Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: throw down the gauntlet (used idiomatically: yes)
But Monie knows that the loss of Miles and Gregory will be even harder to make up , even though they have great faith in new scrum half signing Martin Crompton . Veteran Saints , beaten four times by Wigan last season , aim to throw down the gauntlet early with victory at the International Stadium . Their veteran prop Kevin Ward commented : ‘ I never knew there was so much intense rivalry between the two clubs until I came to St Helens . ‘ Beating Wigan in any game means so much to the St Helens club and its supporters.’
Idiom: early bird (used idiomatically: yes)
How can any writer know where lives the reader for whom the advice is intended , and what the weather will be ? You have to use your eyes , watch points and , again , use your judgement . Some varieties are early birds , and anxious to lead the way . Make a note of these in your garden diary , and watch carefully for the first sign of bud swelling , for they will need pruning first . Many gardeners will argue that there is a risk in pruning very early , that frost can burn and shrivel young foliage that unfolds as the buds expand .
Idiom: weak at the knees (used idiomatically: yes)
After a rapid shower , and a vigorous teeth - cleaning session , she sought her hair - brush and applied her pent - up energy equally vigorously to taming the riotous cloud of curls . Catching sight of herself in the long wall - mirror as she pulled a peach - coloured , button - necked nightshirt over her head , she found herself wondering what Guy was doing . Abruptly , the sensations she 'd felt that night in St Lucia , when they 'd come so close to making love , engulfed her with such force that she felt weak at the knees . Bewildered , she slid into bed beneath a vast grey and emerald silk quilt , and lay staring at the patterns of light thrown on the ceiling by the white bedside lamp . But sleep seemed miles away .
Idiom: claim to fame (used idiomatically: yes)
He finally withdrew with Rupert and , like him , was at length formally reconciled to the king , being pardoned on 3 April 1646 and created baronet on 11 June . He then went abroad , mostly to Italy , returning to Fen Ditton in the summer of 1652 . Willys 's claim to fame , or infamy , rests on his membership of the Sealed Knot , the inner ring of six Royalist conspirators , all of them , except Willys , aristocrats . Two indeed were peers , one the Lord Belasyse with whom Willys again quarrelled fiercely , perhaps even sending him a second challenge . The Knot came into existence about November 1653 and throughout its six years of intermittent activity achieved less than nothing .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
Out from Collessie it 's about twelve miles from Iona . Mm . Now one commentator I believe it was the the foreman mason involved in the building of Skerrymor described the landing on the rock as being like climbing up the side of a bottle . Yes I I heard of that but I er I think it was Sir Walter Scott actually that said that . But er yes it was it could be and there was a blow hole there as well .
Idiom: behind bars (used idiomatically: yes)
Having drank in that pub for eight years and having never caused any trouble in that time , I am disgusted by the fact that there is a general ban on customers with a pierced nose . ' I could remove the ring would my whole personality change ? ' I asked the woman behind the bar and was told , ' Yes , remove it and I can serve you . ' At this point I left . Such pathetic prejudice leaves me cold .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
Emphasis on the role of research work is continued throughout the School . In the course of the year , a number of research groups were established to complement and enhance existing departmental research . It is too soon to predict whether these will be successful in the longer - term but they , together with other measures , have highlighted to staff the necessity of increasing research activity , both in terms of output and generating research income . The School continues to expand its range of collaborative work with industry and business through the Scottish Enterprise Foundation ( SEF ) , the Management Development Unit ( MDU ) , the Scottish Centre for Japanese Studies and other units such as the Institute for Retail Studies and the Scottish Centre for Quality Management . The Department of Accountancy and Finance , in conjunction with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland , has recently won a 3 year British Council Know - How funded project based in St Petersburg , aimed at retraining accounting practitioners and teachers in accounting methods in a market - led economy .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
PREMIER John Major suffered a new blow yesterday , when the Governor of the Bank of England scuppered his hopes of a new interest rate cut . The move would have boosted rock - bottom Tory morale just in time for their conference next week . But in a no - nonsense speech to American businessmen , the Bank 's Governor Robin - Leigh Pemberton issued a thinly - veiled warning to the Government to hold fire on letting millions of homeowners off the hook . A premature cut in interest rates would risk sending the pound into a dive which could spark inflation in Britain , he said . The value of sterling had a ‘ profound effect’ on our economic fortunes .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
At all other values for the real wage , output is constrained either by the unwillingness of firms to produce more output or by the unwillingness of households to provide more labour services but not by both at the same time . Only at w * ; will firms and households be unwilling to alter their realized behaviour . Why do suppliers , including the suppliers of factor services , increase output in the short run as a result of an increase in the absolute price level ? Some new classical writers have sought to answer this question by referring to the ‘ island parable’ . Suppose the economy is not one large , unified entity but is instead divided into a large number of islands .
