Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
If this is so , some of my earliest memories heralded a life full of gloom and disaster , or at best , a consuming interest in the spectacular , even the morbid . One memory is very clear : that of the biggest disaster in British mining history . It happened in 1913 at Senghenydd in mid - Glamorgan , a mining village just over the hill and the moorland a few miles from my home . I recall clearly the photograph of the pit - head that appeared in the newspaper next day ; but the impression etched indelibly into my four - year - old mind was the sight I beheld on the Sunday following . Our house backed on to Cefn Leyshon , part of the ridge of Mynydd Eglwysilian that separated us from Senghenydd .
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
A leading presidential aide was reported to have admitted that " irregularities " had occurred in some areas , which he attributed to " a political culture that is hard to eradicate " . Amnesty International report In a report published on Sept. 18 , the human rights organization Amnesty International stated that it was time that the United States and the international community stopped " turning a blind eye to the flagrant human rights abuses committed by the Mexican government " . Amnesty said that the torture of those detained by the army and police was a daily routine , and that it had received reports of more than 200 cases of torture over the past two years , but believed the true figure to be much higher . Torture methods cited included beating , kicking , electric shocks , near - suffocation in water or with plastic bags and the forcing of a mixture of carbonated water and chili powder into victims ' nostrils .
Idiom: settle a score (used idiomatically: yes)
' The commandant of Jasenovac concentration camp was a Franciscan monk . ' He opened the window a crack , but the wind made such a noise that he immediately closed it again . ' When the Germans turned Croatia into a puppet dictatorship the Catholics there immediately got to work settling old scores with the Serbs , packing them into their churches and burning them alive , that kind of thing . The Church knew what was going on and they could easily have stopped it . But the Pope kept quiet and the atrocities went on , many of them supervised by the followers of St Francis .
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: no)
Derek Cooper finds out how the wrinklies were sold to the younger generation RAISIN D'ETRE The humble raisin has been around for at least 2,000 years , but it has n't always been very popular — particularly in the US where novelty is all when it comes to food . Behind the rise of the wrinkly no - hoper to its current status as a hip , healthy snack lies an absorbing tale of modern marketing . This autumn I visited the San Joaquin Valley in California where almost half of the world 's raisin crop is grown .
Idiom: catch someone's eye (used idiomatically: yes)
I told my ' Arold I was n't goin' in no wooden seats . Mind yer , ' e likes ter give me the best , does my ' Arold.’ Florrie caught Nellie ' s eye and pulled a face . ‘ My first ole man said that ter me once . All I ever got from ' i m was the back of ' is ' and.’
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: no)
Q I sent three films of holiday snaps away to be processed but only one came back . The processor sent me a cheque for the value of the two missing films . When I complained , the company said there was a clause on the processing envelope that said if anything went wrong , it only had to pay for the film . Is this true ? A The film processor is trying to evade its liability by relying on the small print .
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
I was informed by a normally respectable member of the Gwili Board that I was wanted on the telephone in the shop . No sooner was I off the train than the guard blew the whistle and the train started and I had to run for it . After this humorous start the party went from strength to strength . We are indebted all the Gwili members for making it such a wonderful day , and particularly to driver Dave and fireman Roger who , apart from running three trains each way , spent the whole day admitting children of all ages to the footplate , firstly to explain the controls , and later to cook sausages on the fireman 's shovel in traditional style . PRESERVATION PROGRAMME
Idiom: take someone to task (used idiomatically: yes)
The [ Mt expects Japan to grow by around 4.5 % this year and next . West Germany 's current - account surplus has continued to widen . The IMF takes West Germany to task for failing to shake up the supply - side of its arthritic economy . The economy is riddled with rigidities , says the IMF , which distort responses to exchange - rate changes and insulate sectors from foreign competition . While the IMF gives fairly high marks to Britain 's monetary and fiscal policies , it is more gloomy about its current - account than the government .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
The appeal ought to be dealt with by someone who was not directly involved in taking the original decision . It is usually only fair to deny you a right to appeal if top management has already been closely concerned in the matter because of your senior status or because the business is so small that there is no one left to whom you can bring your complaint . The principles of fair procedure which govern the conduct of disciplinary hearings also apply , by and large , to appeal hearings . Do not be deterred from exercising your right of appeal by the belief that the outcome will be a foregone conclusion . If ( admittedly , in some companies it is a big ‘ if’ ) your employer is genuinely concerned to make sure you have a fair deal , it is quite possible that the original decision will be reversed , or at least modified , upon appeal .
Idiom: in someone's pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
Horrified , Juliet realised she 'd almost forgotten to ring her ! Where was that piece of paper with the phone numbers on it ? She found it in her pocket , and hurried to the nearest public telephone . They fetched Celia from class , and Juliet felt guilty . ‘ I 'm sorry , I 've been very busy today —’ she began .
