Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
I mean , what I 'm saying is that I 've come across many of dem who try to speak the Jamaican language , er , the Jamaican Patois , but how they speak it is totally different , becau ' they 've got the English accent , and um , dey , becau ' they 've got the English accent they try to speak the Jamaican local Patois the same way and in doin' so it sounds really terrible you know it sort of sounds you know it 's really funny . ( Errol , twenty , born in England , lived age four to eighteen in Jamaica ) Brenda ( seventeen , Jamaican parents ) commented that in Jamaica she had been teased as a " foreigner " because her Creole was not up to scratch : Oh , they call you all — " English gyal , come here English gyal ! " yeh , my sister ' ad it all , my sister ai n't English , my sister 's Jamaican , because she come over here when she was young , when she went back over there they were callin ' her English gyal , the lot [ ] but when she , she ai n't forget nothin' , she can still speak it so she open her mouth and they say sorry [ ri ] ! Then they pick on my cousin . By simply questioning informants it is difficult to get an accurate picture of where and when Creole is actually used at home .
Idiom: queer someone's pitch (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Piffle!’ Harry said bluntly . ‘ We 've been close friends for donkey 's years and I know you better than to think you 'd try to queer my pitch.’ Aubrey grinned . ‘ Personally , I ca n't think of anything I 'd like more than to have you as a brother - in - law.’
Idiom: below par (used idiomatically: yes)
Creams and ointments containing corticosteroids , because of their powerful anti - inflammatory action , can lessen the symptoms considerably but they also have the effect of damping down the body 's natural defence and , in theory , could lead to the spread of the infection , with potentially fatal results in a primary attack when there is no natural immunity at all . Smallpox vaccination has its advocates , on the principle that it may stimulate the body 's immune responses generally , but , again , there is no good evidence for its efficacy . Recently a new group of drugs , cytosine and adenosine arabinoside , have been used with considerable success against generalized viral illness , particularly in people whose natural defence mechanisms are below par , but it remains to be seen whether it is feasible to use them on localized herpetic infection . In the last few years there has been a succession of reports , mostly emanating from the continent of Europe , claiming good results from vaccines against herpes virus . With no exceptions these results have been based on poorly controlled trials which , although they do not show that herpes vaccines do n't work , certainly do not prove that they do .
Idiom: call a spade a spade (used idiomatically: yes)
He grunted . ‘ Do n't I?’ ‘ I 'm used to people calling a spade a spade , and I do n't understand sophisticated people,’ she said quietly . ‘ But I do know when I 'm being railroaded . You want the best for your client .
Idiom: at a loose end (used idiomatically: yes)
This was the first ever building specifically erected as a social meeting place , as opposed to a church , in this country — or for that matter , anywhere else in the world . In Leeds , a clergyman , the Rev. Edward Jackson , had found a similar situation . Youths who had left the Yorkshire Institution for the Deaf and Dumb at Doncaster roamed the streets at a loose end , causing mischief . Through his own efforts , he got together a group of people interested in the spiritual care of the blind as well as the deaf and formed the Leeds United Institution for the Blind , the Deaf and the Dumb in 1850 although it was not until 1875 that the foundation stone of their first centre was laid . This association of societies for the Blind and the Deaf continues to this day in the present building at Centenary House , North Street , Leeds .
Idiom: go straight (used idiomatically: yes)
but Reggie , Reggie will come in and go straight to bed , he 's been up since about quarter to four yeah so he 'll , he 'll go straight , more or less down , have his tea and go straight to bed , so I 've got to go home and cook this What have you got in there ? Who ?
Idiom: walk free (used idiomatically: yes)
Male speaker When I go home this evening my wife and I will sit and talk about what should be done and take legal advice because I do n't believe they should walk free . They just walked free . Male speaker We had worked extremely hard on the case and we were going to make every effort to secure the acquittal of our clients who had always protested their innocence .
