Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: turn heads (used idiomatically: yes)
Anna looked up , and her blue eyes fixed on Sarah for several seconds . Her skin was sallow since the fever , and her little face was pinched with the cold so that there was nothing attractive about her . All at once she began to scream , turning her tiny head away , and Peg bounced her against her shoulder with soothing murmurs until the outburst ceased . Then she picked up the dirty washing and went to the door . ' I hope the baby 's soon better , ' said Sarah , with all the diplomacy of a clergyman 's wife .
Idiom: close shave (used idiomatically: yes)
All the trouble , says Ronnie , is down to ‘ a few families who doan't keep their young’ uns in order . And then the media coom down and blow everything up.’ He has polished shoes , a close shave , and too much pride for a free drink . ‘ It 's a canny place The Ridges , with plenty of good folk.’ But something was wrong from the start .
Idiom: new blood (used idiomatically: yes)
Its central belief , in the wisdom of the marketplace , was less than immediately applicable to the running of Kew Gardens or the British Museum . Besides which , there was a severe lack of available talent . In an attempt to find new blood to lead the science research councils , the then education secretary , Sir Keith Joseph , a great proselytizer for the new approach , hired a firm of headhunters . Unfortunately their first action was to ask those already within the system of whom they should make enquiries . Lord Dainton , one of Britain 's most distinguished scientists , observed the process at first - hand :
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: yes)
Others , notably the British monk Pelagius and his followers , wanted all Christians to be dedicated to an austere struggle with mediocrity , an arduous quest for perfection . The theological debates occasioned by this crisis of identity occupied the generation of Jerome and Augustine . From these debates crystallized , eventually , the doctrine of grace and merit , finally in a form which fell short both of the teaching of Pelagius and of the extreme views ( ruthless predestination , divine election irrespective of human merits ) propounded by Augustine in his old age . Western monasticism , too , turned away — as had already some Greek monastic founders such as St Basil — from the extremes of asceticism . With the Rule of St Benedict ( c. 550 ) , supremely , the monastic community was launched on the road of catering for ordinary people rather than a spiritual élite .
Idiom: ten a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
is a closed book ! I used to help them there and one of the teachers oh my God ! I used to help with sticking the the er money onto the well this used to take about , you know , an hour all these kids did n't know what two pence was , did n't know what twenty pence was and ten pence and fifty pence and then we , they were in go about groups of seven and we get all this done then it would be assembly , then it 'll be games and then that 'll be it for the whole morning ! And I said what have they learnt ? Nothing !
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
Update on situation with proposed redundancies The feeling of staff over this issue had been communicated effectively to management . There was to be further discussion within the organisation over Church Relations , and an assurance was given by management that there were no further redundancies in the pipeline . The issue of redeployment in relation to equal opportunities policy needs further discussion before the union can state its position on this , and this should be an agenda item for January 's meeting . It was agreed that the union should be involved in discussions over redundancy policy .
Idiom: cuckoo in the nest (used idiomatically: yes)
We sing dumb anyway Turn a blind eye , essentially And nothing will be said But do n't put a cuckoo in the nest Or thrush in the un - marriage bed . Should the Next Man care
Idiom: name names (used idiomatically: yes)
Yes , and have more days off . Yes , yeah . I mean it came about because , and I wo n't name names , one member of staff for example has had an astonishing amount of time Mm . off sick .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: no)
They will meet up with the commanding officers of some of the major units on the ground to brief them on the results of their reconnaissance . Later in the day they will be rebriefed to move well forward of the remainder of the brigade , to carry out further intelligence - gathering activities . At the end of Day One there are well over 2,000 soldiers in Safra , all of whom have arrived by air transport . Many more are awaiting follow - on air - land sorties , along with the large numbers of vehicles and stores that were not delivered with the initial assaults . However , not all of the necessary supporting organisations , personnel , equipment and stores can be transported by air , and must therefore sail to Safra .
Idiom: rub shoulders (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh yes ! We could win a trip to the Grammy 's in New York . We could we could erm rub shoulders with erm Amy Grant could spend the evening with her then . You you liar ! He did .
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
Stray radio transmissions can interfere with control equipment in industrial plant . The effects range from the annoying to the catastrophic . Yet the signs are that industry largely turns a blind eye to what appears to a growing problem THE PEOPLE who run industrial operations are often haunted by what can happen when stray radio transmissions spark off electrical discharges in parts of their plants . The radio waves may come not only from transmitters but power supplies , motors or other electrical devices .
