Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
BRIGHTON SUCCESS I am great fan of tennis , especially women 's tennis and a couple of weeks ago I went down to Brighton to the semi - final matches of the Midland Bank Indoor Championships . It was the first time I had ever seen a live tennis match — Wimbledon has always been out of the question financially , and the Midland Bank tournament offered me the chance to see live international tennis at a reasonable price . I really enjoyed the day , and I was a little put out by the articles I read in a couple of daily newspapers throughout the week , which criticised the tournament for staging what they called ‘ just a one - woman show’ . In this way they were referring to the fact that Steffi Graf was the only top ten player there .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: no)
' The directions were brilliant , actually . ' She knew she sounded effusive but she remembered the lordliness of S. Kettering 's style and wished to propitiate him . ' Some people , ' he told her , ' get horribly lost in Conterchi . ' ' Poor them ! ' She wanted to assure him that she was n't that kind of idiot .
Idiom: down the drain (used idiomatically: no)
It 's all so terribly unfair.’ ‘ Yes , poor Ernest.’ Sarah tipped the last of the washing - up water down the drain and said shyly , ‘ If you do n't mind me asking , do you ever hear anything of Rosie these days?’ Ruth shook her head . ‘ Ernest asked me that .
Idiom: tongue in cheek (used idiomatically: yes)
It is almost an affectionate tirade and she handled a male heckler very , very gently . Well , at least for her . Although this former psychiatric ward sister can appear world weary , cynicism dropping from every pore , there is a tongue in cheek panache that produces a double reaction as the barbs strike home ; the ‘ oof’ gut jerk followed immediately in some cases by a form of enlightenment . Clever , witty and challenging ? Certainly , yet also a ruthlessly accomplished observer of men 's and women 's foibles .
Idiom: cut corners (used idiomatically: yes)
U2 , LIKE many others , are uncertain just where and how their transcendentally eclectic , refreshingly realistic , naively passionate and elusive pop music is going to hit . Whether anyone 's willing to be receptive to a music that is not as seriously , purgatively ' innovative ' as the post - punk noise that veers towards the Rough Trade arena , not quite as vulnerably half - original as the music of this year 's Gig Of The Century bill ( Ratio , Teardrop , Echo ) . Yet that 's not as meticulously commercial as the Rats or Squeeze , that does n't cut huge corners to seduce and entertain . That music that does n't ' belong ' . U2 are not a pop group like The Undertones , although their music is driven and energised by exactly the same instinctive romantic desire — wish fulfilment .
Idiom: dog eat dog (used idiomatically: no)
In the freezing barren icelands of the Arctic north , whale and dolphin meat has long been a traditional and important part of the diet for coastal settlements . But many of today 's hunts are motivated far more by commercial interests than subsistence needs . For example , narwhal were traditionally hunted for food by the Inuit Eskimoes of the eastern Arctic region of Canada , who ate the outer layer of meat and skin ( muktuk ) and some of the red meat , and fed the remainder to their sled dogs . In recent years sled dogs have been replaced by snowmobiles , so now the main incentive for the whale hunt is the narwhal 's single ivory tusk . This ivory increased in value 180-fold from 1961 to 1982 .
