Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: keep mum (used idiomatically: no)
There has not yet been much debate about prices . But the Americans do not seem likely to force the Japanese to overcharge them for chips again . Keeping mum CORKY RA is the sort of entrepreneur who likes a challenge . In the 1970s he bet his father he could open a vineyard in Utah , a state where drink and the devil are considered kissin ' cousins .
Idiom: pass the buck (used idiomatically: yes)
Does , do those votes surprise you ? Do you think er yes ? I think that everyone seems to pass the buck , I mean the parents think , oh they 'll learn it at school and the teachers think , oh co they should be learning it from their parents , and yo , you never learn it from anyone just from your friends . Yes ? I think erm sexuality begins with sensuality and therefore it should begin in the home , and it should be exaggerated at school , I mean , it should helped but fundamentally it 's with your parents or guardians whoever , who should begin it .
Idiom: chop and change (used idiomatically: yes)
A worrying report , published by three teachers ' unions just a few minutes before national curriculum boss David Pascall issued his ‘ back to basics’ clarion call , revealed a staggering 80,000 teachers — one in five — want to quit their jobs . Said Peter Smith , general secretary of the Assistant Masters and Mistresses Association : ‘ There will be a haemorrhage of highly qualified teachers who just ca n't stand the conditions under which they 're required to work.’ In blunt terms , they 're fed up with having to chop and change the way they do things with every twist in Government policy . Remember , only last year the Tories admitted they bungled the introduction of tests for seven - year - olds — by making them too complicated and time consuming . Farce
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
The United States Congress retains more power over executive personnel . Those nominated by the President to high executive and judicial office must be accepted by the Senate . As a general rule , the belief that a president is entitled to pick his own team overrides criticisms of the nominee , but presidential choices are subject to more scrutiny by the legislature than are British prime - ministerial ones . Similarly , in the Soviet Union assembly approval for presidential appointments was required under Gorbachev 's presidential system and is still required in some of the successor republics . As in the United States , although criticism of proposed appointments may sometimes be vigorously expressed , presidents usually get the appointees they want .
Idiom: win the day (used idiomatically: no)
In their search for alternative supplies , English furniture makers turned to other parts of Europe and , more important , to the New World . The options from the Americas were the hardier native ‘ black’ walnut of the eastern United States , or mahogany from the West Indies and Honduras . In the event , the advantages of mahogany with its large planks , resistance to rot and woodworm and its attractive appearance won the day . In fact , mahogany had been known in England since Sir Walter Raleigh 's day but it took the French ban for it to become popular . It was assisted by Parliament passing an act in 1721 exempting timber imported from British plantations from duty .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
Their briefings were held in the airy first - floor gallery of the university quadrangle . This was where the offices of the English Department and several lecture - rooms were situated when I arrived in 1957 , twenty years after Philby . The beautiful old building in neoclassical style is called the Palacio de Anaya , situated on the square of that name , and it was built in 1760 . There was a bust of Miguel de Unamuno at the bottom of the staircase , and it seemed to have been defaced . He was a fine writer , essayist and philosopher who wrote The Tragic Sense of Life and who was persecuted by Franco and put under house arrest by Primo de Rivera because of his liberal views expressed fearlessly while he was the Rector of the University .
Idiom: poacher turned gamekeeper (used idiomatically: yes)
The 30-strong party will be announced on Monday , writes John Mason . Though the script is not precisely what Barnes , who won his first full cap eight years ago , had in mind for the closing half of a remarkable career , he welcomes the opportunity to set several records straight . Rugby 's poacher turned gamekeeper , while having twice declined England bench selection , has never lightly turned his back . Simplified , the overwhelming wish has been to play , not watch . Playing for Bath was , Barnes felt , more constructive than being a track - suited reserve .
Idiom: up and running (used idiomatically: yes)
Voice over The loneliness of the long distance commuter . Philip White 's day starts on a dark station platform before most of us are up and running . Increasingly his demanding routine is hurting his wallet as well . With the latest round of fare increases implemented today , he 's seen his season ticket to the city jump £ 500 to £ 4,200 .
Idiom: blaze a trail (used idiomatically: yes)
No action has been initiated or is being contemplated by the club , although Ben 's father , Roger , who is also chairman of SCRFC , has engaged solicitors independently of the rugby club to determine if there was any negligence responsible for his son 's injuries . Mick blazes a trail MICKEY Skinner blazed a trail of glory on the London - Brighton bike race last month . Skinner led a group of 28 players from Kent clubs on the 56 mile ride . They raised almost £ 10,000 in aid of the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: yes)
Eighteen milk bottles on the mantelpiece , some with milky smears and doubtless smelling cheesy . Rusty tins under the bed and a few more in the sink . And in a carrier bag , cunningly at the back of a cupboard , a bumper harvest of old newspapers . Mother must have something on her mind . ' Oh mother — ' She heard tears in her voice .