Idiom: take the rough with the smooth (used idiomatically: yes)
Defence Secretary Rifkind is reported to be grateful for support from the fourteen military minded Conservatives whose confidential letter to the Prime Minister was somehow left lying on a copying machine for a Labour researcher to find , but he is irritated by the leak , an insider murmurs that Malcolm 's notching up black marks for the future . Peter Lilley as a right winger has to combine his reputation as a zealous cutter of the state sector with a departmental budget that eats up to forty percent of the hole , one MP groans , rather inconsequentially , a weeks social security payments would buy a warship , even Kenneth Clark and Michael Portillo , sharpening their axes have to admit that Lilley did not exactly invent unemployment personally , but the burgeoning budget for invalidity benefit , together with much anecdotal evidence , suggest that somebody in Whitehall , well before his time , decided to cut the unemployment figures artificially by allowing , even encouraging people with little hope of jobs to remember that troublesome pain in their backs , and in the process get better benefits . But cutting this benefit will throw up hard cases , what worries a Tory elder is the way younger MP s approach the decision whether to support the Government on a pick and mix principle , he says , they no longer see the need to take the rough with smooth , to vote for the things they detest as well as those they like . According to one loyalist thirties thirty or so of his colleagues think it 's more fun to vote against the Government , a smaller number go further , they think a spell in opposition might enhance their own careers . But a member of the cynical tendency jeers that after all this brouhaha , a Prime Minister who 's obsessed with political safety , will only allow minor pain , though back benchers will be encouraged to squeal so as to impress the markets .
Idiom: go places (used idiomatically: no)
And so I when I got back from the talk I had a look and sure enough there are , throughout the British Isles there are five New Brightons . There 's one in Leeds . So you see you you 'd have gone the wrong place would n't you if you 'd followed what I just said you see ? Shows you never to er .
Idiom: keep a straight face (used idiomatically: yes)
She did n't dare look up . In the first place she was n't at all sure what she was going to see . And secondly , if she did n't see what she thought she was going to see , she would n't trust herself to keep a straight face . The son was looking directly ahead out of the window stuffing himself with bread and peanut butter and strawberry jam . The father was just moving round to sit at the head of the table when the mother came sweeping out of the kitchen carrying a huge plate piled high with eggs and sausages and bacon and tomatoes .
Idiom: plain as a pikestaff (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Happen not . He 'd have got someone else to write it for him . Any road , here it is , plain as a pikestaff , Miss Ruth Appleby . Now will you take the rest of his things , or will Mrs Gaunt be coming?’ ‘ I 'll take them,’ Ruth said .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
But the company 's Canadian parent , The Thomson Corporation , lost ground on its publishing side after providing for the sale or closure of titles in the UK and north America . Total write - offs of £ 117 million took post - tax earnings down to £ 114.5 million from £ 201.4 million in 1991 . In the travel business , Thomson Tour Operations , sold 3.3 million holidays in 1992 , up 10 per cent on the previous year . Profit margins were squeezed by substantial over - capacity in the market , however . But travel agent Lunn Poly substantially increased profitability following major expansion in recent years .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: no)
To captain such an eleven is an administrative trial — but also a privilege , some say , at least ! Haslemere 's fourth eleven , in the season just ending , has , itself been privileged in having Mike Reeve as its captain . Originally of rugby stock , but with a cricketer 's eye for a ball , he underwent a sea-change to become an excellent hockey player with calm skills and battling determination . At half-back and , latterly , full-back , he gave credibility to Petain 's ‘ Ils ne passeront pas ’ . However , it has been as captain that he has excelled ; as the record of his club 's ‘ Cinderella side ’ demonstrates — 12 wins , seven draws and only seven losses ( two of them against immeasurably senior opposition ) .
Idiom: shake a leg (used idiomatically: yes)
Harry Enfield has just been through a tough day auditioning people for his new BBC comedy series . This has mainly involved checking off names , shaking hands , sorting out cups of tea , making small talk and carefully noting down phone numbers . The business of the audition is squeezed into all this in less time than it takes to shake a leg . Which is exactly what Enfield is interested in seeing . ‘ I 'm looking for a partner for this new act , the Double - Take Brothers,’ he explains as he busies himself with tea - bags and mugs of boiling water in the back offices of Hat Trick , the Soho production company responsible for putting together the series .
Idiom: rare bird (used idiomatically: yes)
Conservation of animals alongside the factors that cause a decline in animal populations are highlighted Many extinct species of animals , Beaver , Lynx and European Bison are on display The Red Kite is one of the rare bird species protected in rural Wales The display of shells and butterflies from Wales and the rest of the world is complimented by a children 's Quiz The wide range of exciting archaeological discoveries in Wales includes 250,000 year old human remains , prehistoric finds , Celtic and Roman objects , and finds illustrating life in Medieval Wales .
Idiom: buy time (used idiomatically: no)
Mr Mitsotakis told them that they had won 90 % of what they wanted , not the 60 % they had won before . Since 100 % was impossible , he argued , and the peace of the Balkans lay in their hands , they should sign . Their refusal to do so had more to do with a laager mentality than with calculations that by spinning out the conflict they could buy time to mop up more territory . They mistrust the UN , and fear that if the Vance - Owen plan were properly implemented they would not be able to achieve ‘ victory through peace’ . But , as Mr Milosevic railed , ‘ I really do n't know what more you want .
