Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in the offing (used idiomatically: no)
Obviously The Smiths make a fine point of conversation which , in itself , is proof that they touch people with various degrees of impact . Just that they are worthy of debate is , itself , an unusual compliment . This did n't stop the rock press from gnashing its teeth and a prize was certainly in the offing for the writer who could effectively belittle the Morrissey figure . However , apart from a continuous and fairly boring trickle of snide remarks in the gossip columns ( mainly digs at Morrissey 's claims to a celibate lifestyle ) , nothing of any real harm was seen in print . Dave McCullouch
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
Some of its measures , such as those involving the sue of farmland for forestry or housing development , have been controversial , but measures to stimulate the growth of small rural businesses have been more generally welcomed in the countryside . A Farmland and Rural Development Act was passed in 1988 and farmers now have access to grant aid to help in diversification projects . However , despite their economic problems , farmers have come under fire from conservation interests because of the allegedly adverse effects of modern farming practices on the environment . They are accused of polluting the waterways and the soil , uprooting wildlife habitats and destroying the countryside environment by introducing intensive livestock units , fish farms , farm shops and other non - traditional activities . There is increasing public concern about the health hazards of modern stock rearing methods , and about the threat to native flora and fauna of hedgerow loss and the widespread use of chemical pesticides .
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
Fight for your dreams . So many people feel that their lives belong to someone else . They feel that they have lost control and become puppets with someone else pulling the strings . Many times have I heard people say , ' But if there is a God up there , then why does he not help me in my dilemma ? ' Well , if there is a God and if he can help , would you know what help you truly want , what the changes are that you want to bring about in your life ?
Idiom: curry favour (used idiomatically: yes)
The quarterly report is used by GPs to decide where to send patients . He said they revealed the true length of the queues . ' The government is trying to fiddle the figures in an attempt to curry political favour just like it fiddled the unemployment figures . ' ' Its figures only measure waiting time from the day a patient is put on to a consultant 's in - patient or day case waiting list . ' But the Northern Regional Health Authority document shows how long patients have to wait before they even reach that list . '
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
The method to be used in the survey is telephone interviews . Although relatively little used in social research until recently , telephone interviews have been adopted by the Policy Studies Institute in a series of large - scale studies of the diffusion of microprocessor technology . A particular advantage of the telephone interview method is that it makes less demands on the time of managers than conventional ‘ face - to - face ’ interviews . Award Title : Informal social relationships and social policy
Idiom: in someone's pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
It is often said in this context that security policy is a matter for the political classes while the individual citizen is interested only in hard cash in his pocket or a secure job .
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
Twenty - sixth July — the Brigade advanced , No . 4 Commando has already gone . I visited their positions this morning as a passenger in a jeep . ‘ Christ , they were quick off the mark , Piper,’ remarked the driver , swinging the jeep round and heading back along the road to Brigade H.Q. Nos . 3 and 6 Commando were pulling out as we entered the village ; no sign of 45 Royal Marine Commando . The transport attached to Brigade H.Q were lined up and ready to leave . I placed my pipes and rucksack on the back seat of the jeep and informed the driver that I was going into the orchard for a last look round .
Idiom: at a canter (used idiomatically: yes)
Then , snatching a lance from one of them , he placed himself at the apex and , couching the lance , shouted to charge . They had only about one hundred and fifty yards to gather speed and could not achieve a full gallop in the time . But at a drumming canter they bore down on the mass of men and beasts ahead , the circling Scots and the stationary English . ' A Ramsay ! A Ramsay ! ' he shouted , and the slogan was taken up by those behind in yelling threat .
