Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
BUSINESS READING Longman 1986 88 pp Examples from international journalism , for those who need to keep in touch with current events and new ideas through reading . Develops intensive reading skills and reading for gist , gives practice in business vocabulary and revises grammatical structures . The book consists of extracts from the British and American press and is suitable for independent study . NEGOTIATE IN ENGLISH Nelson ( Harrap 1984 ) 96 pp
Idiom: unknown quantity (used idiomatically: yes)
We all drank a lot of beer and chased girls’ . The result : Grady , past PGA of America champion ; Baker - Finch , holder of The Open vase ; Elkington , defender in the recent Players ' Championship and holder of the Tournament of Champions title . Norman has been an unknown quantity since injuring his right shoulder prior to last year 's Masters , then reinjuring it at the US Open in Minneapolis . A stoic quality keeps him from talking about the problem , which is silly ; even Nicklaus discusses his back , made ancient by millions of swings and uneven leg lengths . TV viewers , astute ones , will notice when Norman first hoves on to the screen that his swing is very upright , which is how he started playing this game .
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: no)
But the flexibility would obviously make jobs ‘ more secure’ . Croft 's winning return ANNABEL CROFT , the former British No 1 who reckoned she would be lucky to win just a few games on her return to competitive tennis , today clinched a place in the second round of the Volkswagen National championships in Telford . But the forgotten golden girl of British tennis , whose flourishing stage career will take in the role of Cinderella this Christmas , made a pantomime of despatching Alison Smith 6 - 4 6 - 7 6 - 3 . The two - hour battle did not exactly revive memories of Croft 's professional heyday when she reached the lofty heights of world No 22 as she struggled with her serve , and produced too many errors to get into any sort of groove .
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: no)
Weather spoils RAF party David Weisbloom EAST Anglians hoping to catch a glimpse of the biggest fly - past for 40 years were left disappointed yesterday as rain and cloud conspired stopped the 149-aircraft spectacular from getting off the ground . People who had travelled to find a vantage point near RAF Marham , where the air force was enjoying its 75th anniversary celebrations , were forced to make their way home again . The 10,000 guests inside the base , including the Queen , the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother , had suspected the worst for several hours as the gloomy weather showed little sign of lifting .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: no)
Trinidad – Sustainability has become the foundation for almost all economic thinking nowadays . It is essential not only to economic recovery today , but to ensuring peace and security tomorrow . Factoring sustainability into all our thinking is necessary because , as a global society , we are living on the edge . The last two years have brought a series of crises : energy , food , climate ~ change , and global recession . I fear that worse may be in store .
Idiom: throw in the towel (used idiomatically: yes)
Mr Sugar revealed that at one point one of his children had tried to persuade him to ‘ throw in the towel’ . He told a news conference at the club 's White Hart Lane ground : ‘ I 've been threatened , spat on , chased after and have been called all the names under the sun . ‘ When I got home on the evening that it was announced Terry Venables had taken out an injunction , one of my children was very nervous and said ‘ Why do n't you throw in the towel ? It 's not worth the aggravation’ . ‘ But within half - an - hour we were firing on all cylinders again.’
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
For example , the trade association in the nut and bolt industry actually employed individuals who posed as buyers and tried to obtain discounts on prices from sellers suspected of cheating . Trade associations may also carry out services such as demand forecasting and capacity planning for the market as a whole . This can be important both in achieving agreement on prices in the short run , and in preventing the development of excess capacity , which can pose a serious threat to collusion in the long run . At the very least , trade associations often provide the opportunities for the ‘ meetings of merriment and diversion’ mentioned in Adam Smith 's famous remark . Price leadership : it is usual to distinguish between ‘ dominant firm’ and ‘ barometric’price leadership .