Idiom: down at heel (used idiomatically: yes)
PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND HYGIENE Anyone who has to deal with the public or who is in continual contact with other people as part of their job must always be aware that attention to their appearance and personal hygiene is of the utmost importance . It does not take much imagination to realise the bad impression that can be created by a person who has greasy unkempt hair , unclean or unpressed clothes , laddered stockings or tights , dirty down - at - the - heel shoes , chewed or dirty fingernails or unfortunately halitosis ( bad breath ) or body odour . It is essential that a receptionist , whether male or female , should appear on duty immaculate in every way . Therefore , a regular daily routine should be developed so that care of personal appearance and hygiene is automatic .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
It is explained by the slow growth of GDP in the UK ; consequently , comparisons of GDP per head place Britain in a very lowly position . More difficult to judge is the impact of productivity growth on the size of the labour force . The proportion in manufacturing was not out of line in international terms up to the early 1970s . Moreover , as has been noted , by the early 1970s the structure of British industry was similar to that of the EEC countries as measured by the proportionate distribution of employment . For advanced economies , substantial changes had occurred over the latter half of the 1960s because of loss of comparative advantage in what had become basic technologies which could be mastered by low - income countries , together with changes in the nature of world demand and direct and indirect forms of trade barriers erected to protect domestic industry .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
He 's described as being in his late teens , 5 ' 8 ' tall and of slim build . P C Mike Patching crime intelligence officer at Banbury and head of the crime stoppers organization in the town , says it was a despicable crime . Criminals are n't too bothered about the er problems they cause victims in the commission for their crime , but er as a general rule er they do draw a line somewhere , but I think to er rob a lady who is er presumably grieving over the loss of a relative , at the graveside , has got to be plumbing some new depth of er depravity and er I 'll expect the erm vast majority of the citizens of Banbury will think similarly . A man 's been taken to hospital with a chest injury after a road accident near Bicester . Two cars collided outside a service station at Baynard 's Green at about 2 o'clock this afternoon , one casualty was treated on the scene , the other was taken to Oxford 's John Radcliffe hospital .
Idiom: pop the question (used idiomatically: yes)
She had the good sense to say she did n't . ‘ He told me he could n't face the prospect of another divorce , which I understood because my parents split up a few years ago and it was very distressing,’ she said . He popped the question in the bar of his pub , The Maltsters Arms in Totnes , Devon , at two in the morning . Hard - working , hard - drinking Keith is the first to admit he 's not easy to live with . ‘ I think I 'm demanding and chauvinistic , but I 've finally got someone with a good enough sense of humour to be able to cope with that very well,’ he said .
Idiom: bark up the wrong tree (used idiomatically: no)
Cor there 's loads ! Oh they could n't si , yeah do n't forget yo , well I do n't know why I 'm telling you , but , you know your ri , your age range . They managed to get some ones on the sea , but they did have a try erm a lot of them come up with the erm barking up the wrong tree said the dog , you know , things like that with a bit of help . Yeah . Erm there 's another one that a lot of came up with one or two had heard a few before and they all groaned and then accused you of making them all up !
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: yes)
Mr Widmer said there seemed little hope of reaching a settlement before Caldaire turned to legal action . But Stockton Council leader Bob Gibson said : ' Mr Widmer 's comments are ridiculous . They can get their eyes on our money , but they wo n't get their hands on it . ' He said Stockton had entered into and adhered to cash - limited agreements with bus companies . Coun Brian Roberts , chairman of Langbaurgh Council 's policy and resources committee , said the authority had fully met its contractual obligations .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: no)
Through the through the show people ? Oh yes , mhm . We er You always made friends with people , could talk to people and if they want to miserable they can be miserable , you 'd got to tell them a tale , whether you know it or not . See ? And that 's my trouble , i it comes out like that ?
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: no)
The old French military primary trainer is still a very good machine for introducing pilots gently to jets , while giving them lots of fun too , finds Bob Grimstead . ' If I close my eyes , I can still feel the g build as the world smoothly revolves and that bright red tip - tank carves its silent arc across the azure of my mind 's eye ' . As the speed builds through 200 knots I feel the increased pitch sensitivity , my bottom lifting from the parachute pack as I press the twin pitots on this tiny nose further towards the gleaming layer of snowy stratocumulus below . With 250 on the clock I heave the how - heavy stick to the right and when we have twenty degrees of bank I brace , pull and reverse the roll to watch our nose carve a lazy anti - clockwise circle around the sapphire sky . Shadows and sunlight race about inside the confined cockpit while reflections of white and blue chase one another across the mirror - shiny canopy as we describe the laziest of barrel rolls .
