic , or spiky , or something . Walking out of the Ladies , I suddenly saw Mum 's face in front of me like I saw it in the dream — sinking , drowning in bubbling mud — trying to spit the oozing slime out of her lipsticked mouth but the more she spat it out the more slithered in … It 's amazing how detailed dreams are . More detailed than real life , more exact , more real .
Idiom: on the blink (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh God ! Yeah , that 's the thing channel select .. were on the blink ! Yeah , well I knew you said the erm the So
Idiom: doom and gloom (used idiomatically: yes)
Labour - controlled Middlesbrough and Langbaurgh Councils expect to hear of their fate later this week . Bad news could mean 100 jobs are slashed in Langbaurgh and 50 in Middlesbrough . Brian Roberts , chairman of Langbaurgh Council 's policy and resources committee , said : ‘ It 's all doom and gloom . ‘ Howard is a hard - liner who has been put in to bear down on us . We face 100 job cuts and losing services throughout the borough.’
Idiom: nothing doing (used idiomatically: no)
But there is no way I would support those who degrade it . ‘ Soaps like Neighbours are pure entertainment and there is nothing wrong with that . ‘ What appeals to people is the normality of the show , there is nothing do or die about it which makes it very easy to relate to it . Neighbours projects being honest and everything has a happy ending . I think the reason the British like it so much is for one thing it is normally sunny , there are some shots outside when it is rainy and overcast , but it comes across as bright and cheerful and it is an ideal sort of world .
Idiom: make the cut (used idiomatically: no)
Global Warming UK plan to avoid carbon cuts The government is considering ways of meeting international commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions without making large cuts in carbon dioxide , according to an internal Environment Department paper leaked to The Guardian . Such a strategy would undermine EC initiatives for sweeping global reductions in CO2 emissions , but would be likely to appeal to the US Administration , which has thus far failed to set any formal targets for reducing carbon output . It would also run counter to previous commitments made by the UK government on carbon emissions .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
She concluded of Diana : ‘ On the one hand she might bring a breath of fresh air into her relationship through the sheer force of her personality … on the other hand if her marriage becomes too restrictive she will break out and see new and more exciting horizons.’ It was probably that prediction which persuaded Diana to call in Penny after taking her first overdose . ‘ The cross connections between her and Charles were so powerful , it was very make or break,’ says Penny . ‘ It was certainly a very fated combination — a destined match , but when you get that it 's a fixed reaction to do with planets and the fixed signs . ‘ Aquarius , Taurus , Leo and Scorpio figure very strongly in the Royal Family 's charts and very strongly in Diana 's , so when you get a powerful connection like that with marriage partners it can either be the most sensationally passionate ‘ I ca n't leave you alone for a minute’ or it 's ice .
Idiom: rub shoulders (used idiomatically: yes)
Tbili means warm , so Tbilisi means warm place — it 's a spa . We visited the public baths ( hot springs ) and walked around the different quarters of the very pretty old town . We rubbed shoulders with a bride and groom at a local wedding , as anyone was allowed to wander round the church while the marriage was going on ( it was a tiny church ) . There were some uneventful demonstrations going on but we never felt threatened . Dinner at the Intourist Hotel , however , was eventful .
Idiom: watch this space (used idiomatically: yes)
We now have the challenge of a marvellous opportunity for the physical re - establishment of N C V O for years to come , in premises which will fully meet the needs both of its staff , and the wide range of visitors it attracts . One could quite probably say on this occasion . Watch this space . Thank you . Thank you very much , Tony .
Idiom: beg the question (used idiomatically: yes)
The range was wide , but only the first two attracted much notice , the Arts Council Working Party pointing out in 1969 that since these were not crimes at all , how could it be ‘ a heavily punishable crime to ‘ induce’ these particular non - crimes?’ If obscenity laws were really about sexual conformity , their Report continued , then ‘ no Royal Commission could … draw an intelligible line between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable … [nor could]such a Commission find any evidence that anyone has been corrupted or … depraved by pornography’ . The 1959 Act was a law ‘ to regulate the evolution of private mores’ , said the Report , begging the question of what particular weight was to be given to this word ‘ mores’ . Were ‘ mores’ matters of serious concern to the community , for example , and what significance ought they to have in a court of law ? Mr Justice Stable told a jury that the words ‘ to deprave and corrupt’ must not be construed as ‘ to shock and disgust’ , which is not a criminal offence , the argument Lord Gardiner had deployed in gaining an acquittal in the Lady Chatterley case .