Idiom: pick up the pieces (used idiomatically: yes)
' Sure , sure . ' Dyson continued to gaze at Morris for some moments , his mouth very slightly open . Then , abruptly , without a word , he turned away , picked up a piece of copy , and began to correct it with short , violent strokes and swirls of his pen . Morris turned his head slightly and caught Bob 's eye . Bob at once stopped moving the peppermint about in his mouth .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah . and then I sa I looked in bag . I do n't know what made me look in the bag , but it were n't . So I went over to thingy said oh ! She 's just gone to your flat to take it , she 's just gone to your house to take it you .
Idiom: make a move (used idiomatically: yes)
JOHN ROBINSON IT WAS always simply a matter of time before full back Alan Tait followed his former boss Doug Laughton to Leeds . The Flying Scot would probably have made the move before now — if it had n't been for a pact Laughton made when he left Widnes sixteen months ago . Laughton pledged not to bid for any Chemics star for at least a season — unless they wanted to sell . And he was true to his word .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
I mean both in the experience of , that I 've had and research that I 've looked at , there seems to be in terms of positive results , kind of strategy that are being used are strategies that , that both improve learning performance and improve emotional conditions for the child . So I , I would be very reticent to suggest any programme that is specifically in one direction or the other . When you look at any remedial teacher , whatever their inclinations might be , when you actually observe work it 's quite clear they 're , they 're always working on both an emotional level and on a learning level . Distinguishing between behaviour problems and learning difficulties is finally a matter of emphasis . Rod Smart .
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: yes)
He was famous for picking sportsmen young and preparing them for success ; but in this case he had picked an apparent no - hoper like Harley , who immediately confirmed his judgement by notching up three tournament victories . I was going to be late for Jack Mason and made for the door . I asked Toby to do me a favour and tell the Fleet Street ‘ dirty mac brigade’ , who covered crime and other seedy activities , that I had given him an exclusive . Chapter 3 I made it to the front of the clubhouse just in time to seize Jack 's bag and head for the practice ground .
Idiom: have a few (used idiomatically: yes)
Osprey We used to live about a hundred yards away from the main park in Colchester . The park had a few fairly large hills ( or so it seemed to me at the time ) topped by a castle , a lake with a river running through it and quite a few trees scattered here and there . It was n't exactly a naturalist 's dream , but to me it was the Great Outdoors , an unexplored wilderness . Walking along the riverbank or lakeside , I could see a variety of waterfowl , such as moorhens , seagulls and ducks ; up in the trees were virtually the entire crow family — jays , rooks and jackdaws — as well as blackbirds , thrushes , finches , all the everyday birds .
Idiom: drunk as a lord (used idiomatically: yes)
Looking back , I suppose I was worried someone might be in the chamber.’ ‘ And the night Mowbray died?’ ‘ I was with Mistress Philippa , drunk as a lord . Ask the others.’ ‘ And you never left?’
Idiom: hear things (used idiomatically: yes)
Not that either of them were drinkers ; one now and then was enough . They had seen enough of their father drunk and there had been a terrible scene at Uncle Mick 's funeral when Denis got drunk and started arguing with them about their business practices . He 'd been hearing things , Denis had said , and he wanted to know what was going on at Rafferty 's . Mind you , he had told Sean he was speaking as a brother , not as a policeman , you understand . Although from his truculent manner , it was hard to see him as brotherly , but then Denis had been nearest to Uncle Mick .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
I tried to keep my eye on the ball , but then the ball hit my eye .
Idiom: foot the bill (used idiomatically: no)
They have to earn £ 20,000 a year to qualify for the charge card . You only get cover for the cost of legal fees if you have problems with consumer goods and services bought with the card . If you bought your car with cash you have to foot your own legal bills . There is also cover for legal fees for personal injury suffered in an accident . However , the pursuit of an accident claim as a car driver is excluded .