Idiom: pass the buck (used idiomatically: yes)
If both or either is impaired then so is this capacity , and both depend upon the psychological capacities of the agent plus the recognition of other members of the moral and political community . This raises a difficulty . PASSING THE BUCK The problem here seems to be this : am I saying that a child is responsible if and only if we declare her to be so , given that she knows what she is doing ? This view has some historical clout .
Idiom: tongue in cheek (used idiomatically: yes)
The character of Ace was the least likeable in the film , but I kinda enjoyed the challenge of that . If the audience did n't yell , ' Awlright!'when the other kids finally stand up to him , then the part did n't serve its purpose in the movie . ' It was The Lost Boys , a lashing tongue - in - cheek tale of small town , rock ' n'roll vampires who image - wise , at least , owed more to Guns N ' Roses than Vincent Price , that brought Kiefer Sutherland into the movie worlds big league . Gangs were formed in honour of the film . ' They would have formed anyway, 'says Sutherland who plays David , the leader of the teen vamps , with Billy Idol hair and chiselled cheekbones .
Idiom: cramp someone's style (used idiomatically: yes)
Once he was there , she tried to exact his help in smuggling client records out of the firm to her home . Unbeknown to the firm , she was about to leave . Once at her new work place she complained bitterly of how her style had been cramped . She felt watched in her every deal . No cold - calling .
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
We can preserve , conserve , store , freeze , can , bottle , jar or produce doorstep - fresh anything you want ( short of the snowflake ) , but as a result of this , a greater understanding of the very composition of food has become necessary , which in turn has given a deeper insight into handling systems . Packaging , transport and temperature controls have resulted in the growth of industries which are connected with handling and storage , but still those last few feet to the point of consumption remain critical . They make or break the entire supply chain process if the meal arrives as a disappointment to the consumer or , worse still , as a health hazard . A growing technology In 1987 fast food services really started to spread throughout the UK .
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
I hear the ghosts of the sailors laughing triumphantly because I 've come to join them . I 'm a mermaid they 've captured , I 'm their prey . Now one of them seizes me , and it is n't a man , it 's an octopus with claws — it holds me in its tentacles , its talons dig into my flesh and my blood drips out through the holes in my flesh and my blood is n't red human blood , it 's black like tar , like drops of liquid evil … Rigid with terror — no wonder . I had to find pen and paper and write it down .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
We were probably all busy out in the fields at the time since it happened at the beginning of September . The news got around , I believe , when somebody went and rang up a newspaper , probably the Darlington and Stockton Times , to enquire . By and large , the war passed us by in Baldersdale , although we had to go through the business of putting black - out curtains at all the windows , even though all the light we had was from oil lamps . Nelly ( seated ) and Lizzie Hauxwell , Uncle Tommy 's twin daughters I think maybe half a dozen men went to war from Baldersdale , and poor Sidney Fawcett from West Birk Hatt was shot and killed while trying to escape from a prisoner - of - war camp .
Idiom: up in the air (used idiomatically: yes)
Stretch your back and at the same time look upwards . Repeat 10 times . 2 The same exercise is repeated , but this time lift your left leg up in the air , keeping it straight . Do not arch your back as much as in the previous exercise . 3 Repeat the exercise lifting your right leg .
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
So I just kept on my way , letting then all come along for the ride , while I hunted for confirmation of what I suspected and feared about Gharr . I did n't try asking any Vadinamian officials , because they would have sent me angrily on my way . On Vadinamia secrets are kept , and visitors are left strictly alone as long as they keep the peace . Vadinamia does n't care if you 're a criminal or a captain of industry ( Not that there 's much difference ) . Nor do they care how you might have come by your possessions , off - planet .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: yes)
Came out of Long Beach Road we 'll miss it . Yeah so Or you could go down California Road Well that 's what I that 's what I mean go down down Shallard 's Road here down Yeah
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
In 1984 he was given an honorary Academy Award for his ' unparalleled record of distinguished contributions to the motion picture art form . ' Roach outlived two wives and two of his five children . Couple are back in the water business By David Hope Business Staff HUSBAND and wife team , Beryl and David Davies , who four years ago sold 80pc of their Camarthen Water Company , have bought it back with the help of a consortium .
Idiom: pour cold water on (used idiomatically: yes)
He was shadowed everywhere in Sheffield , and he looked back on the experience as his most annoying transfer hid — particularly as it turned out to be one of his rare failures . Consolation came when Ernie Coleman finally joined Arsenal at the end of the season , for a fee of £ 6,000 . Arsenal were in the final , but Chapman poured cold water on hopes for the Double . Intense competition made the Double impossible , he said , and to achieve it a club would need a League lead of at least eight points by the semi - final . ( In 1971 , Arsenal won the Double after being six points behind leaders Leeds United at the time of the semi - final . )
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: yes)
The ditch may be completely dry in summer months , but the rule still applies . OPTION No.1 . The first option is to play the ball as it lies . It may not actually lie in the water , but it still lies within the boundary of the lateral water hazard . Remember not to ground your club at the address position as this will incur a two - stroke penalty in stroke - play or the loss of a hole in match - play .