Idiom: pissed off (used idiomatically: no)
Aye , Ronnie Knight . Diana Dors 's husband . Oh that little bugger you were on about , aye he killed some bugger , did n't he , in , in a cafe and pissed off abroad . They ca n't get him . All right ,
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
Help on a plate ! May I through The Lifeboat thank any readers who responded to my letter in the Spring 1991 issue concerning the breakage of a plate in the ' Heroes of the Sea ' series to whom I have not replied personally . At the last count I have had 15 responses to my letter from readers , many recommending the Bradford Exchange ( not infrequently including envelopes addressed to the Exchange and in one case a completed order form ) , one offering to obtain the plate from a local charity shop and three writers offering a copy of the plate for sale . One of the sellers was Nairn ladies ' guild , who had been given the plate to sell for the guild 's funds , and this was the one I bought at the Bradford Exchange price . Once again my set is now complete and I am very grateful to all those who took the trouble and interest to write to me .
Idiom: out of sight (used idiomatically: yes)
He felt her lips against his , soft , warm , sensuous . Then she was flying off as if caught by the wind . He waited until she was out of sight before raising his hand to where her mouth had rested . Half - child , half - woman , she was wholly female . If he could have pulled her into his arms at that moment he knew nothing could have stopped him from making love to her .
Idiom: back to the drawing board (used idiomatically: yes)
It was not , however , the sole dimension of his strategy . Just as the interwar prophet of Blitzkrieg had also been a lobbyist for the professional army , so , in the late 1940s and early 1950s , de Gaulle was not content simply to wait for disaster to strike . In June 1946 , a month after a popular referendum had voted down the Constituent Assembly 's proposed constitution and sent the parties back to the drawing board , de Gaulle re - entered the political fray . He did so in a speech in the Norman town of Bayeux — a symbolic location because this town had been one of those that he had visited in his first trip to liberated territory in June 1944 . It is no exaggeration to say that the Bayeux speech established a new direction for postwar Gaullism .
Idiom: in a nutshell (used idiomatically: yes)
Based on ? Well everyone has , everyone is entitled to vote and he also thinks that if the time is right when unmarried women were property and he thought it would n't be long before married women to hold property too , so he was also he wanted to reform the Married Women 's Property Act . What 's your own view in a nutshell the way forward to democracy ? Do n't have one , sorry . Er I was , I was hoping to find one but er er yep
Idiom: dyed in the wool (used idiomatically: yes)
There is only one solution and it costs money . Often that money is the best investment a company can make . For the Profitboss it is the most compassionate way of easing out Hugh Clarkson , the dyed - in - the - wool western region sales manager who 's had enough but ca n't afford to admit it . It is an opportunity to expand the responsibilities of John Langley , an up - and - coming salesman getting some great results in the north . He 'll make John sales manager north - western region .
Idiom: out of the question (used idiomatically: yes)
His enquiry about my whereabouts was due to our having moved house . Merstham was in a slightly more rural area of Surrey , and one upon which we had always looked with favour . This meant a slightly longer , but more pleasant , train journey to London ; and it presented no problems about staying up in the evening , whereas with my school duties lunch was out of the question . I wrote to tell him this , and also referring to another book he had sent me , and I received a reply dated 19 March 1937 : The attendance at St Stephen 's did not happen for reasons which he would explain , and I was sorry to have missed it .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
I hope so anyway,’ he says . With 30 wickets in an injury - curtailed season , Jarvis believes he 's earned his place on Gooch 's tour . ‘ Of course I would have liked to have taken 50 or 60 wickets , but I felt that in the latter part of the season , I proved my fitness once and for all . ‘ I was really concentrating on getting the ball to swing again after my injury , and I got it back , it is all coming back.’ And he is defiant in the face of critics who say he 's lucky to be selected .
Idiom: jump to conclusions (used idiomatically: yes)
' Now do n't prevaricate , ' he warned softly . ' You know what I mean . ' ' And , ' Merrill continued , ' if you jumped to the wrong conclusion in Bruges , that 's your mistake . I simply did n't feel that it was important or necessary to enlighten you . ' Her voice was calm and matter - of - fact , but she had to fight the need to clench her hands in her lap .
Idiom: think twice (used idiomatically: yes)
I was n't looking for something to fill my life by having her , she just happened . I think whatever age you have a child , if it 's fine for you , then it 's all right . But unless you 're really sure that you want a baby and all that goes with it , think twice . It 's not just something you can dress up and take for walks in the park . There 's a lot more to it .
Idiom: drop the ball (used idiomatically: yes)
He therefore claimed ' line of sight relief ' . This is a local rule which is formed to take account of any obstructions caused by the camera positions — if they are in the way of a shot , the golfer may have a free drop . Harley would , in this case , have been allowed to drop his ball two clubs ' lengths away from the fence , and would therefore have been able to get a full swing at the ball . But the rules official , who was summoned by radio , decided , after much argument , that Harley 's claim was not justifiable . Harley then insisted that the tournament director , who is the ultimate arbiter at professional tournaments , be summoned .