Idiom: speak volumes (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's a summer plague , and they wo n't buzz off . Plus , the sound of silence . When just one look can speak volumes . Welcome back : A plague of wasps has descended on the region . Last year 's mild winter means they 're thriving .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: no)
You do see that , do n't you ? He 'd had a serious liaison before the war with a young girl whom he 'd got pregnant . He was only a boy , hardly out of drama school and scared stiff and , by the time he 'd pulled himself together and gone back to do the right thing by her , the girl had disappeared . She 'd given a false name so he could n't trace her . I thought I could help him to forget .
Idiom: in a rut (used idiomatically: yes)
The further they went into the forest the more it seemed as though the village behind , with Fat Watt and Diggory the King 's man and the priest , represented the enemy , and the miles and miles of trees she had formerly and still a little feared had become a sort of sanctuary , a hiding place . The track was broad and rutted with old cart - tracks . Water lay in the ruts and in some places marshy muddy patches had developed where water - grasses grew and the track had spread to pass them now on this side , now on that . Here and there piles of branches had been cut and laid in the mud to help carts through . There were hoof - marks of horses , and once or twice the slots of deer , and out on the very edge where the track was worst a narrow winding verge where travellers on foot had been forced to push their way through the undergrowth .
Idiom: prodigal son (used idiomatically: yes)
He will forgive , people say cheerfully . That is his business . Some theologians have suggested that the essence of the gospel is nothing more than forgiveness as it is enshrined in the story of the prodigal Son . The father sees the son coming home after all the bingeing — the wine , women and song — and runs out with love and says : ' How good it is to have you home ! Kill the fatted calf ! '
Idiom: brownie point (used idiomatically: yes)
People , at least in the articulate middle classes , usually have their horror stories of public transport , their run - ins with bureaucrats of one kind or another . Many also have grumbles about shops and service trades in the private sector . If John Major , or anybody else , could prevent the local garage overcharging or under - performing , or encourage a lower - price , less uniform snacks policy in pubs , he would doubtless win brownie points from some voters . But I doubt if anyone will win the 1996 election on a slogan of ‘ Back to the simple cheese sandwich at £ 1.25 , and death to expensive Ploughman 's lunches’ . Is it only the recession that makes so many people , especially the young , talk so much about their job prospects ?
Idiom: by dint of (used idiomatically: yes)
This has been a major factor in the stability which Spencer Stuart has achieved in its offices . Beigbeder was elected Chairman in succession to Brooke in 1979 and Thomas Neff , then manager of the New York office , became Chief Executive . Neff built up the firm 's business in the USA not by dint of one overwhelming individual personality , as Roche had done for Heidrick and Struggles , but by exemplifying the success of the Spencer Stuart method of problem - solving in management crises across a range of corporate sectors . Neff 's approach was to produce corporate performance charts of his firm 's most successful clients , indicating that their fortunes had been turned around by the strategic recruitment of executives headhunted for them by Spencer Stuart . This , and the extensive publicity which Roche attracted to his most celebrated assignments , is in great contrast to the nature of the executive search industry in Britain , where the majority of clients are most reluctant to be publicly associated with named headhunting firms .
Idiom: have a ball (used idiomatically: yes)
Gemmell 's clearance Whitlow down to Ormanroyd , Collimore did well to win it back and Ormanroyd just got a foot in again . Time running out here for Forest we 've got about nine minutes to play . They 're one behind , Collimore has the ball . He looks so good when he 's going forward like this lays it off for Crosby and clearance is lacked away by Simon Greyson . And the wind gets up again and the er chill factor I think is what they call it is considerable .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
In filmmaking terms , South Africa is one of those subjects on which it is fairly easy to occupy the moral high ground without subjecting you audience to a sanctimonious brow beating . The depravity of apartheid is such that even movie executives should feel comfortable that their projects will not be side - lined as too ‘ political’ , or ‘ radical’ . John Wildsen 's The Power of One fits the bill perfectly . Although set in an overtly political atmosphere , its purpose is unashamedly entertainment . Beginning in the 1930s it follows PK , an orphan of English parentage , through his rites of passage .