Idiom: only time will tell (used idiomatically: yes)
But increasing maintenance costs and changes in hygiene rules have prompted the council to invite proposals for its redevelopment . So far , though , proposed schemes would retain the building very much intact . Only time will tell though . Riddel 's warehouse in Ann Street was completed in 1867 , and is owned by the government . A ' High Victorian ' building , it was built for an Irish metal merchant and has most of its interior courtyard and galleries intact .
Idiom: scratch the surface (used idiomatically: no)
America and Japan are the only members of the Paris club of rich - country creditors that have not reduced Africa 's debts . The Bush administration was reluctant to forgive Africa 's debt , even though it had pushed commercial banks towards solving part of the debt problem in Latin America . As a means of helping Africa 's debt burden , however , it barely scratches the surface of the problem . The Americans say their proposal will allow them to forgive $ 128m - worth of African debts owed on non - concessional ( ie , market - rate ) loans . Compared with the total debts of the 18 poorest African countries ( about $ 10 billion ) , the American offering is tiny .
Idiom: do the trick (used idiomatically: no)
How about that ? There 's nothing revealing about that . Should do the trick , I imagine . Precious little chance of somebody ogling your property , then ! ’ It looked as if they had discovered a minefield .
Idiom: kick the habit (used idiomatically: yes)
That generated a bonanza that kept many troubled banks afloat . No more . Sobered by recession , Americans are kicking the plastic - debt habit . Many have decided that the eight credit cards which , on average , they carry , three of them issued by banks , are more than enough . Banks are competing fiercely for a share of the slower - growing market .
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
How large they grow has little to do with what or how much they eat , but more to do with their status among other Orcs . The more important the Orc the bigger he grows , and the bigger he grows the stronger and tougher he gets . As it is inevitably the biggest , toughest Orcs that become more important it goes without saying that it is the big Orcs who get bigger ! If a tough , pushy Orc grows fast he will soon come into conflict with an established equally big Orc . When this happens the two rival Orcs settle matters by fighting it out to decide which of them is best .
Idiom: lie low (used idiomatically: yes)
The production of sport climbs with bolts is acceptable on NATURAL ROCK only when ALL the following circumstances are satisfied : 1 ) On low - lying cliffs , provided that such development is not against the wishes of the landowner;(bolts are inappropriate on mountain cliffs and sea cliffs where a spirit of adventure should remain ) . 2 ) On routes where natural protection is absent or is inadequate for the repeated falls that sport routes necessitate .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
The public 's dislike of unprincipled press behaviour has sometimes been expressed in the award of erratically large libel damages . While this is understandable , it has led to an inordinate number of successful appeals . We therefore propose to simplify the law relating to libel in the light of the recommendations of the Neill Committee . British domestic controls on pornography will remain in place even after the completion of the Single European Market . We will increase the maximum penalties for making obscene or malicious phone calls .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
In the dark he would not see the obstacle . His leg struck it , he slipped and fell to his death . ' ' But we do n't know who rang the bell or placed the pole on the parapet . Remember , ' Cranston continued , ' apart from Fitzormonde and Colebrooke , everybody was in Mistress Philippa 's chamber . ' ' Colebrooke might have done it , ' the friar replied .
Idiom: without fail (used idiomatically: no)
Come!’ ‘ Just hold on , Stefano ! You 'll be rescued in the morning without fail!’ ‘ Hungry ! Cold!’
Idiom: over the moon (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ They 'll be furious about the money . I wo n't know what to tell them . If I found it — well , I 'd be over the moon . I might go wild , do a dance , fling a ten pound note at the kind person who found it . Sorry ?