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
The company itself was still going strong , but its backers changed . The original owners could not sustain the necessary level of investment so the company has now been sold . But the chain was trading as usual and Mr Chapman 's outlook remained buoyant : ‘ The business has been going from strength to strength.’ However , Kookai told ACCOUNTANCY in early December that the new backers and Mr Chapman have parted company ; he has left Kookai . The going seems better for Philip Ames , a chirpy Lancastrian , who is also expanding a retail chain at a time when so many others are either shrinking or going bust .
Idiom: get a life (used idiomatically: yes)
You from the insurance industry , twenty five years after heart attacks , when he should have died , despite the modern medicine . After twenty three years , after the heart transplant , eight years after osmosis , I want to give you his secret , guess what he 's got . He 's got a life insurance policy . It 's amazing . And that life insurance policy to him , is of no help .
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
Why can not that proposal be brought forward , so that the local offices of the Department of Social Security could make the decision about topping - up arrangements ? Secondly , as new residents in homes will be able to claim housing benefit under the new proposals , why can not housing benefit be claimed as a way of helping to make good the shortfall ? Thirdly , as the Government are turning a blind eye to many of the disregards being allowed for people on income support and in residential and nursing care , could that be codified and made safe for all forms of disregard ? We hope that the Government will respond to other priorities and suggestions in the report , which I shall list as headings because I know that other hon . Members wish to speak and will doubtless develop many of those arguments . We are worried about the date on which local authorities will know the size of their budget .
Idiom: come clean (used idiomatically: no)
Make a very slight dip in the centre of the cake as this will help it to rise more evenly . 5 Bake the cake for the time specified in the chart , or in the case of the basic quantity given here , about 3–3½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean . Leave to cool in the tin before turning out . See baking chart on opposite page .
Idiom: have someone's number (used idiomatically: yes)
If you live out of Bishop 's Castle , just telephone Paul Lucas ( same number as the Hon . Sec . ) or me , stating roughly when you might be available . Make sure we have your ' phone number . We will make an effort to let you know when we are going to have a session working at the bridge . I am putting together an album of our preservation activities as we go along and will try to make it available on meeting nights and other public occasions .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
The Greeks and their neighbours in the Hellenistic world Preliminary Consideration The philosophic historian will never stop meditating on the nose of Cleopatra . If that nose had pleased the gods as it pleased Caesar and Antony , a loose Alexandrian gnosticism might have prevailed instead of the Christian discipline imposed by the two Romes , the old one on the Tiber , and the new one on the Bosporus . The Celts would have been allowed to go on collecting mistletoe in their forests .
Idiom: eat your heart out (used idiomatically: yes)
The BBC and I finally bade each other goodnight at 6.30 , with what seemed to be a good day 's work on the cassettes . Perhaps I should take up this investigative journalism . Eat your heart out , Roger Cook ! I often have this type of fantasy when very tired , and that certainly I was . In the morning I remembered that Roger Cook sometimes gets thumped — quite hard , and abandoned the idea .
Idiom: on the spur of the moment (used idiomatically: yes)
While still leafing through the statements he turned to Sara : ‘ We have a witness who claims to have seen you in Alexandra Road after eleven on Saturday night , and you may know that a woman was seen going in by the back door of this house at half - past.’ Wycliffe did not look up from the statements and for some time Sara gave no sign that she had heard ; then she said : ‘ I 've been very stupid . One does something on the spur of the moment that is trivial and perhaps a little silly , then when that action is caught up in … in a tragic event , one feels quite foolish telling of it.’ Wycliffe had transferred his attention from statements to cheque stubs . ‘ So what did you do on Saturday night?’