Idiom: close shave (used idiomatically: no)
The best disposable razors To de - fuzz quickly , disposable razors are the answer . But can you really get a close , smooth shave without the risk of painful nicks or razor burn ? We put five brands to the test PRODUCT
Idiom: dog in the manger (used idiomatically: yes)
' I heard from a friend this morning — she 'd getting hitched to some chap in Northamptonshire who 's due to inherit his uncle 's title . ' ' Then why did she lie to me ? ' ' Dog in the manger ? ' Lucy suggested wryly . ' She ca n't have Guy , so no one else should either ? '
Idiom: cast your mind back (used idiomatically: yes)
So what happened to all the muck we grew up with ? It 's still there , is n't it ? Q : Cast your mind back : what built that young body of yours ? A : Sherbet spaceships , fish fingers , Crunchies , white bread , Munchmallows , Tizer , strawberry Mivvis , Milky Bars , baked beans , Rolos , Wall 's ice - cream , Sun - Pat peanut butter , jelly cubes , Coca - Cola , Instant Whip , tinned spaghetti , frozen beefburgers , Liquorice Allsorts , crisps ( with the blue twist of salt ) , Spangles , jam , Battenberg cake , Quality Street , chips , Cidrax , hot - chocolate - drinking - chocolate , frozen peas , fudge , lemon barley water , tinned mushroom soup , Opal Fruits , Rice Krispies , Bisto , steamed syrup sponge and custard . Q : What goes into , say , a chocolate flavour Bird 's Angel Delight ?
Idiom: many moons ago (used idiomatically: yes)
Even at that resolution and that many dots , curved lines can appear jagged , albeit under a magnifying glass . Epson 's RITech technology seeks to smooth out the jaggies , which ought to give a much higher quality print . When I got my first laser printer many moons ago , my bank manager almost had a heart attack . The cost was over three thousand pounds , which is a considerable sum today , but was then worth about four and a half thousand in today 's terms . If I 'd been buying my fist laser today , the poor benighted soul would be less likely to endure a coronary , since , for less than one thousand pounds I could nip out and buy a very nicely specified machine .
Idiom: fall from grace (used idiomatically: yes)
And then to , right , let 's start doing that one . Yes . Fall from grace . This erm , old fashioned whatever it was , is is quite an interesting area I thought , erm , whether , it sounded old fashioned to start with , an old fashioned what . Whether it was attitudes or setting or relevance to modern life , you know , to what extent are some of the stories relevant to their time and place , and not to our time and place , so that might be an interesting area to explore .
Idiom: carry the can (used idiomatically: no)
Finally he wandered through into the kitchen , pulled off his jacket and draped it over the back of a chair . He hastily unfastened the shoulder holster , too , and laid it on the table , then crossed to the fridge , found a can of 7-Up and drank deeply . He carried the can with him into the bathroom where he stripped off his clothes and turned on the shower . He sat on the toilet , watching the spray , waiting for the water to warm up , sipping his drink . His head was pounding .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
What ? I 've just left grandma to go and collect Christopher from , from school . And we 're all going to go out to lunch together . Have some lunch together while Christopher 's , in Christopher 's lunch hour . We 're gon na go to to Tesco 's with grandma .
Idiom: in your element (used idiomatically: yes)
No . You , you 'd love it . You 'd be in your element you would . These tiles are all throughout . Amazing are n't they ?
Idiom: show a leg (used idiomatically: no)
When it gets hot in the city , go for this season 's favourite — the divided dress . It 's short , smart , comfortable — and cool Soft collaring makes this mini version of the divided dress ideal for holiday wear — great for showing off tanned legs . Create a sharper image with this updated coat - dress . It has a shawl collar , wide belt and cuffed hemline .
Idiom: sweat like a pig (used idiomatically: yes)
Darling This priest outfit must be the most uncomfortable garment ever invented for Jungle travel . Makes you sweat like a pig , comme un porco . How did old Father Firmin keep his dignity , I ask myself . Still I suppose you could say he suffered for his religion in the same way I suffer for my art .