Idiom: seal of approval (used idiomatically: yes)
Enough to put anyone off!’ ‘ And is that the reason you 're marrying her ? Because she has Luke 's seal of approval?’ Carefully Merrill removed the cress garnish from her sandwich . ‘ Oh , nothing like that …
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
The poverty statistics are cited as further support for the view that the elderly are becoming better off in relation to the rest of society . In 1950 pensioners constituted 70 per cent of those claiming supplementary benefit compared with 59 per cent in 1984/85 ( DHSS 1984 ) . However , this change has been brought about almost entirely by the increase in the long - term unemployed rather than an increase in the living standards of older people in the lowest income groups ; it is not the result of a vast increase in the incomes of older people . Rather it reflects the creation of an even poorer group , the long - term unemployed , who have very low incomes . It seems that older people in Britain are better off than some other groups dependent upon welfare for their source of income ; but they have not improved their situation with regard to those in employment .
Idiom: catch the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ If Squit could see me now!’ A hammered metal disc was fastened between his peacock wings , to serve as a halo behind his head . It could be angled to catch the sun and create a dazzle which , on a sunny day , made the Angel Gabriel a thing too bright to look upon . He was encouraged by Garvey to polish it , but would have done so anyway : he had never before owned a mirror . Back in the bad days , working for the Mason , his reflection in a church window or a bowl of washing water had stared out at him like an evil spirit — all girlish , sheepish , wimpish .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , I think it might of been Wednesday Er , yes that was David , Robert has n't , Robert 's coming next weekend , but he has n't been here for a few weeks Yes , I just saw you at the crossroads you see Mm and I was sort of concentrating so I just
Idiom: pissed off (used idiomatically: yes)
They 're not taking as much No but not only that and people get pissed off do n't they ? So they buy double usually do n't they , well I would . If I thought oh bollocks I 'm not standing here again .
Idiom: for good measure (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Now let 's go,’ he said , dragging me towards the door . ‘ The only thing worth having at these crazy pantomimes is the booze.’ Harvey grabbed two more drinks for good measure , then did a little dance . The band saw him and picked up the rhythm . It was all that — or more than — Harvey needed .
Idiom: cut and run (used idiomatically: yes)
It was a risk , certainly , but an acceptable one , within the strictures of his maxim about ‘ protecting the downside’ . He promised Draper and Berry that he would not stake the existence of Virgin on the airline . On the basis of Fields 's figures , if certain guidelines were adhered to rigorously , Branson estimated that it would cost Virgin £ 20 m a year to run the airline , but the most they stood to lose by ‘ cutting and running’ at any time was £ 2 m . Flying at full capacity which was highly unlikely — the airline could show a $ 9 m profit in its first year . It would need to be flying with 70 per cent capacity to break even ; for every percent above that it would make $ 250,000 .
Idiom: brownie point (used idiomatically: yes)
At field level , this implies a sufficient understanding of the contribution which different parties can make . It is also affected by the attitudes of those in the respective management structures , who have power to reward in specific ways the activities of their subordinates . Are there ‘ brownie points’ for cooperation ? In short , structural changes alone will not adequately raise the level of cooperative activity . Individuals are profoundly affected by their occupational socialisation , through training and through day - to - day work .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
It would be hard saying goodbye to the servants , some of whom had been around since she was born , but it was something she would have to do , she simply had no choice . Slowly , Emily rose from the chair where she had seen her father seated many times , not knowing the problems he faced or understanding how troubled he was . She was at fault for not taking a hand in the business before now , she could have helped him , been her father 's right hand . At least with her young , keen eyes she would have seen that he was being duped by his own nephew . Emily felt a sudden anger against the Grenfells , they had allowed this to happen to her father , even Craig had not been innocent , he should have seen what was going on in his own business .
Idiom: all wet (used idiomatically: yes)
If you fall into the water , you should strip off all wet clothes .
Idiom: steer clear of (used idiomatically: yes)
The Tyranny of Political Economy CAMBRIDGE – There was a time when we economists steered clear of politics . We viewed our job as describing how market economies work , when they fail , and how well - designed policies can enhance efficiency . We analyzed trade - offs between competing objectives ( say , equity versus efficiency ) , and prescribed policies to meet desired economic outcomes , including redistribution .