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: yes)
Media Vision Technology Inc , making multimedia products in Fremont , California got its initial public offering of 1.75 m shares , 1 m of them new , away at $ 26.25 a share ; it did not give its plans for the $ 25 m or so net proceeds . The lead underwriters were Montgomery Securities and Cowen & Co. Megatest Corp , San Jose maker of test equipment for integrated circuits , filed to go public with an initial offer of up to 1.8 m common shares at a target price of $ 10 to $ 12 a share , and will use the $ 18 m or so net proceeds to repay debt and for working capital ; Robertson , Stephens & Co and Montgomery Securities will be the underwriters . OTHER FINANCINGS Blyth Holdings Inc , Foster City , California , says it has closed a private placing , raising $ 3 m from General Reinsurance Corp , representing a 2.7 % equity stake on a fully diluted basis at the time of closing .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
Scarlet felt that there was some flaw in her friend 's argument but was unable precisely to pinpoint it . There was , undeniably , a spirit of unrest abroad in the air , violence and lawlessness , and corruption in the City , law courts and local councils , while the streets were foul with detritus and thronging with derelict humanity . She had , only the other day , seen a policeman and -woman exerting more force than had seemed strictly necessary on a man in the street : at the time she had assumed that he had offered fierce resistance until she had turned the corner , at which moment he had been subdued . She had race memories of Our Boys in Blue and was loath to believe them brutal . ‘ They 're not all bad,’ she said .
Idiom: take stock (used idiomatically: yes)
I do not wish to sell their achievements short . New cultural and political spaces have been opened up , and hegemonic racial identities and structures have been loosened . Despite these real successes , however , my sense is that now is a time to take stock and to reflect on the theoretical , pedagogic and political foundations of multiculturalism and antiracism . This is a period of transition . Significant changes are under way in the economic , political and cultural formation of black British communities .
Idiom: in a nutshell (used idiomatically: yes)
This we suggested could be handled by a locally - based Task Force which would plan and co - ordinate development . Secondly we urged that the marginalisation of the area and the social exclusion of many of its people should be addressed by a concerted effort to open up employment opportunities outside West Belfast and by a serious attempt to involve local people in development decisions . In a nutshell , development and democracy — the beginnings of a transformation of the discriminatory economic and political relationships that have held West Belfast down since the rise of industrial capitalism in the north - east of Ireland . Just before the Obair Report appeared we all heard the first of many announcements about the British government 's Making Belfast Work policy . And over the past eighteen months several agencies , among them the International Fund for Ireland and LEDU , have begun to have a presence in the most economically underdeveloped areas and to make claims about how they are targeting resources on places like West Belfast .
Idiom: to boot (used idiomatically: yes)
This last option just clears out the PC and re - loads CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT . The downside is that some memory managers might not take kindly to the reload option , but if you try it and can get away with it , it 's the one to opt for . As an example , one of our machines with a SCSI hard drive takes about three minutes to boot from cold , as the SCSI card gets its affairs in order . Even with an ‘ all options included’ configuration we 've got in Easy Boot , that time is reduced to less than fifteen seconds , and that includes loading a complex network setup . Summary
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: no)
Philip 's thumbs pricked ; in the sudden certainty that any further public avowal was designed to serve Isambard 's purpose and not his , he made haste to speak before the boy could open his mouth . ' My lord , we should perhaps postpone this discussion until after supper . I had no intention of turning your table into a business conference . ' ' I could not discuss in Harry 's absence what closely concerns him , ' said Isambard , ' and I trust we can all be relied upon to continue our exchanges like civilised men . Speak out , Harry !
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
We were concerned about safety too . I would n't buy anything unless it had the British Standard kitemark on it to show it was safety approved , and I also went for reputable makes , taking cost into consideration , too , of course . ‘ I did n't bother buying a crib ; Rachel went straight into her carrycot and stayed there until she was four months when she moved to the cot . The carrycot , with buggy combined , has been really good value ; it cost about £ 120 but I 've had so much use out of it already . My only complaint is that it is so heavy .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: no)
But the 29-year-old centre-half explained how he had been the victim of his own eagerness to be involved in the Kop cause , despite a virus problem . Wright said : ‘ After the victory over Blackburn a couple of weeks ago , I picked up some kind of flu bug . I had to spend three days in bed and did n't really kick a ball in the build-up to the Highfield Road game . I was asked to turn out at Coventry and I agreed because I 'm a professional player and that 's my job — but I was n't feeling 100 per cent . ‘ Perhaps , in retrospect , I should n't have gone out there because I did n't do myself any favours .