Idiom: carry the can (used idiomatically: no)
What is our task to theirs ? It is a mere trifle ; it is only for us to keep the fruits of the victory that they have won ’ ( Liverpool , 1903 ) . Weirdly , but by a traceable line of descent through Unionism and Socialism , almost the same accents recur after thirty years : ‘ With the vast imperial resources which are the heritage of this country , the problems of poverty and want can easily be solved by a government empowered by the people to carry out their will . While democratic governments are giving away the Empire which our fathers won , our people are abandoned to poverty and unemployment . Yet the Empire belongs to you , the people of Britain . ’
Idiom: when push comes to shove (used idiomatically: yes)
To find one who was less than acquiescent must have been a considerable shock . Her brows puckered thoughtfully as she ran through the scene in her mind again ; maybe she had over - reacted . When push came to shove , all he 'd really done was make a pass at her — it was n't the first she 'd had to deal with , and probably would n't be the last . In truth , she 'd never reacted to male advances with such venom before — in fact she 'd always prided herself on being able to stay cool . So why had she launched such a scathing verbal attack on the hapless Dane ?
Idiom: hit home (used idiomatically: yes)
On form Oxford were facing a mauling from the Lions . Millwall with 5 wins in 8 have been roaring towards promotion , but on Saturday Brian Horton 's men were masters of the ring . The only rough treatment they got in the first half , worked in their favour , as Jim Magilton was hauled down , but up he bounced to hit home the penalty . In the second half , Joey Beauchamp came flying in like the daring young man on the trapeze . What a cracker .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ How about a spot of dinner tonight — and then back to my place — I 've got a flat at —’ he named a nearby location . She knew he had the proverbial wife and two kids at Camberley . He told enough boring stories about them and ended each office day with : ‘ I must go or my children will be afraid I 've got lost.’ ( If I were them , I 'd be glad , thought Jane . ) But his domestic situation would n't have mattered if she had fancied him , but she did n't .
Idiom: on the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
Although the Hexams ' Thames - side tenement , a former mill , in Our Mutual Friend , is in itself atrocious —'roof , and walls , and floor … alike had a look of decomposition ' — it is the effort to make the place a home —'a small dresser , making a spare show of the commonest articles of crockery and cooking vessels ' that is drawn to the reader 's attention . In the same vein , Mrs Gaskell commends the order and arrangement of Alice Wilson 's cellar dwelling in Mary Barton , the check curtain at the modest bedhead , the ' little bit of crockery - ware … ranged on the mantelpiece , where also stood her candlestick and box of matches ' . Godwin describes a similar room , measuring only 7 feet by 6 feet , containing no food but a small crust on a shelf beside the teapot . But above the fireplace are several framed prints that offer happier perspectives : a middle - aged couple in a richly furnished room ; two lovers walking on a terrace , overlooking trees and gardens bright in the light of a clear sky . ' Poor as this place is , ' Godwin concludes , ' it is still a home . '
Idiom: in bed with (used idiomatically: yes)
There were two sets of them . They went from house to house checking all night long . If you were caught out of bed or in bed with anyone else , you were instantly put on report . On Martin , where I was , someone would go to the washroom which looks over the pathways to act as lookout , so hardly anyone did stay in bed once the screw had gone off . The night patrol was meant to come and turn the lights off at a quarter to ten , but sometimes they would n't turn up until eleven or half eleven .
Idiom: asleep at the wheel (used idiomatically: no)
The manufacturers hope the vaccine means all holiday makers bring back from abroad is their snaps . Police have opened a motorway service station to encourage drivers to take a break . One in seven road accidents is caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel . SIMON GARRETT / Reporting PROFESSOR JIM HORNE / Driver Fatigue Expert
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: yes)
It was a disagreeable story and coming as it did after the impact of the portrait it provoked in Dalgliesh a mixture of depression and foreboding which he tried to shake off as irrational . He was glad to let the subject drop and they drove in silence until he left her at the gate of Martyr 's Cottage . To his surprise she held out her hand and gave him , once again , that extraordinary , attractive smile . ' I 'm glad you stopped for the children . I 'll see you , then , on Thursday night .
Idiom: the bee's knees (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Will I be getting dressed , like in anything new , before the party?’ ‘ I think so . I think we 'll have you looking like the bee 's knees before they come in.’ ‘ Will I put it on now?’ ‘ Why not?’
