Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: down the tubes (used idiomatically: yes)
Partner allows connectivity between Sun and Mac platforms ; Liken allows Mac applications to run on Unix stations in an X Window . Now Liken will have continuous bi - directional connection to networked Macs and Partner will be able to run non - Sparc specific versions of Mac software on networked Suns . Los Angeles , California - based Tiger Media , the multimedia authoring start - up , has gone down the tubes : its venture capitalists sold off the assets last month to New Hampshire - based AimTech Inc , a PC company . San Rafael , California - based Island Graphics Inc has acquired the Motif - based eXclaim ! graphical spreadsheet and Master Plan project management software from 10-year - old Quality Software Products Inc , Culver City on undisclosed terms . In the second quarter , Island will ship Island - branded versions of the products that will share text , data and graphics with its own Island Write , Draw & Paint and IslandPresents .
Idiom: on the take (used idiomatically: yes)
I remain astonished that this state of affairs is allowed to exist . MPs are elected to represent the people , not companies and organisations who pay them . And if MPs on the take are not parroting the opinions of these companies what can we suppose the money they receive is for ? CANNELLONI COP THE NEW CRIMEBUSTER WHO AIMS TO MAKE US FORGETTA ALL ABOUT MORSE
Idiom: seal of approval (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's good business to upgrade our people 's skills . Voice over Education Secretary John Patten gave his seal of approval to the University which not only teaches it 's own staff , but caters for it 's future workforce . Male speaker I 'd like businesses , rather than coming to me saying they ca n't get what they want from schools , to be like Unipart and go out an find what they want .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: no)
One of the most blatant and invidious pieces of political skulduggery we have seen for some time . Employment Action is a scheme that will take people off the dole queue and put them into full time work for benefit plus ten pounds . With the best will in the world , no - one could refer to it as a training scheme . A confidential Department of Employment memo states , the scheme will have only a minimal training element . This is totally illogical .
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
FRANCE Sex reputation may be over - inflated FRENCH men , proud of their prowess as lovers , may actually be all hot air , according to a study by the National Demographic Studies Institute . ‘ Maybe women are more realistic?’ said the study , based on interviews with 20,000 people . Men claimed to have had sex 8.1 times in the last month , and each encounter had lasted 31 minutes on average .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
As well as the series of long-distance trains which still run through Birmingham , the sub-sector now includes those few trains from the North West to Dover which run through Kensington Olympia in London , and the service between Manchester and Scotland via Preston and the West Coast main line . In the late 1970s plans were prepared for a fleet of HSTs to operate the North East-South West ( Newcastle/Leeds-Cardiff/Plymouth ) route and these were introduced from 1982 . As already mentioned , many plans had to be changed in the light of the recession and these included reduction of the number of Cross Country HSTs . Plans to upgrade parts of Cross Country routes for higher speeds were also deferred . However , although the Cross Country route has not emerged as a high-speed line per se , it now features a number of useful long-distance trains mainly aimed at the leisure market .
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ You 're a male chauvinist pig,’ yelled one . And the other sniped : ‘ That 's condescending sexism.’ ‘ Oh,’ said the bewildered male , ‘ I suppose sex is out of the question?’ YOUR MONEY JOHN HUSBAND
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: yes)
Adam got to his feet and , throwing one of the quilts over Rufus , went into the house . Two things happened the next day . Or one of those things happened . He was n't sure of remembering the date of the other thing . It might have been on the Saturday .
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
Since 2000 , the rate of people dying from AIDS has declined , child - killing diseases like malaria and measles are being tackled more effectively , universal primary education is inching forward , and the targets for safe drinking water are in sight . Now , though , the global economic crisis is sapping developed countries ' shaky efforts to fulfill their commitments for official development assistance ( ODA ) in order to achieve the United ~ Nations ' Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs ) . A UN report warns that annual investment from these donor countries is falling $ 35~billion short of the $ 150~billion goal . Unless something changes , there is little chance that the MDG targets can be sustained in the long run . Indeed , the consequences of the fall - off in ODA are already dramatic ; the number of people going hungry and in extreme poverty is now far greater than before , and the same is true of the unemployed , those who work in vulnerable jobs , or earn less than $ 1.25 a day .