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
Repulsed , he raised his arm to keep it from his eyes or mouth , and the flea landed upon his hand . He slapped at it with his other hand , but it was beneath his thumbnail before he could get to it . He raised his arm to see its motion in the flesh of his thumb , and clamped his other hand around the base of the digit in the hope of stopping its further advance , gasping as though doused with ice - water . the pain was out of all proportion to the mite 's size , but he held both thumb and sobs hard , determined not to lose all dignity in front of his executioners . Then he staggered off the pavement into the street , throwing a glance down towards the brighter lights at the junction . What safety they offered was debatable , but if worst came to worst he would throw himself beneath a car , and deny the voiders the entertainment of his slow demise .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
The lower - status group figures were again very much higher than those for the upper group ( 2.17 as against 0.91 , out of a possible 4.00 ) : this means that lower group speakers , on average , use the vernacular alternant for two or more of the four lexical items , even in word - list style — a surprising finding in terms of Labov 's predictions on contextual style . Word - list style is a careful style in his terms ( but as we have shown in a number of publications , Labov 's predictions about the stylistic continuum did not work in this divergent - dialect community in the way that they had worked in New York City ) . The figures for males and females are also consistent with our findings for ( a ) and ( Ε ) : females lead in the move away from traditional vernacular forms , and this in the long term tends to reduce allophony and simplify alternations . Thus , it may well be worth considering the possibility that sex - differentiation in language contributes to simplification patterns and hence to the establishment of supra - local norms . We now turn to the findings of the two outer - city community studies , which also show a pattern of reduction of allophony .
Idiom: easier said than done (used idiomatically: yes)
Better end it now , a warning voice rang deep inside her brain . You 're here to do a job , get on with it as unemotionally as possible . Unfortunately that was easier said than done . In desperation she drew away , just as the bleep she carried in her purse broke discordantly into the silence . ‘ I 'm wanted on the ward,’ she said breathlessly .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
REMEMBER when wrestling meant Mick McManus , Big Daddy and the wonderfully dead-pan Kent Walton greeting ITV 's Saturday afternoon viewers with the words , ‘ Good afternoon , grapple fans ’ ? The days when the Royal Brothers and Jackie Pallo plied their trade in exotic venues like Brent Town Hall and WWF stood for the World Wildlife Fund , not the World Wrestling Federation . If you thought that era had been long since killed off by the replacement of British wrestling on our screens by the outrageous comic- book exploits of the Americans , you would be horribly wrong . While old ladies continue to brandish their handbags and umbrellas at the likes of Giant Haystacks in leisure centres and town halls , the arrival of WWF in national consciousness means they are outnumbered at ringside by the Nintendo generation . Brian Dixon 's All-Star Wrestling stages 10 shows a week and has 150 full-time and 220 part-time wrestlers on its books .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
Corduroy has always been the poor man 's velvet ; its pile is made of cotton , rather than silk or satin , and by the eighteenth century it was being worn all over Europe , not by kings , but by working men . Although we changed its name to corduroy to give it a touch of class , there is no evidence that the French every called it corde du roi or that kings ever wore it . On the contrary ; corduroy and other imitation velvets , like velour and velveteen , were considered all along to be false finery , puffed up and pompous . They belonged to a category of fabric called fustian ( derived from the name of the Egyptian town where it originated ) , and by Shakespeare 's time the very word fustian had become synonymous with bombast and pretentiousness . Considerable skill was required in the making of corduroy , working - class fabric or not .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
Chairman , I , I think none of this is meant as criticism so I do n't think you need to get too emotive about it , it 's a huge step forward having undertaken of this , of this er , the The second point is on correspondence , I 'm absolutely certain that when a member of public writes in to any department , not necessarily highway , he expects and needs an immediate response , now I know you have , you have started the acknowledgement of our system , but I think it 's , it does n't go far enough , an acknowledgement card that simply says the thing is received and is receiving attention , needs to then indicate the individual to whom that matter has been passed for attention and that leads me to the third point and I think the general complaint on the public is that local government is seen as faceless people and I think we have to get in our mind to name people within our department , there 's not one mention about it in our promise , I think we need , unless I 've not read it , but I think , I think we , yes , but I think we need to mention people by name , senior people within the department who will respond to particular things and certainly where public comes into contact within the offices we must get around to wearing a name badge who says who that person is , people want to relate to a person and I think we can do that if we try . Yes , well just a postscript just to show to my earlier comments , I , I think this undertaking about street lighting will be met with some clarity over wide areas of Suffolk which have never seen a street light , er as far as I can recall the last figures I saw on this suggested that if we were to er carry out all the work that er parish is required it would take forty years to er meet the er thing , so perhaps it would be advisable for , for when this promise is acting on the delivered from a maternity hospital so the newborn can have something to look forward to in , in Well in , in terms of