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
Once again she hesitated . ‘ He 's a manager . He can pull strings.’ ‘ Manipulative , you mean?’ The word was alien to her and she looked doubtful .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Head — Discovery Control Fan stringing enables the player to impart more spin on the ball and also extends the power zone — Slazenger New to Slazenger range of rackets for 1992 is the Mystique , a range of two ( 95 sq . ″ and 115 sq .
Idiom: in the clear (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Did Ratagan tell you?’ ‘ Yes.’ It was cold in the clear night , with the wind running through the Dale . Her face seemed ageless in the dim light , and she was stifling shivers . He brought her inside his cloak , and wrapped it around the both of them .
Idiom: have been around (used idiomatically: no)
She had left the house earlier that morning with the miserable feeling that things could never be right for her again . She told herself that things could have been worse . At least Piers had not been around when she had left . He had spent the night away . Where , she did n't care to speculate on .
Idiom: in bed with (used idiomatically: yes)
He hardly comprehended what had been happening ; the reality and unreality merged together like a nightmare or a melodrama . Bunty 's death — lively , stupefyingly alluring Bunty who had stretched out her bare leg to him and put her fingertips on his lips — annulled by a group of people because a performance must go on ? He was used to contrasts : Mother taking morning tea in bed with an old shawl round her shoulders and her hair pinned up under a boudoir cap , her face sticky with face cream as he kissed her good bye before school ; and Mother in full evening dress decked out in false pearls , her eyelashes beaded with mascara , dominating the stage in any play 's Last act … But this — the group decision to put make - believe before reality — he could not take it in . Nor enter that dressing - room .
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: no)
They had been waiting anxiously , trembling even , for a call from Blighty . Last night that dreaded communication came … it 's over , the end . The word had been handed down from the so - called serial killer , Alan Yentob , the newly - appointed BBC1 controller . On taking the job he expressed his feelings on Eldorado rather bluntly . ' It has failed , ' he said , then suddenly looked as if he wished he had bitten his tongue .
Idiom: for the hell of it (used idiomatically: yes)
This time last year I had eight goats given to me from eight different people . Some were beyond help and had to be put to sleep ( which is always upsetting — it makes me mad ) . Why do so many people breed just for the hell of it ? I am very lucky that in this area I have a market for kid meat , killed humanely at a small family butchers and dressed very well . I also take billy kids for a pal near me and rear them free range with lots of love and cuddles .
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
( Taxation , 31 July 1987 ) John McQueen himself had a hard struggle to remain solvent as a twenty - six - year - old university student with a wife and three children . How he disciplined himself to make ends meet in that difficult time he explained in his book What To Do When Someone Has Debt Problems , A Practical Survival Guide ( 1985 ) , in the Introduction to which he wrote : During my own life I have experienced many occasions when debt burdens have dominated my thoughts . Debt burdens nearly always bring with them a sense of imprisonment .
Idiom: out of sight (used idiomatically: yes)
Sand Storms and Desert Ice EACH DAY ROSE and fell in the same quiet pattern . Each day was blessed with the same strangely cool weather , until one evening the clear sky suddenly filled with haze and the new moon faded out of sight as though sailing out of orbit into oblivion . That night I did not open my window to the usually sweet night air but kept it tight shut against the threatening darkness . I closed the curtains , went to bed , pulled the blanket high over my head and slept peacefully until I heard through layers of consciousness that unforgettable sound , the voice of the wind .
Idiom: fall in line (used idiomatically: yes)
He saw , therefore , that the masses could be bound to him only through constant psychological mobilization , demanding ever recurring successes . Until the middle of the war , the successes came , and spectacularly so , especially in the arena of foreign policy and military affairs , bringing many Germans who were far from Nazis into close identification with Hitler , revamping sagging morale , forcing open acclaim , prompting active participation — if shallow and largely ritualized — in support of‘his’ achievements , disarming potential opponents , making objections to Nazi policy difficult to formulate . This was , for example , undoubtedly the effect of the plebiscites staged in 1933 , 1934 , 1936 , and 1938 , in which the massive acclamation , though the product of intense propaganda and coercion and obviously in no sense a true reflection of the state of opinion , nevertheless reflected genuine widespread approval and admiration for Hitler 's accomplishments and persuaded waverers to fall in line . The plebiscitary acclamation which could always be mobilized by Hitler provided him with an unassailable base of popularity , and as such offered the regime legitimation both within Germany and in the eyes of foreign powers , allowing the scope for further mobilization and a gathering momentum of Nazi policy . The massive popularity of Hitler , recognized even by enemies of the regime , formed therefore a decisive element in the structure of Nazi rule in Germany .