Idiom: out of your mind (used idiomatically: yes)
Strictly speaking , as the first aid instructor on my course pointed out , it 's not the kiss of life . It 's the breath of life , forcing air into unwilling lungs when neither taking part is in any state to appreciate who is doing what to whom . So put any idea of Sophia Loren — he was an older instructor — needing the kiss of life out of your mind , he advised . Think more along the lines of it being an unshaven , unwashed , alcoholic who 's choked on a fragment of fish supper . Then decide if you still want to learn how to do it .
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
Funding for both of these has been provided by the borough council , drawing on the government 's ‘ Regional Challenge Initiative’ under which Walsall is one of twelve boroughs in the country to receive funding for urban renewal . It has also been helped with funding from the Museums and Galleries Commission , together with a number of foundations including the Henry Moore Foundation , The Pilgrim Trust and the J. Paul Getty Charitable Trust . The collection totals 360 items and is exceptionally diverse , ranging from forty - two works by Epstein himself to a number of outstanding paintings and drawings : William Blake ‘ The Humility of the Saviour’ ; van Gogh ‘ Sorrow’ , a drawing of 1882 ; Monet ‘ Le chemin creux dans la falaise a Varangeville’ , oil on canvas ; Degas , ‘ Portrait de Marguerite , soeur de l'artiste’ , oil on canvas , circa 1860–65 ; Lucien Freud ‘ Portrait of Kitty’ , oil on board , 1948–49 and three other works by Freud ; Gericault , a nude figure study ; Constable , a cloud study ; Turner , watercolour of Carlisle , as well as Egyptian , Greek , Roman , Middle Eastern and gothic works of art . Naturally the quality of the objects is not entirely consistent ( some of the prints seem pretty standard , for example ) , but the sheer range of artists makes it an impressive resource . Walsall Museum and Art Gallery has developed an energetic and lively educational programme around the collection , encouraging primary school teachers to use it as a teaching aid for the national curriculum , starting up a printmaking course inspired by the works in the collection and offering prizes for the best short description of one of the works .
Idiom: give someone the eye (used idiomatically: yes)
There was a jarring of brakes and a cacophony of horn blasts as he squeezed into the gap between the Vauxhall and a black Ford . ' Smile at them , ' Patrick told Chris . ' Give them the glad eye . ' It was not a good idea . The driver of the Vauxhall was a woman .
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
The grandmother looked at her with Belle 's unblinking eyes and she leaned forward to see the child . Dear God , she was nothing but skin and bone , and she 'd been a tiny slip of a thing to start with . As the teacher looked , Belle opened her eyes and sat up with a radiant smile . ‘ Oh , Miss,’ she said . ‘ You 've brought my angels!’
Idiom: in the pipeline (used idiomatically: yes)
In education two new city technology colleges were announced and attempts were to be made to extend the system of ‘ compacts’ between business , schools and colleges.under which all pupils / students are guaranteed jobs with local firms when they leave school . Two major road schemes for London and the Black Country were approved and the Home Secretary announced special crime prevention programmes in twenty areas . Some of these developments were already in the pipeline before the publication of the government plans . The Guardian leader quoted earlier said of the proposals : ‘ There was no major initiative on inner cities yesterday . There was no white paper .
Idiom: green light (used idiomatically: yes)
SIX Edward Carrington , with heavy heart but great determination , threw himself into his training as an agent . Like any bureaucracy given a green light , the Secret Intelligence Service grew like mushrooms in a wet field overnight . It was riddled , in his opinion , with old and stupid men , most of whom had been recruited by word of mouth or by membership of a certain club or school society , but to give Menzies his due , he did bring in new blood of a different order . Carrington learned Dutch under a young lecturer from Manchester who was brilliant , and his radio and cipher training was handled by men whose accents were extremely low , while their skill levels were precisely the opposite .
Idiom: kiss of life (used idiomatically: yes)
Partially - sighted Trudy Welch sprung into action when golden retriever Olivia swallowed a ball . ‘ I got the ball out of her throat , but she was unconscious,’ said the 64-year - old , of Hemlington , Middlesbrough . ‘ I gave her the kiss of life and massaged her heart . Luckily , she came round.’ The former nurse said : ‘ It was probably just as well I knew what to do from my nursing days.’
Idiom: plain Jane (used idiomatically: yes)
Did you see ? Yeah I saw I remember old plain Jane when her transformation Yeah . I saw it when she had somebody prowling round her house and that .