Idiom: in a fog (used idiomatically: yes)
He also had the house ready in case he needed to escape . He will be there , I 'm sure . ' ' Nobody could find his way into the Grimpen Marsh in this fog tonight , ' said Holmes , looking out of the window . The fog lay like white wool against the glass , and we knew we could not try to follow him until it cleared . We decided to take Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall .
Idiom: one and the same (used idiomatically: yes)
He felt this about most accounts and articles in newspapers . They did n't know much but they told you what they did know in the most cryptic way possible to whet your appetite and make you speculate . For instance , they did n't tell you if the landowner and Mr Alec Chipstead were one and the same person , though you could tell that was what they meant . He could feel sweat standing on his face , on his upper lip and forehead . Wiping it away with his handkerchief , he closed his eyes , opened them and looked round the room , then back at the newsprint in front of him , as if he might have been dreaming or have imagined it .
Idiom: larger than life (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I was here as a 10-year-old when we had a record crowd of 75,000 for the Cup tie against Aston Villa in 1938 , ’ he said . Playing in goal that day was the legendary Sam Bartram , after whom a road beside the ground has been named . ‘ He was a huge man , a larger than life character , ’ Ufton added . ‘ Eleven years later it was like a dream come true when I played my first game for the club and he was still in goal . I was playing with my idol . ’
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
Firefly project REAR FUSELAGE section of Fairey Firefly I PP566 has been recovered by members of the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum ( SYAM ) at Firbeck . Rescued from Meikle Bin , near Kilsyth in Scotland , it is hoped that in the long term this substantial section of rear fuselage may be restored and mated to the Firefly AS.5 front fuselage and cockpit section currently on display at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry , owned and restored by Colin Waterworth . Still flying DESPITE the Ministry of Defence 's ( MoD ) statement that no more check - flights would be undertaken on Vulcan B.2 XH558 — enabling the flightcrew to stay current should the decision to ground her be reversed , or she be flown to her next owner ( FP November , p26)— the mighty Vulcan flew again from Waddington , Lincs , in October and was due to fly again as this issue went on sale .
Idiom: strike a chord (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You may be convinced of Rick 's innocence , but it 's asking a lot of me.’ ‘ I know he 's innocent ! Despite her misgivings , the passionate sincerity in the girl 's declaration of faith struck a chord . Had n't she , Melissa , expressed just such a sentiment ? But if Rick was n't the killer , what did that imply for Barney ?
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: no)
and he got same time as I did . Did he ? He had a heart , heart . Oh he had a heart trouble . But eh , we use to , he use to at weekends , he use to take his horses to the hunts you see .
Idiom: dead wood (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ It was still a lie!’ ‘ It does n't matter , and anyway it 's just a short - term thing ; they will produce more jobs eventually . They 're just getting rid of the dead wood at the moment ; there 'll be new jobs in new growth industries.’ ‘ Bull shit ! Even you do n't believe that!’
Idiom: off the record (used idiomatically: yes)
Give me a good broad beach with a reasonable slope and not too much seaweed , and a fair - sized stream , and I 'll be happy all day , any day . By that time the sun was well up , and I took off my jacket to lay it with my bags and binoculars . Stoutstroke dipped and bit and sliced and dug , building a huge triple - deck dam , the main section of which backed up the water in the North Burn for eighty paces ; not far off the record for the position I had chosen . I used my usual metal overflow piece , which I keep hidden in the dunes near the best dam - building site , and the piece de resistance was an aqueduct bottomed with an old black plastic rubbish - bag I 'd found in the driftwood . The aqueduct carried the overflow stream over three sections of a by - pass channel I 'd cut from further up the dam .