Idiom: off the beaten track (used idiomatically: yes)
In 1956 , refugees from the tragic Hungarian revolution were accepted there . The groups are educated by teachers from their own countries . Another attractive trip is to Herisau , a picturesque village easily reached by road from St Gallen , yet off the beaten track . It has many red - roofed old houses , is the centre of colourful processions , has facilities for children in the Kinderparadies , a nature reserve , peaceful walks by the Gubensee and fine views of the Santis range . Return to St Gallen , and from there leave for Appenzell .
Idiom: buy time (used idiomatically: yes)
I knew I 'd give in under whatever duresses Goreng had up his sleeve for me , so what was the point of resisting ? That was n't my notion of myself at all . Nor did I need to buy time for anybody . I knew my former comrades would be long gone from the latest of the encampments before the malais ever got near them . It was recent history Goreng was most avid for .
Idiom: hit home (used idiomatically: yes)
This was one of the few liberties taken by the film 's editors , as no B–17 quite arrived that way on December 7 , but the shot was clearly too good not to include and it approximated to what had happened to a number of the actual B–17s which stumbled into the attack . Footage depicting the attack on ‘ Battleship Row’ was equally memorable , as the Japanese aircraft line up for their bomb and torpedo runs . The Kates actually drop their torpedoes and then climb up over the ship superstructures as the torpedoes hit home . The American frustration is evidenced by the utter confusion as sporadic resistance slowly starts to rise in defence of the fleet . Only aerial defence depicted in the film was the efforts of two Air Corps pilots , George Welch and Kenneth Taylor , in their P–40s which had been parked at the auxiliary field at Haleiwa and not received any attention from the Japanese .
Idiom: take someone for a ride (used idiomatically: yes)
Get it from Robin did you ? Yeah . That bloke probably took it for a ride he said . No he ai n't ! It 's alright .
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's a testament to how captivating The Orb 's music is that I got off on this so much , completely alone and without recourse to anything stronger than the Institute 's lukewarm lager . Maybe next year , we 'll wonder why we ever liked it , but today it 's one of the queerest and most exciting things in pop . The Orb — they 're taking the piss now . We 're behind you guys all the way . ‘ Are you ready to rock , Birmingham?’
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
What 's more , though it seems not to be generally realized , Pound recognized what had happened and acknowledged it ; he did so in the public welcome he gave to Binyon 's translations of Dante , which employ a very archaic and convoluted diction indeed . And this was not the only occasion on which he protested , in the 1920s and 1930s , at having the precepts that were formulated to meet the special conditions of 1914 taken as absolute and binding for all poetic situations at all times . He does not , however , retract his proposal that the precepts of the imagist manifesto are still the best rules of thumb for ‘ the neophyte’ , the beginner in his ‘ prentice - work ; and for what it is worth my own experience in the workshop certainly bears that out . The notion that we crucially need , I think , to do justice to the conflicting claims of the amateur and the professional in these matters , is the idea of thresholds . In verse writing , as in virtually any other human activity we may think of , there are thresholds to be reached and crossed : below a certain threshold of practice and expertise , the attitude of the amateur produces only work that is ‘ amateurish’(and heaven knows , we see plenty of that all around us ) ; above a certain threshold of facility , the attitude of the professional produces work that is glib , facile , heartless , and academic — and we see plenty of that , too .
Idiom: turn someone's head (used idiomatically: yes)
Else all will be lost ; the Women will find us ; your brother in his enchantment will call them.’ Surely Adam was in no state to call anyone . ‘ I told you,’ Ruth said hoarsely , turning her head away , ‘ I ca n't make magic.’ Fand said no more . Looking through the rubble , Ruth saw the whole Castle was alive with the sparks of spears .
Idiom: over the top (used idiomatically: yes)
And I never was … what you thought I was … never!’ Willi put his spoon down and stared at her . He had forgotten to take off his spectacles and he peered over the top of them . ‘ You were the most wonderful thing I ever saw,’ he said firmly . ‘ You were then , and you are now .
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
As a complete an utter novice I am seeking a publication that will explain to me in more or less layman 's terms how my computer works and what I should / could be doing with it ! Be careful how you answer that one . As the mum of a 12-year - old son , we are both learning as we go along how to use the Amstrad 5086 , my son concentrating more or less on games and school related programs , myself for the odd game , but mainly word - processing ( I have just written my first book ) , genealogy and cheating on addressing the Christmas cards . I has taken me a while to to figure out that ' we ai n't got Windows , we got DOS ' so I would appreciate any advice in your columns on the basics — what sorts of programs are suitable for a simple soul like me who needs to knock out the odd poster , magazine or newsletter and something that will look more professional , from time to time . We have an Amstrad DMP 3160 printer , which seems fine to me , but occasionally I could do with some fancy fonts and am I really looking for DTP ?