Idiom: small potatoes (used idiomatically: yes)
We 're working.’ And back they go , their clear notes alone punctuating the silence . At the archway which divides the suyo of puro papa , where women sit on their hunkers , feet planted in the soft earth , and hack small potatoes out with their hoes , and the suyo of pura oca with its neat rows of bunched , dark green leaves , carriers stop and rest their bundles on the wall . I stop too ; climb the natural embankment and look over the homeward stretch down to the pueblo . There is a stillness over the waters , a stillness which stretches to the most distant mountain - top .
Idiom: on top of the world (used idiomatically: yes)
Indeed , there was still a chance that , terrified they might lose a crucial test of confidence in the chamber that Democrats have controlled for four decades , the president 's managers on Capitol Hill would seek to delay the vote . How did things get so nerve - wracking ? In February , when he presented his plan to cut the deficit by $ 196 billion over five years to a joint session of Congress , Mr Clinton was on top of the world . He had proposed real cuts ; he had jettisoned his campaign promise to cut taxes on the middle - class ; he had soothed the financial markets . Some of his supporters on the Hill told him to press on further with deficit reduction while he had a fair wind .
Idiom: get the picture (used idiomatically: yes)
We can derive a strength from being a family company that other businesses can not . And that should see us through the difficult times . ' And if Pickerings does come through he might just get his picture on the wall . Horse riders to hold talks LOCAL owners and riders are meeting in Loftus Town Hall at 7 pm on Wednesday to discuss the problems of horse - riding in the area .
Idiom: on the ball (used idiomatically: no)
Yeah and that 's the one thing that you need one of two things . Bet you did n't know there was two . Here 's me stamping on balls . Are you recording all this ? Yeah I 've got to go and wake up John now .
Idiom: up against it (used idiomatically: yes)
Voice over The last time Gloucester went to Tyneside to play in the cup they took on the old Gosforth team … the score that day … 26 - 15 to the Cherry and whites … that was almost three years ago … Gloucester went on to the final that season while Gosforth merged with the Newcastle club to create a new force in northern rugby … this season they lead the second division … they're unbeaten too … so Gloucester are up against it STING here 's the cup team … the injury to Marcus Hannaford means Jerry Perrins is called back … he plays on the wing … and with skipper Ian Smith playing for the BaBas …
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
With a capacity of 4.5 megawatts , it is predestined for use at sea .
Idiom: pull strings (used idiomatically: yes)
Police stand guard , not to keep people out but to ensure nothing is taken away as investigators sift through secret files , looking for evidence of official misdeeds . The security apparatus , known as Stasi by the people who feared it , is on its last legs after 39 years of running agents , snooping on dissidents and harassing critics of the ruling Communist party . Its former head , Mr Erich Mielke , for years the man who knew all the secrets and pulled all the strings , is under arrest and facing corruption charges . The new head , Lieutenant - General Wolfgang Schwanitz , has rushed to polish its tarnished image by opening its doors to citizens demanding entry and cutting staff by 50 per cent . Those who do leave are having problems finding employers who will take them on , or being accepted by new colleagues .
Idiom: play ball (used idiomatically: no)
Going into the first Test at Port - of - Spain under the leadership of Mike Denness , England were put in and bowled out for a meagre 131 ( Greig top - scored with 37 ) . On the second day they saw West Indian batsman Alvin Kallicharran amass what was then his highest Test score . The little left - hander , 142 not out , watched from the non - striker 's end as Bernard Julien played the last ball of the day , bowled by Underwood , defensively on the off side and turned to walk to the pavilion . Alan Knott , England 's wicketkeeper , obligingly removed the bails and began pulling the stumps out , presumably to save square - leg umpire Gosein the job . Kallicharran , assuming that the entertainment had been concluded for the day , also set off for the dressing - room .