Idiom: in the black (used idiomatically: yes)
So was the post office . She waited outside in the street , shaking in anticipation of the telephone call . Soon she was joined by a peasant woman dressed in black who told her that she was trying to get on to the hospital in Toulon for news of her son . As the woman spoke she cried . Flavia looked and listened as if to events taking place at one remove .
Idiom: stick out like a sore thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
Bernard 's sure to have his spies out looking for me . I 'm going to have to fly to either Chad or Niger and slip over the border by car . But I do n't speak French or Arabic so I 'm going to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb . And that means attracting unnecessary attention that could get back to Bernard . ' ' And you want me to get you into Zimbala . '
Idiom: off the wall (used idiomatically: yes)
It got worse . One actor took so many drugs in quick succession he almost died . Then , during a scene involving horses , a beautiful chestnut stallion was scared by gunfire , bolted , fell off a twenty - five - foot wall and broke its back . One of the crew pulled out a Colt .45 and shot the beast through the head to put it out of its misery and a group of local Indians gleefully pulled out their knives and instantly began butchering the stallion for its meat . Two of the cast fainted and most of the rest repaired to the nearest bar .
Idiom: read between the lines (used idiomatically: yes)
Four days later , on 19 May , he held his first press conference since June 1955 and elaborated on the two main points of his earlier statement : first , he stressed his personal legitimacy based on his exploits between 1940 and 1946 ; second , he declared his readiness to be " useful again to France " . Notably absent from his remarks were any clear or explicit indications of the terms on which he would agree to return or any clear or explicit criticism of the insurrection in Algiers . Reading between the lines , it was evident that de Gaulle was seeking to encourage those individuals in the political establishment — such as President Coty and the deputy prime minister , Guy Mollet — who were already moving towards a Gaullist solution , but that he was not yet willing to negotiate with the collective leadership of the Republic . He still needed to encourage supporters in the army and in the civilian population to keep up their pressure on the regime . This attitude was bitterly criticized by republican politicians who felt that he had given an enormous fillip to a rebellion that would otherwise have run out of steam .
Idiom: at death's door (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Is n't it great,’ Barbara told the Mirror . ‘ But it was supposed to be a secret.’ Laura — who already has a brother , Lewis , two next month — was at death 's door just ten weeks ago . She desperately needed a liver and bowel transplant . Her plight touched the hearts of people around the world who raised £ 650,000 for her to undergo surgery in Pennsylvania .
Idiom: lay an egg (used idiomatically: yes)
You can turn day into night and night into day - this would make it much easier for you to study their feeding habits . Woodlice breed well in captivity if their surroundings are kept damp and they have enough food . The females lay eggs in early summer and carry them around in a special brood pouch on the underside of the thorax . The young woodlice hatch in this pouch and stay there for a while . Then they leave the pouch and you will suddenly notice that a lot of small woodlice have been added to your colony .
Idiom: miss the boat (used idiomatically: yes)
Provie gunman , my arse ! I can sing God Save the Queen in several languages , including Irish ! I missed the boat because —’ He stopped , laughing in his turn . ‘ Well , come to think of it , I was detained on urgent business with a Catholic . A wee green patriot , indeed .
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: yes)
Mm . worked up the ladder , but , what 's required in a judge , I would say , put putting for the moment , what we 've just been discussing on the side , that is , any question of bias , or sex bias , a judge is there in court , to perform an intellectual . He is there to listen to the evidence , to present the evidence to the jury , the jury then , say , whether the man in the dock or woman in the dock or whatever 's in the dock , is guilty or not guilty . The judge then , bearing in mind , all that he knows , and all that he 's been told about the guilty person , proceeds to pass sentence . Now I say , that that is an intellectual exercise , as soon as it becomes an emotional exercise
Idiom: asleep at the wheel (used idiomatically: yes)
Then came the corner , the road bending round the walled compound of a Sheikh 's racing stables . The wall stood twenty yards back from the road . Possibly his mother had fallen asleep at the wheel . ‘ She was driving very fast,’ he said as he folded the map round the photograph and tucked it into the inner pocket of the waterproof saddlebag . Close to one hundred miles an hour had been the accident investigator 's opinion .
Idiom: all over the place (used idiomatically: yes)
It had been refitted with a low - watt bulb practically too dim to see by , in order to save electricity . Algy particularly was made miserable by the change in the house . Her only pleasure in it now was the notes left all over the place by her father : cheery instructions in a classical scholar 's hand , written on the gummed labels used by the more pious English government departments to get a second use out of old envelopes . ‘ If this drawer sticks , do n't despair,’ said a label on a Queen Anne chest in the spare room . ‘ It will open if tugged sharply to the right.’