Idiom: fair game (used idiomatically: yes)
It has been noted by sociologists that in urban settings there is a ‘ norm of civil inattention’ whereby unacquainted people typically refrain from approaching and addressing one another in public . There are of course exceptions to the rule : you can ask someone the time , or for directions ; you can expect to attract comment if your behaviour is somehow deviant , for example you are hopping down the street dressed in a clown suit . In addition , however , whole classes of people are what the sociologist Carol Brooks Gardner calls ‘ open persons’ , fair game for comments from anyone , anytime . Obvious cases include children and people with certain disabilities : but women too are ‘ open persons’ , open to casual comments on their appearance and behaviour . Gardner points out that some street remarks , like endearment terms , are ambiguous : in some circumstances it is acceptable and even kind to greet or compliment another .
Idiom: hit and miss (used idiomatically: yes)
It can also ‘ sort of’ recognize your handwriting and convert it into text that can be read by any application — just as if you 'd typed it in . Navigating with a pen is surprisingly natural and certainly easier than using a mouse on a train , but the handwriting recognition is still weak . It wo n't , for example , recognize joined - up writing and even with individual letters it 's so hit and miss that you ca n't write at any speed because you have to go back to correct all the mistakes it makes . This means it 's good for applications where you 're collecting data by picking from prepared lists ( surveys , insurance claims , and so on ) , and poor if you want to enter a lot of text and numbers using the pen . There are other problems .
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Voice over 20 miles of cable will provide 1 000 000 watts of light and 24 kilowatts of sound … for the first ever Wiltshire Festival at Lydiard Park in Swindon . A crew of more than 150 technicians are working round the clock , preparing Europe 's largest mobile stage for live performances by Van Morrison , Martha Reeves and the London Philharmonic Orchestra . Even by the standards of organiser Rod Gunner , the man they call Mr Event , the shows will be spectacular . Rod boasts one of the most impressive CVs in showbusiness — the highlight being the Prince of Wales 's Symphony for the Spire at Salisbury Cathedral , an achievement which earned him a BAFTA award .
Idiom: hear things (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Feel free,’ he told her , ‘ to spend your weekends at Seaview , even when I 'm not here , any time you like.’ Was he joking ? Was she hearing things ? Lisa spun round to look at him . ‘ Oh , I could n't possibly!’ she protested .
Idiom: fast and furious (used idiomatically: yes)
Backed by a vociferous 9,500 following , Boro showed they were not overawed . Wilkinson headed over after two minutes and at the other end Stephen Pears punched out a Neil Webb free - kick for Denis Irwin to volley wide . Despite the conditions , play was fast and furious in the opening stages . United began to step up their pressure and took the lead after 30 minutes when Sharpe celebrated his recall in fine style . Bryan Robson began a move which saw Webb run from the halfway line down the right .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
The dust wagon came up to the warehouse today , the usual they 'd got halfway to emptying the first dustbin in the back Oh yeah . and the hydraulic hose on the back of the dustcart broke there was hydraulic fluid all over the all over the car park . So the driver said can I use your phone ?
Idiom: look on the bright side (used idiomatically: yes)
Pictures BBC Sport Voice over and let 's hope they 're all looking on the bright side of life for this week 's coca cola cup games … now there was a time when Gloucester rugby would always give us a cheer … but they 're down in the dumps too … Bath 46 Gloucester 17 … was the score on Saturday … the worst ever KEITH RICHARDSON / Coach
Idiom: at a loose end (used idiomatically: yes)
From the novelist 's journalism and notebooks and letters we glean the almost comically unresonant information that being at a loose end leads men to drunkenness and murder . His novels , though , suggest a mental movement not unlike Vergil 's thought to the effect that bees are working animals and do n't retire and spend their sunset years playing golf : . being at a loose end is not the condition of us spiritual and working animals , it is not being a man among men . Marmeladov does n't think of a drunkard as a human being but as a brute , a beast , a swine . He lives a swine and he dies a swine .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
Britain at present makes little use of Indian software expertise . A delegation of Indian software producers who came to Britain last year received only three responses from 190 British computer firms they visited . Julian Bogod of the UK Council for Computing Development said that the plan to sell $ 1000 million of software was ‘ over ambitious to say the least’ . Roy Green , software field operations manager for the British firm , Systime , believes that India 's best bet for expansion is to go for what is called systems software : programs that run the computers themselves . ‘ They would do best to concentrate on technical software , rather than applications where you have to be in close touch with your customers,’ he said .