Idiom: work to rule (used idiomatically: yes)
No I think it was purely the financial aspect of the thing . When it became clear t to you that the bo the new bonus scheme was not operating to your advantage , how did you go about representing your feelings to the quarry owners ? I think almost daily there were discussions between our two shop stewards and the quarry owners about you know , levels of production , expected targets , increase in production and all this , and er I think you know through those daily discussions we made our side of the argument known and we we told him that we 'd work to rule if things were n't proper and if we did n't like it . I it 's just the attitude about th the way he went about the whole thing . That 's what upset us most .
Idiom: with bated breath (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ All of them?’ ‘ Yes.’ Nutty waited with bated breath , not daring to look at Nails , trying to look bored and world - weary . Nails said nothing . Nutty waited as long as she could .
Idiom: strain at the leash (used idiomatically: no)
One of his men looked out the window . ‘ Chief , we have company.’ About fifty men were descending into the valley and towards the farmhouse on all sides , all in kneeboots , all in blue , a dozen with Alsatians straining at the leash . In an outhouse the Rottweiler roared his rage at the intrusion . A white Range Rover with blue markings jolted up the track to stop ten yards from the broken door .
Idiom: in the swim (used idiomatically: no)
You read a lot about trying bends and pump inlets and other such features but , in my experience , these have not been very exceptional , the holding features often being far less obvious . Last close season one of the small drains that I fish ran very clear . I had never seen it other than murky before along that particular section so I decided to walk the far bank and see what I could in the swims where I had been very successful . I did n't expect to see zander as they do n't like clear shallow water on bright sunny days do they ? Oh well , there goes another theory for what did I find in one of my favourite swims but a handful of zander in the four to six pound weight range .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes you did , you got it for When ? I saw it on the board this morning . Well I have n't looked at the board for a week You 've got a you 've got colours .
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
2.1 Symbolic Processing — the new approach to computing When skilled maintenance staff carry out actions , such as fault detection , testing , diagnosing and repair , they do not do so by solving sets of mathematical equations . Instead , they choose symbols to represent the problem concepts ( knowledge ) i.e. an understanding of how the system works , and then apply various techniques and heuristics ( rules of thumb ) to manipulate this knowledge ( Fig . 3 ) . Symbols are a string of characters ( i.e. ‘ machine’ , ‘ fault’ , ‘ 0.6’ ) used to represent real - world objects and properties associated with them . They can be linked together into relationships , representing hierarchies and dependencies .
Idiom: come unstuck (used idiomatically: yes)
But it is complicated and I er mean really for the average investor , unless you 're a non - taxpayer , because the in er the income from the gilts is gross , it may be worth er it may be worth a non - taxpayer holding gilts , and er getting a gross yield of maybe eight and a quarter , nine percent . That 's , that 's fine . But if you 're trying to trade them , you come unstuck cos you , you 've got to make all sorts of er predictions about interest rates . Mind you you might be better than the Chancellor at that , but er you know .
Idiom: boys in blue (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Sorry , but the way you 're handling this taxi , the police are bound to notice … ’ ‘ Would n't you just love that , Ms Rosenbloom?’ scoffs Anya . ‘ Rescue of distressed damsel by those big strong WASP boys in blue?’ ‘ Up yours . I 'm the one who stands to lose the licence , pal .