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
And after allowing for income tax you were actually losing money . Since then the rate offered has fallen to 7.6 per cent gross . But with inflation down to 3.7 per cent you are now getting a real return of nearly 4 per cent on your money . Even if you pay income tax , it still amounts to a real return of 2 per cent . And those with larger amounts to invest — attracting even higher rates of interest — are doing substantially better than that .
Idiom: out of the woods (used idiomatically: yes)
In addition , and three days earlier , a ‘ Martyrdom of Saint Catherine’ by Giovanni Francesco Caroto ( c.1478–1555 ) was taken from the Christ Church Picture Gallery on 3 March . A member of the Thames Valley police force stated that they had no information to suggest the thefts were linked . Chambord not out of the woods CHAMBORD . The alarming prospect of another ‘ Renaissance Centre’ theme - park development for the château de Chambord has arisen in the wake of the two earlier rejected schemes ( see The Art Newspaper , No . 7 , April 1991 ) .
Idiom: streets ahead (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Now it 's great to be going back there in a successful side — I only hope they give me a good reception . ’ Beresford has no doubts though about the welcome he will receive from the 6,000 travelling Newcastle fans . ‘ He has a cult following among our supporters , and he deserves it because he is streets ahead of any left-back in our division , ’ enthused Keegan . ‘ He would be in the England squad if Newcastle were in the Premier League and we 'll put both those things right next season . ‘ I said when I signed John and Barry Venison that they were possibly the best pair of full-backs in the English game .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: yes)
Preparation of nuclear extracts Nuclear extracts were prepared as previously described ( 29 ) . Briefly cells were resuspended in ice cold lysis buffer ( 20 mM HEPES pH8.0 ; 20 mM NaCl ; 0.5 % NP40 ; 1mM DTT ; protease inhibitors including 0.5 mM PMSF , 2µg / ml leupeptin and 2µg / ml trasylol ) , left on ice for 5 minutes and centrifuged for 1 minute at top speed in an Eppendorf microfuge . The crude nuclear pellet was resuspended in buffer C ( 20 mM HEPES pH 7.9 ; 25 % [ v / v]glycerol ; 420 mM NaCl ; 1.5 mM MgCl 2 ; 0.2 mM EDTA ; 1mM DTT ; protease inhibitors [ 0.5 mM PMSF , 2µg / ml leupeptin and 2µg / ml trasylol ] ) , and left on ice for 30 minutes . Nuclear debris was removed by centrifugation for 1 minute in an Eppendorf microfuge and the supernatant diluted to low salt by the addition of 2 volumes of 20 mM Hepes pH7.4 .
Idiom: cry wolf (used idiomatically: yes)
Tony Palmer 's history of popular music in the 20th century , All You Need Is Love , took a trip to the music hall , claimed as the earliest example of a popular music industry . Film fare included Eyewitness with Mark Lester , the little lad from Oliver ! , as a boy who witnessed a murder but could n't get anyone to believe him . A case of crying wolf too often . 10 years ago The game show 3–2–1 had a Spinechillers theme , which was hardly surprising when you consider that the guests included Mike Read and Dave Lee Travis , two DJs guaranteed to send a shiver of shock up anyone 's spine . Johnny Morris told the musical tale of Lollopalong the Racehorse in Johnny 's Animal Operas on Tyne Tees .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
Even taking a harder line with the generators is fraught with difficulty while the Government retains a 40 per cent stake in both National Power and PowerGen . Their long - term viability can not be allowed to be compromised . In the case of DAF and , specifically the van - making plant at Birmingham , it must be increasingly apparent that this is an area where the company can no longer compete effectively in the short - run . Clearly , it must also be apparent that any subsidy would have to be long - running to be effective . The DAF workers are less likely to attract the same sort of gritty sympathy that the miners have done .