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: yes)
It might seem a little crazy to move house rather than decorate the kitchen , and then finish up taking on an almost derelict house instead . But that 's what I did . Looking back on it , I 've decided I must have been clear round the bend ! I 've always been a d - i - y enthusiast , but it 's been more through lack of funds than genuine enthusiasm — not exactly a good basis for totally renovating a derelict house . We 'd been in our first house for just over five years , and I 'd served my d - i - y apprenticeship then , improving slightly as each room was restored and decorated .
Idiom: out of order (used idiomatically: yes)
I think an MP is there to respond to correspondence , and I 'm very surprised that he takes issue with one of our officers because she does n't happen to be the Chief Officer , and I 'm very sad about that . Can I just ask , I 'm not usually a member of this committee as you know . So you might be out - of - order in speaking , in fact . Can I say that sub - committees , as I understand it , report to main committees ? Yes they do .
Idiom: first up (used idiomatically: yes)
Do n't bother would be more honest , for he prefers to have the kitchen to himself in the early morning , to prepare his own simple breakfast and enjoy the first cigarette of the day undisturbed . Marjorie , however , feels that she must put in an appearance downstairs , however token , before he leaves for work , and there is a sense in which Vic understands and approves of this gesture . His own mother was always first up in the mornings , to see husband and son off to work or college , and continued the habit almost till the day she died . As Vic descends the stairs , a high - pitched electronic squeal rises from below . The pressure of his foot on a wired pad under the stair - carpet has triggered the burglar alarm , which Raymond , amazingly , must have remembered to set after coming in at God knows what hour last night .
Idiom: have a bash (used idiomatically: no)
barn dancing ? What 's wrong with that ? I ca n't barn dance but I can have a jolly good bash at it . Well they have a caller , do n't worry . A cooler ?
Idiom: green light (used idiomatically: yes)
Do n't forget we 've both done this a hell of a lot more times than you have!’ It was impossible for Stan to hide the fact that he was pleased she was n't going to be around , and Kate accepted that here indeed was yet another male chauvinist jealous and unhappy at having his territory invaded by a woman . Not feeling up to arguing the point , she left quietly , knowing everyone else in the Carlisle Flint team was wound up as tight as the drivers , waiting for the green light . She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed . She heard the noise of the start but not even that had the power to disturb her thoughts , which were totally turned inwards on to herself .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
Erm how types of craftsmen were employed there to do things ? Well there were electricians there were carpenters , the carpenters were into directly involved with building aircraft but they used to create the engines and make engine stands such things and do maintenance work around . There were engine fitters , electricians , riggers and er course there were sheet metal workers as well working in aluminium and pop rivets er there was er also a government inspection department and a works inspection department and er things and da the Air Ministry had to be very up to scratch you know erm Did they work through the night as well , was it shiftwork there ? Not as I remember no funnily enough but they used to have people who , who went out to work at different airports after the planes had gone out they used to have gangs that went out to Perton and er we used to draw equipment from er the maintenance un RAF maintenance unit at Stafford things used to come from there .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
It is a game I have been looking forward to for some time . ‘ Darlington beat us 4–0 in the League at Feethams earlier in the season . We turned the tables in the FA Cup , but we still have a score to settle . ‘ After two great wins at Stockport County and West Brom , we hope to hit form at home.’ The £ 60,000 signing of Barnsley striker Andy Saville should boost the gate .
Idiom: throw in the towel (used idiomatically: yes)
McMahon robbed Speed just outside the City penalty area and a sharp counterattack ended with Quinn taking the ball wide of his marker , Whyte , and beating Lukic with a thunderous drive which went in off the underside of the crossbar . McMahon was still not finished , even if Leeds were , and the former England midfielder could not conceal his joy when a beautifully judged looping pass two minutes from the end gave Brennan an irresistible opportunity to complete the scoring . Wilkinson conceded that odds against the title going to Elland Road for the first time in 18 years have ‘ lengthened considerably’ but he refused to throw in the towel . ‘ Who knows whether it 's gone,’ he said . ‘ If we win our next five matches it could be interesting.’
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
He has an immense influence on a match . His strength is unbelievable and is a crucial asset in close - quarter exchanges . He gives a definite shape to a side in that he gets his hands on the ball and keeps moving forward . It 's almost impossible to put him down in the tackle , and there are few players about who you an say that . You saw that when he came on against Scotland .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
Season tickets , giving entry to all the events , are also available for £ 13 . CLOSED - CIRCUIT cameras could soon be set up in the Darlington Arts Centre in a bid to stop vandalism . A report to Thursday 's recreation committee says art works in the Myles Meehan Gallery have been damaged over the past months to the tune of over £ 3,500 . Council officers say the vandalism meant the present exhibition Funny Energy had to be open for restricted hours only . And it would be impossible to provide constant vigilance at future exhibitions .