Idiom: make a splash (used idiomatically: yes)
This is a perspex tube that runs round the outside rim of the table , leading to the big points ( and what do points make ? ) . Hurtling around on the rollercoaster builds values to one million points , and helps to highlight letters in the ' Palace'(light 'em all and you get the jackpot ) . Streaking on the ' Comet'(not literally , you fool ) can score unlimited millions , and ' Dunking The Dummy ' makes a big splash by advancing the bonus multiplier . Riding the ' Double Ferris Wheel ' awards its own bonus or a quick score and , as with most pinball tables around at the moment , there 's a multiball feature that sends a multitude of steel balls singing around ( you 'll need three eyes and four arms to keep them all in play for any decent amount of time ! ) . There 's plenty to see and do in Hurricane , it 's a pinball freak 's dream come true .
Idiom: unknown quantity (used idiomatically: yes)
Such is the standard of junior sides in this competition that the game appeared to be no more than a formality for us , so our 4–1 defeat came as a complete surprise . What supporters seem to overlook is that football is a game of two sides — one side has to lose otherwise it is a draw . Whaddon YMCA were a completely unknown quantity . At kick - off their team , like the match programme , was a blank sheet . After witnessing their performance I am not sure those supporters who thought they spotted four or five Danish internationals in the side ( probably on a hiking tour of Britain ) , were mistaken .
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
Serbian pressure on Bosnia 's Serbs to settle suggests sanctions have not wholly failed . And , while it tried to limit the fighting , uphold , in some sense , Bosnia 's right to exist , and bring a long - term settlement , the world also acted to protect the war 's victims . It has sent food aid and UN troops — 25,000 or so , by now , to ex - Yugoslavia as a whole — to attempt to keep the peace , though not by force . Some countries , notably Germany , have taken in tens of thousands of refugees . Fewer lives might have been lost if Mr Milosevic and Mr Tudjman had last year been allowed to split Bosnia between them .
Idiom: jump to conclusions (used idiomatically: yes)
It is now called ‘ Silver Milkmaid’ . Because the common holly , Ilex aquifolium , has been around a long time and produced many ornamental varieties , you will find quite a few with fancy botanical names . Sometimes they sound feminine , as in ‘ Myrtifolia Aurea’ , but do n't jump to conclusions because this particular cultivar is male . The common holly is a source of some of the best shrubs and small trees that we can have in gardens . Admittedly there is a lot to be said for the species itself , but it is hard not to fall for I. aquifolium ‘ Bacciflava’ because the berries are a cheerful shade of yellow .
Idiom: look the part (used idiomatically: yes)
Exasperatedly , she shook her head , watching the traffic . But she did n't turn away from Bodie , and he knew that she would go along with the request . ‘ I just do n't look the part . I hope . God forbid …
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: no)
According to McKee , the government expects to award a contract by October , with takeover planned for next April . SHARE & BOND ISSUES Computer Marketplace Inc , Corona , California seller and lessor of IBM computers , has filed with the US Securities & Exchange Commission to go public with an initial offer of up to 1.375 m units at $ 4 each . The units consist of one common share and two warrants , exercisable to buy one share at $ 4.75 and $ 5.50 respectively . Net proceeds will be used to buy computer equipment , repay debt and for working capital ; underwriter is Biltmore Securities Inc.
Idiom: show a leg (used idiomatically: yes)
Orthodox Muslim parents felt that the schools were making an almost deliberate attempt to obstruct them in their efforts to bring up their daughters as Muslims . While local authorities and Muslim groups in Bradford squabbled over the rights and wrongs of the matter , and the press reported with relish the ' grotesque ' attitudes of Muslim parents , no one really asked the daughters what they thought about it . But on the specific question of ' showing ' one 's legs , after talking to Muslim girls in Bradford and London I feel convinced that they share the views of their parents . Dilip Hiro in his book Black British , White British looks briefly at the subject . He quotes a young Pakistani woman recalling her schooldays , when she had to change for swimming and showers : ' I was surprised at the English girls who simply used to stand there and change .