Idiom: put the boot in (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes ! He also fitted it at the top end of the door . Now , if you 've got nowhere else , erm , at the bottom end of the door to fit it , that 's fine , but as a matter of a preference , Crime Prevention like to see them fitted a third of the way up the door , that is where our thieves put the boot in , and thieves will work to pressure points , to leverage points they come equipped , or most of them do n't come equipped , because obviously if they 're walking along the street and a police officer sees them , you know , pull them over and start to talk to them , most of them will actually er use the tools from the back garden or or things they find lying around to help themselves in . Now that 's all very well having one of those , if you 've got a nice solid wood door to fit it to , but if you 're looking at the new replacement P V C doors erm , afterwards you ca n't fit that type of lock because the actual structure of the door wo n't take it . So how do you secure up one of those doors ?
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
For the good news see Helpful behaviour on page 84 . Verbal behaviour Verbal behaviour covers everything you say to people either face - to - face or on the telephone . This clearly covers such a vast range of possibilities that it is best to break verbal behaviour down into a number of categories and concentrate on some specifics . Nine such categories are introduced and defined on page 27 .
Idiom: wipe someone's eye (used idiomatically: yes)
The Mayor and Corporation flapped about like mud skippers and some were swirled round by the eddies and then flung on to sprawling tree roots where they hung about like wet washing . We could n't help laughing . ‘ Oh dear!’ said Aunt Bedelia , wiping her eyes on the tea - towel . ‘ Do n't they look comical in their best suits an ' all.’ Always ready for a dip I leapt into the water and grabbed hold of an elderly lady with neat little curls and bifocals on the end of her nose .
Idiom: look the other way (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Excuse me , , I said to an elderly gentleman coming towards us , ‘ can you direct us to the Gypsy Queen 's caravan?’ ‘ I know nothing about them hedgerow heathens,’ he snapped as he went on his way , ‘ an ' if you take my advice you 'll watch your pockets.’ Otley was looking the other way as if he did n't know me when I tried again with a pleasant , motherly woman with a shopping basket full of goodies . She wore a cotton frock with little daisies and forget - me - knots sprinkled all over , and a fluffy , pink , angora cardigan . I expect she was on her way with a box of liquorice allsorts and a pineapple upside - down cake for her grandchildren .
Idiom: cut both ways (used idiomatically: yes)
The phrase ‘ innocent women and children’ is not so much a slur on men as a way of infantilising women — classing them , with children , as helpless and passive victims incapable of political agency or moral judgement . The word ‘ mothering’ is sexist in many contexts because it reinforces the ‘ natural’connection of women with children and childcare — a connection that feminists have criticised , since under our present social arrangements it has the entirely sexist consequences of defining non - mothers as non - women , restricting women 's opportunities to do other things if they wish , exploiting their unpaid labour and in some cases causing them to be seen as less important than the children they give birth to . The idea that sexism , in language as well as other spheres , can ‘ cut both ways’ is attractive to many men and indeed to many women . Since most Western societies are liberal in outlook , cherishing the proposition that ‘ we 're all individuals’ , it is not surprising that the early , uncompromising identification of sexism with women 's oppression was quickly challenged and replaced with the notion of individuals being oppressed by their restrictive sex roles . In my opinion however this is a red herring .
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: no)
But responsive as the G60 's engine is , it lacks the immediacy of the Calibra 's and emits a distant but characteristic whine from the compressor . The Calibra 16v is more vocal , though , even unpleasantly so at times , and it lacks the inherent smoothness of the VW 's four at high engine speeds . But while the G60 engine is electronically strangled at 6200rpm , the Calibra 16v is willing to go all the way to 7000rpm . Sharp tugs at the Calibra 's wheel show that torque steer is definitely present when going hard through the lower gears . The Corrado is decidedly less prone to this .