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
‘ She told him his clothes were awful and that she did n't like his schoolboyish haircut . ’ Even before Antonia had admitted meeting the Minister for Fun , Antonia told a close friend she knew he was to play an important part in her life . ‘ Antonia told me she had been watching Mellor on TV in the run up to the General Election and said she had suddenly been taken over by this incredible desire for him and that she badly wanted to meet him . ‘ She just knew she was going to have a mad , passionate affair with him . Antonia is very into fate , star signs and things like that .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
In other words , of broadcasters no longer have to depend on ' official ' sources , how can we control what the public sees and hears ? The answer in 1991 is : not as easily as ' we ' would like . On the face of it , those policing information from the Gulf war have less problems with the great bulk of the British press . With no editors and only a handful of high - profile journalists opposing the conflict , and with the majority of newspapers baying for Iraqi blood , Fleet Street could hardly be more acquiescent . And yet the same disjuncture between messages sent and opinions received must apply here as with the electronic media .
Idiom: get stuck into (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet Amiss felt that to a group of paranoid old men the Admiral 's conduct must have appeared worrying . He refused three of the courses at lunch , four at dinner ; he skipped the Madeira and champagne ; his consumption of port was derisory . He tended to bow out when the other old codgers were getting stuck into tedious reminiscence , clearly lacking the high boredom threshold necessary to keep these dissidents happy . Amiss wondered what a management consultant would do , faced with the Admiral 's problem . He had explained to Milton and Pooley that he had to carry the body of members with him .
Idiom: walk on eggshells (used idiomatically: yes)
To her considerable surprise Joanna had been entirely on her side . ' Do n't tell me what that brother of mine is like , ' she had said fervently . ' One look from those eyes when someone had displeased him and we 'd all be walking around on eggshells . I do n't wonder you could n't bring yourself to tell him what was happening . But he 's not always like that , ' she had assured Isabel hastily .
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
I appreciate the hon . Gentleman 's concern . He knows that we can not reduce the VAT rate as a solution , but he also knows that we can take measures that would have a similar effect in helping the industry . A meeting a week ago today between officials and the industry got to grips with some of the remaining problems . As a result of that , my hon . Friend the Minister of State , Treasury , will write to the industry shortly . That should clear the way for what may be the final round of discussions which , I hope , can reach an agreement to achieve a measure that is equivalent to a reduction in VAT , within the Community rules which permit it .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
So , how did you make your initial decision about what to do after graduation ? How are you continuing to make decisions ? Career choice is a continual process , not a once and for all decision . People change and so do opportunities ; there is a need continually to make choices to accommodate these changes . Whatever your situation , whether you are planning a change of direction or simply looking forward at the various opportunities open to you , the process of your decision - making is an important element of the choice itself .
Idiom: for the time being (used idiomatically: yes)
Croom - Johnson J. said that ‘ there must be something in the nature of a criminal intent of the kind which means that it is done with the idea of some form of hostility to the police with the intention of seeing that what is done is to obstruct , and that it is not enough merely to show that he intended to do what he did and that it did in fact have the result of the police being obstructed.’ Leaving aside for the time being the question of ‘ hostile intent,’ it is plain that it is not enough that the defendant deliberately does an act that has the incidental effect of obstructing the police ; he must also have some notion that he is obstructing and causing the police difficulties . The question is whether he is in addition permitted to say that , although he was aware that he was causing difficulties , he was doing so from the best of intentions . Croom - Johnson J. plainly thought that he is ; one of the reasons advanced for accepting the contentions of the appellant was that , if the law were otherwise , the ‘ well meaning’ defendant who went to the aid of the police and accidentally obstructed them would be guilty of an offence .
Idiom: the rest is history (used idiomatically: yes)
Santa Special trains travel the full five miles of the line , customers can join trains at Keighley , Haworth or Oxenhope stations for a one - hour return steam train journey . Santa trains are now run by every independent railway in Britain but were ‘ invented’ by the KWVR in 1965 . In December of that year the KWVR ran Santa by Steam trains on a stretch of line in Haworth yard and attracted around 500 passengers to the Railway in the quiet winter months before the Railway re - opened — the rest is history . This year the Railway has introduced a fully computerised reservation system to handle bookings for the 11,000 seats that are available . A KWVR member and computer programmer has designed a sophisticated program that is cutting significantly the time taken to process bookings .
Idiom: anything goes (used idiomatically: yes)
As they they got fed up with it I suppose I dunno er . But there was no point in carrying it on really you know it . If we 'd a carried it on for say this time of the year now you with this erm Whitsun Holiday now , we 'd have had to to do it seven days a week , cos you 'd have to be there Saturday and Sunday to stop anything going in there . But they were n't prepared to do it were they . You know these youngsters they were n't prepared to stay on that gate .