Idiom: off the cuff (used idiomatically: yes)
The Home Secretary said,’ Go,’the chairman of the Conservative party said,’No,’and , in a bold act of leadership , the Prime Minister got the Secretary of State for Energy to call a few favourite newspapers and leak the news that there would be no November election — government by seepage . There has still been no clear personal statement from the Prime Minister . The nearest that we have had to a declaration so far is an off - the - cuff remark to journalists in Harare last week , when the Prime Minister said:’ There are eight months to go.’ Now that he is back among us , will the right hon . Gentleman say whether there are really eight months to go ? I shall gladly give way if he wishes to make an announcement — The Prime Minister simply smiles enigmatically but does not otherwise respond .
Idiom: for good measure (used idiomatically: yes)
And she 'd been blind positive he 'd ask her out . But he 'd done neither ! She silently swore and for good measure swore again . Then she stamped up the stairs . To hell with you , Nevil Sanderson ! she thought as she inserted her key into the keyhole .
Idiom: win the day (used idiomatically: yes)
He also told why the decision was made to take sterling out of the ERM . Mr Lamont is said to have told the Premier : ‘ The game is over . The market has won the day.’ Mr Major spoke again , praising the Chancellor 's handling of the crisis . Then it was Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd 's turn .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
They get through about three dustbin - fuls every week . Also sharing the house , a fox terrier called Leo . He 's had to be kept apart from the hamsters ever since one bit him on the nose . All the more reason for Lorraine to look for a bigger home . So for the forseeable future the hamsters are staying put .
Idiom: go native (used idiomatically: yes)
The Old English tended to be the most influential group within Ireland during Spenser 's time . They , far more than the New English , had the ear of Elizabeth 's government and they advocated restraint in dealing with Ireland . It suited the more militant and ambitious New English to portray them as having Irish sympathies and having gone native . But Spenser 's fear seems more genuinely deep seated . Spenser , or the inheritors of his estate , are most at risk of catching the same savage disease .
Idiom: have someone on toast (used idiomatically: yes)
One for high , none for low , two for both ways . My two chips were ready in my sweaty palm . The more he thought , the more I knew I had him on toast . Finally , he declared low ; I declared both ways ; and he showed me a concealed three . My both - ways call had been a disaster .
Idiom: behind bars (used idiomatically: yes)
They were together in the big cupboard behind the staff room , refilling the sugar bowls . It was the magical hour after the lunch shift , when everyone had gone away and there was no sound louder than the hoover . ' Present from Alan behind the bar , ' said Sarah , drawing out the glass she had been holding behind the frilly apron the waitresses at the Right and Wrong had to wear . Catriona took a look at the brown liquid and thought , ' I 'm nineteen years old , I 've failed all my O - grades , and I 'm a disgrace to my family . I think I can just about manage whisky . '
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
So in some cases a compromise must be made , although this should not substantially alter the overall effect of formality . Informality in the water garden is more difficult to achieve and maintain satisfactorily . With a formal pool the gardener knows exactly where he is and can ruthlessly cull any plants that step out of line . This is not so easy to practise in the informal pool , for part of its charm is its tangled informality . Order must be kept and , while the regimentation of plants is not to be recommended , aquatics in an informal situation must be regularly kept in check .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
I have only been using LM potencies actively for about nine monthe . However , I have used them enough to observe that the properly selected remedy works deeply , quickly , smoothly , and without initial aggravation . I will select from a variety of cases in order to illustrate the ability of the fifty millesimal potencies to act favorably on all levels — mental , emotional , and physical . Case No . 1 : 28 year - old male with a chief complaint of fits of anger for not apparent reason . There was a definite history of grief preceding the onset of the chief complaint .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: yes)
One would , for example , assume right turns to be objectively more dangerous than left turns . Data from Hall ( 1986 ) confirms that this is true for the objective risk of accidents at traffic lights . In the Hall study accidents at 177 signalized crossroads were analysed over a period of four years , over this period accidents involving a vehicle turning right outnumbered those to vehicles turning left by a ratio of 6.6:1 ( accidents involving one vehicle turning in each direction were excluded from the analysis ) . This method of examining the data has not been employed in the previous studies because no attempt had been made in those studies to be representative in the sampling of direction of turn at each junction ( see Table 4.2 ) . In this case , however , the sampling is better balanced , there are equal numbers of each type of turn at three different types of junction in comparable traffic conditions .
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
downstairs . Is n't it funny ? Look , look at how it 's erm I mean it 's never out of the box . No . It 's worn .
Idiom: in the club (used idiomatically: yes)
The rules stipulate that these boards can have a maximum hull thickness of 16.5 cm which includes most boards produced today . The maximum rig size permitted is 6.3 sq m. This is a particularly popular class in clubs . Division 11 With a maximum hull thickness of 22 cm these boards have a distinctive round underwater shape that at first sight resembles a canoe .