Idiom: tip the scales (used idiomatically: yes)
FEATURES 12 THE DISPOSSESSED : Not paying , not voting Steve Platt finds that the people who sold their votes are not necessarily Labour supporters;Missing millions Did vanishing voters tip the electoral scales , asks Jolyon Jenkins;Culture of contentment The western world seems set on a course that will lead to great violence in our cities , says J K Galbraith;On the clothes line The Paris fashion industry employs illegal immigrants at knock - down wages , reports Nyta Mann;Symbolic injustice The importance of the Rodney King case is that injustice was done , and was seen to be done , says Alexander Cockburn 20 Who 's in and who 's out Fred Halliday reports from America on Russia , the Arab - Israeli talks , the election campaign and lousy food
Idiom: change hands (used idiomatically: yes)
In such circumstances , there is nothing that the directors can do to prevent shareholders selling a controlling interest if they so wish . The vast majority of private companies and many unlisted public companies impose restrictions on the transferability of their shares in their articles of association , thereby limiting the scope for takeover offers . Accordingly , most of these companies will change hands by way of private contract between the shareholders and the buyer . Some European jurisdictions ( for example , Germany and Holland ) permit two - tier board systems . Despite gaining a simple majority of votes a bidder may still be unable to gain control of the supervisory board with its entrenched powers and consequently be prevented from controlling the management of the company .
Idiom: come to think of it (used idiomatically: no)
It was a sunless day , the clouds low , obscuring the tops of the hills and threatening rain . The dale had weather to match every mood , Ruth thought . In the two years or more that she had been in Nordale she had almost come to think of it as home . Now it was unlikely that she would ever see it again . For most of the journey to Barnswick Ruth deliberately tried to think of nothing , to let her mind go blank .
Idiom: out cold (used idiomatically: yes)
In that state ? There was nothing doing . He was out cold . So I covered him up decently and rang for an ambulance . Then I got myself dressed so that I 'd be in a fit state when the ambulance men arrived .
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: yes)
The 1082 connection is also spurious and the first mention of the Priory is in 1146 , implying it was founded by Durham at the beginning of the twelfth century . The surviving structure also dates from that time . The idea that Stamford was the centre of Mercian government was invented by William Stukeley in the 1730s from his belief that Alchfrith had held his court here and that it had formerly been Hengist 's town . The concept of a centre of government in early Anglo - Saxon England , though , is nonsense as the king would travel around his kingdom , and where the king was , the government was . The term ' Mercia ' actually derives from ' Mercians ' , meaning ' Border - folk ' .
Idiom: make ends meet (used idiomatically: yes)
But that is because German rates are currently uncharacteristically high , as a result of the costs of bringing the two Germanys together . IMF statistics show that throughout the last decade German interest rates have consistently been half those of the UK . The recent fixed - rate mortgage offers , such as those from the Halifax ( fixed rate at 10.80 % for five years ) and National Westminster Bank ( 10.95 % for two years ) may look attractive if one was paying 15.75 % in 1989 and found it all but impossible to make ends meet . Britain 's membership of the ERM and the progress towards monetary union by the year 1999 represent a landmark in British financial history . Finally , perhaps there will be a welcome end to the wild gyrations in our economic fortunes .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
Neither Bayer nor MAN was in the same desperate straits as AEG ; but even in the electricals firm 's case capital spending fell sharply as a percentage of sales only in 1982 . It paid no dividend until 1988 . The second difference is that turnover on the management and supervisory boards was high : AEG had eight departures and 11 new arrivals on its management board in 1980–89 ; Bayer 11 departures and seven arrivals ; MAN two departures and seven arrivals . In America , whether in or out of court , the managers who led the firm into the ditch often remain at the controls while it is pulled out . British balance
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: no)
Aunt Sophie woke suddenly , eyes clear , as though she had never been asleep . She touched a hand to her hair and smiled at Emily , indicating she alight from the coach first . Emily was being handed down to stand before the light - filled doorway of the Assembly Rooms and she took a deep breath of anticipation , this was her night , the night she was to be accepted as an adult and she would make the most of it . In the main ballroom , the lights blazed from all sides and the many mirrors reflected the light a thousand - fold . Emily gasped as she looked around her .