Idiom: hold the ring (used idiomatically: no)
The latter relax annoyingly when not in use and tend to slide out of place . So check thoroughly - there is no point in our going further to describe how small adjustments on the connecting ring can affect performance when the bridle loops to the leading edge are allowed to slide out of position ! Leaving bridle line ' C ' slack , pull on the connector ring ( sometimes a snap and swivel is fitted instead ) so that lines ' A'and ' B'are taut and the ring is held down at the level of the rear cross - spar . The two rings , either side of the spine , should be at the same distance below the cross - spar , and symmetrical either side of the kite centreline ( spine ) If they are not , then the manufacturer set - up might be wrong .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
The message to Leicester 's midfield is , keep the ball on the ground . Well Leicester could go third in the table if they win today and as Brian Little points out that 's a big improvement on their early position . I think the last time you were here we were actually in the bottom half of the table but shot up to about seventh and since then once we got close to the people with games in hand and catching on the extra games we 've come up into the top three sometimes . So today puts us back into third place if we win and and obviously we want to be there . And you hit a Forest team that 's unbeaten for the last five matches .
Idiom: wipe the floor with (used idiomatically: yes)
Dismal In what Labour called ‘ pure cynicism,’ the announcement was delayed until after Mr Major 's dismal performance in a crucial debate on the economy . Once it was clear Mr Smith had wiped the floor with the Premier , Mellor was used for what one Tory called his ‘ last good deed’ . He announced he was going just in time to overshadow reports of Mr Major 's humiliation on the evening TV news bulletins . Labour 's defence spokesman George Foulkes said Mellor had been ‘ crudely sacrificed’ by the Premier .
Idiom: put paid to (used idiomatically: yes)
Enterprise was particularly favoured at 679p , up 23p , excited by revived speculation of a possible bid from Elf Aquitaine . Properties and insurances gave back some of the sharp gains of the past two weeks , but building stocks were supported . A grim report from the CBI put paid to excitement in the stores sector . In breweries , Scottish and Newcastle was nervous ahead of Monday 's interim results , easing 3p to 349p . Tokyo : Shares retreated as investors took profits .
Idiom: under the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
Andrew Allan was a very sensitive chap , extremely well - read and innately proud of his Scottish ancestry . His round face , blue eyes and fair hair , plus a serious mien most of the time , gave one the impression of a junior Cambridge don , and he used his long facile fingers like a Frenchman , when explaining a point . Andrew and I spent many hours on the Windrush porch discussing almost everything under the sun from party politics to mystic transcendentalism . He liked on occasion to talk of his earlier days at his parents ' cottage in Scotland , and it amused him to remember that his sensitive mother could never bring herself to pronounce or write the word ‘ toilet paper’ which was always , either in speech or on shopping lists , abbreviated simply to T.P. I never completely fathomed the relationship between Andrew and Judith Evelyn , both creatures of considerable intellect and high temperament , to say nothing of dramatic talent .
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ OK , Boyo , see you later , ’ Taff replied . About twenty feet from the trench , in the centre of the dirt track leading to the road two Commandos were standing peering into a large hole in the ground . ‘ What 's in the hole ? ’ I enquired as I approached . ‘ Look 's like the base of a large shell or bomb , ’ replied one of the Commandos .
Idiom: pop the question (used idiomatically: no)
Sheepish . No , giraffish Like a lanky gawky giraffe . I kept on popping questions , he would n't answer , all he could do was look as if I had no right to ask . as if this was n't at all what he 'd bargained for . He 's never had anything to do with girls .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
My hands left the gun hanging in mid - air above my knees and went for the catapult , which as always was hanging on my belt , the arm - rest stuck down between that and my cords . Even my quick - reaction steelies were beyond reach in time , though ; the rabbit was on me in a half - second , heading straight for my throat . I caught it with the catapult , the thick black tubing of the rubber twisting once in the air as I scissored my hands and fell back , letting the buck go over my head and then kicking with my legs and turning myself so that I was level with it where it lay , kicking and struggling with the power of a wolverine , spreadeagled on the sand slope with its neck caught in the black rubber . Its head twisted this way and that as it tried to reach my fingers with its chopping teeth . I hissed through my own teeth at it and tugged the rubber tighter , then tighter still .
Idiom: show a leg (used idiomatically: yes)
' Male fans ask for pictures of me in a bathing costure ' PAULINE WALLIN ZOE WANAMAKER looks slick and confident in her salmon - pink designer suit , the shortish skirt showing off perfect legs . Then she reaches nervously for a hand - rolled fag . The 43-year - old actress , more used to Shakespeare than TV comedy , admits she was scared witless by her success in the hit series Love Hurts .