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Newly - weds Martin and Andrea Stevens , who were married in November , were spending their honeymoon on day trips from their Darlington home when one outing turned into a nightmare . Systems analyst Martin , 22 , of Cumberland Street , fell from a rock at Brimham Rocks , near Pateley Bridge , on the last day of his honeymoon . While Andrea , 21 , was keeping a round - the - clock vigil at her husband 's hospital bedside , burglars made off with all their wedding presents . Among the items stolen was a locket given to Andrea by her mother Margaret who died of cancer just a fortnight before the wedding . But now , thanks to money raised by Martin 's colleagues at Magnet in Darlington and Andrea 's workmates at North Tees Hospital , where she is a student nurse , the couple are preparing for their week 's break .
Idiom: think twice (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's no use confessing your sins to the priest if you do n't think twice before repeating them .
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
This is the result of my experience and your money and a touch of genius that follows me whatever I do . If you 'd been quicker over the refining equipment — ' It was an old story , and Nicholas did no more than pull a molasses - type face . Left under - equipped by the Martini , it had taken him too long to realise that copper vats were not now to be had ; that all the pottery stores had somehow been requisitioned ; that skilled men had been seduced away to serve elsewhere . Someone cleverer or luckier than he was had noticed that the way to make money was n't this way , risking the mice and the drought and the locusts , managing the men and the beasts and all the complexity of arrangements that ended here , in the yard , with crushed cane and coarse syrup fit for refining .
Idiom: take someone to task (used idiomatically: yes)
Her thoughts broke off when she found that Vendelin Gajdusek 's glance was still on her — as though he had enjoyed the sound of her light laugh . Abruptly she looked in another direction — somehow , she felt unsteady , as if everything was getting away from her ! It was then , when it came to her that Vendelin Gajdusek was heady stuff , that she took herself severely to task . Some seconds later she was discounting that he had anything whatsoever to do with any of her peculiar thoughts and emotions . For heaven 's sake , she 'd been under a bit of strain of late , so what was more natural than that , having at last met the man she had been at pains to meet — actually being out walking with him , and on such a lovely sharp but sunny day — she should — er — relax a little ?
Idiom: clear the decks (used idiomatically: yes)
A key addition is the liberal , Mr Alexander Lilov , who was dismissed from the politburo in 1983 , without explanation , for differing with Mr Zhivkov . Similar radical changes have been made in the central committee , with 20 old faces going , including the deputy Foreign Minister , Mr Ivan Ganev . The reshuffle clears the decks before Monday 's crucial scheduled central committee 's meeting which is expected to reveal alarming details about Bulgaria 's ailing economy and to tackle the problem of Mr Zhivkov 's internationally comdemned assimilation policy against the country 's Turkish minority . The changes also anticipate many of the demands which were expected to be made at opposition rallies tomorrow in Sofia and the provinces where calls are expected for the resignation of many of the figures ousted yesterday . The old guard hit back at the newly formed , broad - based Union of Democratic Forces , which is organising tomorrow 's demonstrations .
Idiom: no time like the present (used idiomatically: yes)
However , she sipped her coffee and realised that this really would n't do . She was not here to enjoy herself — well , not primarily — but to get that interview under way . There being no time like the present , Fabia opened her mouth to begin and heard Ven enquire , ‘ So you think Mariánské Láznë an enchanting place.’ ‘ Oh , yes,’ she promptly affirmed . ‘ What enchants you in particular?’ he wanted to know as he downed some of his coffee .
Idiom: feel the pinch (used idiomatically: yes)
Do n't panic says Marsh EVERTON chairman Dr. David Marsh today called for a united front at Goodison Park as the club strives to edge away from the top flight danger zone , writes Ken Rogers . Dr. Marsh once again reiterated the cold , hard fact of life that cash throughout the Premier League is extremely tight with Everton , in tandem with a host of clubs , feeling the pinch of the recession . It is patently clear that the Blues must sell to buy or consider the possibility of exchange deals . But with the season less than a third of the way through , the club is refusing to press the panic button , despite the worrying League situation .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course it would be unusual to be permanently in an optimistic state of mind , but who do you think gets more pleasure out of life ? Let us suppose the Smith family have planned a picnic in the country in a few days time . Mr Smith — a pessimist — starts to worry in case it rains , the car breaks down , they are plagued by insects or one of the children gets lost . Mrs Smith , however , envisages a glorious sunny day , delicious food , fresh country air and time to relax with her husband and children . However the day turns out , she will already have enjoyed the prospect and had the excitement of looking forward to a pleasurable outing .