Idiom: nuts and bolts (used idiomatically: yes)
By Economics Correspondent ALTHOUGH few summits ever produce clear - cut decisions , the main outcome of Strasbourg could be the reshaping of the European economy in the 1990s , with a process set in train which aims to create a third homogeneous bloc to challenge the United States and Japan by the end of the century . At the nuts and bolts level , significant progress was made towards achieving a full internal market by January 1 , 1993 , with member countries heeding the warning of the Europen Commission president , Mr Jacques Delors , that further delays in implementing the raft of legislation could cause real problems . On the single market , there was little dissension . The summit unanimously agreed that a market of 320 million people would improve growth prospects and trade .
Idiom: full marks (used idiomatically: yes)
Though he had found New York impressive , the people did not seem to him very different from those of Tollemarche . His publishers had been smoothly charming and undoubtedly a little surprised to find their backwoods author a careful , quite business - like man in a town suit , who would not sign anything until he had read the small print several times and understood it thoroughly . Full marks to Isobel , Hank thought grimly ; she had done a lot of homework trying to check what his rights were regarding serialization , filming and translation , and had primed him well . He had met the press at a cocktail party and had stood there answering impertinent questions with disconcerting honesty , a glass of ginger ale in one hand and a canapé in the other ; when he could not immediately think of an answer he nibbled the canapé and viewed the questioner with cold button eyes . His childhood exposure to life in the streets of a western town , still so new that most of the people who had founded it were still alive , had left him with no illusions about people or their motives , and it was always for the motive behind the question that he looked .
Idiom: turn the screw (used idiomatically: yes)
Francis was always stirring , trying to score off people … ’ She broke off , on the verge of tears . Impossible to judge whether she knew or did not know whatever it was that Francis had been told , and there was nothing to be gained by turning the screw too hard . ‘ Have you noticed any change in your brother recently — say in the last few months ? Any change in his relations with his father?’
Idiom: all over the place (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'm not sure if David Lawrence is the type of bowler worries about getting nicked before hit before , it happens pretty frequently , he 's such an , an , an attacking bowler . No , it 's bound to happen . All he 's worried about is getting wickets , and he 's , as I think I said yesterday he starts to feel a bit frustrated with his lax control , the ball flows all over the place and then somehow or other he 's got at the , the real quality batsmen in the opposition side , he 's got DaSilva out , might have been a slightly lucky dismissal caught down the leg side and he 's got him out and he 's done that in every match he 's played , he 's given away runs pretty rapidly , but he keeps getting vital wickets as well . Well he 's running up now , see what he can do with this one , ooh , over second slip down to the four runs another one has slip and a leap , like Botham and erm , away he went . He might be a bit less philosophical about that one , in that it was , it was great , it was catchable was n't it ?
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
They 've stepped down here to get from one piece of pavement to another , yet they look like they spent their whole lives underground . It 's as if the tube sucked the sunlight out of them . There are men in business suits , men in working gear , and some who have n't been out of their filthy clothes for a week . You 'd have to cut them off their backs , like off a corpse . There are office girls reading paperbacks .
Idiom: out of sorts (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh good , I ca n't Oh well yeah , got you there . Erm yeah if er you have no objection , what it 's for is the , there 's this outfit called the British National Corpus and they 're trying to make a record of English Language as it 's used in the late twentieth century erm so it 's a sort of resource for further scholarship so it can assist in writing dictionaries and studying grammar and , and all sorts of things like that and erm they 're attempting to tape conversations from all over the place erm er I 've got a bit of bumph about it , it 's quite interesting erm and in some cases it 's sort of out of erm er it 's out of people 's homes , it 's out of broadcasts , it 's out of meetings , it 's out of all sorts of things erm at work and at home erm Have you just turned it on now ? Yeah it 's , it 's just on at the moment er they did n't hear any the other stuff