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: yes)
Joe , a friend from school , had been due to meet him there , half an hour earlier . Joe 's absence almost certainly meant that he had succeeded in persuading a girl called Jill into going out with him . Peter was feeling irritable , partly because Joe 's putative success contrasted with his own failure to acquire a girlfriend , and partly because Jill was reputed to be hot stuff , a chick who positively demanded to go all the way . Peter , now on his second pint of beer and his fourth cigarette , was picking his way with some difficulty through Les Fleurs du Mal . He looked up , and there was Kate , hesitating in the doorway that led to the bar .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
We were going dancing , you know . He 'd invited me to a supper dance after the show on Christmas Eve.’ She wept again , talking through her snuffles of things done behind her back , of stabbings . It would have meant nothing to that pervert to let her stay … he had wielded the knife , the cruel swine … telling her he regretted there was nothing for her when all the time he was still hiring people … examining her through that monocle as though he was God … ‘ Mr Potter!’ said Stella , indignantly .
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
The lecture ended on a humorous note and , as the laughter and applause died away , Sophie Ferguson rose to her feet and followed her veterinary colleagues towards the door . Most of them seemed to be going in search of tea and for a moment , she hesitated . Should she join the group of young vets who had qualified with her two years ago or should she go straight back to her godmother 's house , where she was staying for the duration of this annual veterinary congress ? It had been a long day and she had absorbed a lot of information on the subject that was uppermost in her mind . Now she felt the need to be alone for a while in order to look over her notes and see if they would help her in her plans for the future .
Idiom: tilt at windmills (used idiomatically: yes)
Mr. Paul Flynn ( Newport , West ) I thank the Minister for this modest death bed penance on renewables . For the past 12 years the Government have behaved like latter day Don Quixotes tilting at windmills and all the other renewables . Is not the most practical step that he could take to help renewables to allow those people working on tide , wind , coppicing and other renewables in the Atomic Energy Authority a separate organisation free from the foolish need to produce short - term profits , allowing them to invest in the advantages of renewables , which are essentially long - term ? Mr. Moynihan
Idiom: in a rut (used idiomatically: yes)
yeah because they were the only one who would did n't we ? I know , but that , at St. Hughes you 're stuck in a little rut are n't you ? I mean Well , the trouble is you got to be the eldest and you were the eldest for such a long time
Idiom: off the shelf (used idiomatically: yes)
Q Clipper for fun ? I have noticed some very good front ends in Shareware similar to that produced using Pascal , can you please advise me how I produce the same quality of software . If I just bought an off the shelf package like Turbo Pascal or Microsoft Pascal could I without having to buy add on libraries produce this type of effect . I have no experience of using Pascal but I 'm sure I could learn to program in this language . I tried using C some years ago without much success .
Idiom: by heart (used idiomatically: yes)
' Some I do , because he 's given names and addresses , some I do n't . For the second lot , he may have another code which I do n't have or he just knows them by heart . By heart , I would guess . I have no means of knowing where at least half the accounts are . Just the amounts , that 's all . '
Idiom: carry the can (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Try to hold something sacred , no matter what it be , ’ he exhorts Stavrogin who replies ‘ What for ? ’ And then the punch line : ‘ This is n't done for something , it is done just so . ’ At which moment we can sense the warm breath of composition coming off the page , for Dostoevsky first had Tikhon continue ‘ It carries its own reward ’ and then crossed these words out in his notebook , no doubt because they are too obvious and touched by the world 's wisdom . They are n't worthy of the silent spiritual gesture made by that italicized ‘ just so' . Nor is Stavrogin 's pert Svidrigailov-like ‘ What for ? ’ worthy of it , or of himself .