Idiom: go through the motions (used idiomatically: yes)
And they 'll be keen to take revenge for a defeat at Pollock Park a fortnight ago , a grave setback to Waringstown 's bid for a third successive crown . Two other Section I matches see Schweppes Cup winners North Down entertaining North , with the aim of finishing third in the league to complete what for them has been a fine season . Ballymena 's stay in Section I ended after five years when Bangor landed a double victory last week - end and they 'll merely be going through the motions at Ballygomartin Road against Woodvale . Relaxed Bangor now that they are safe , will be in a relaxed mood and are sure to make things very tough for North at Ormeau on Sunday .
Idiom: breathe down someone's neck (used idiomatically: yes)
Most expect to meet the out - of - pocket expenses of the job themselves , but some feel the whole business is getting too costly . To begin with , there is the expense of the uniform , which London military tailors run up for about £ 2,000 . Most lord lieutenants are scarcely in jobs where they have employers breathing down their necks about time off , but there can be substantial day - to - day expenses . In corners of rural Scotland the lord lieutenant may only be required to turn out four or five times a year , but in densely populated industrial areas like the West Midlands , Charles Ian Finch - Knightley , the eleventh Earl of Aylesford , may be performing several times a month . In Kent , the rate runs at an average of one official engagement a week .
Idiom: go downhill (used idiomatically: yes)
We were getting on famously by half - way round the second circuit and Dod was digging in to a case of canned lager he 'd hidden under his stool , then Martin said would n't it be a good idea if we actually played something . We looked at him , then at each other and finally I got out the lip salve and said ‘ OK , it 's showtime!’ and Kim said : ‘ Whatever do you mean?’ The day went downhill after that . In a ramshackle sort of way , we actually put together a few decent tunes , though as is always the case with truck bands , or marching bands for that matter , quality loses out to volume . We did the Christmassy stuff and the old New Orleans favourites and , with Trippy playing the top of the truck cab with a pair of spare drum sticks , I got them organized into a version of Masekela 's Do n't Go Lose It which lasted one and a half circuits .
Idiom: keep tabs on (used idiomatically: yes)
You , you were allowed to , to stay out but erm you , you had to get permission . You were n't sort of allowed just in and out when you wanted to , you had to get permission to stay out late . They liked to keep tabs on you even then . Er about six months . Just , just a mere six months .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: yes)
' What would taste like yuch ? ' John asked , coming into the room . He was wearing trousers but his chest was bare . His braces hung down the outside of either leg . ' Tomatoes and lemon curd in the same piece , ' Laura explained .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Some say straight to where most countries in the Third World stand today , with their dog - eat - dog labour relations and ever - widening divide between rich and poor . But attitudes towards underground or informal work have been changing in developing countries too . On the face of it , this could only be a good thing . After all , just ten years ago in Lima , Peru , police were engaged in violent battles with poor hawkers trying to scrape a living on the streets . Similar things were happening in other countries .
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: yes)
hump backed bridge mm round a bend , junction yeah , at a level cross , at a level crossing or where the road bends , or approach to any pedestrian crossing .
Idiom: save the day (used idiomatically: yes)
Poor Madame Moulton found that Princess Metternich had acquired a quantity of corn on the cob which she had persuaded the Empress to have cooked and served so that Mme Moulton could give a demonstration of how it should be eaten . There is , of course , no elegant way to accomplish this and the poor woman was greeted with gales of laughter when she picked up her cob and began to eat . The Emperor , who hated to see anyone embarrassed publicly , saved the day by rising to propose a toast ‘ To the maize of America’ . Thus honour was saved and general good humour restored . Although the atmosphere at Fontainebleau was much more relaxed than that of the Tuileries , it still presented problems for the sovereigns in that guests had to be entertained .
Idiom: out of order (used idiomatically: yes)
Quite really . How did ya get into it ? Out of order . Ah ? How did , how did you see that .
Idiom: fall from grace (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ And yes , I do like the company of my compatriots . Miss home quite a lot . Daddy fell from grace , poor dear . Lost everything , so I came out here . Well , a girl 's got to live , has n't she?’
Idiom: go public (used idiomatically: yes)
Chewing the fat last week , Santa Cruz Operation Inc observed that ‘ the Advanced Computing Environment was just a figment of the ACE consortium 's imagination.’ It admits it lost time and money on the diversion , but believes the ACE experience taught it ‘ some important lessons.’ SCO is currently looking at ways of raising more capital — that it may go public to find it is no secret . On the product front — and picking up on some of the work it did for ACE — the company says an Intel Corp P5-specific SCO Unix kernel is a possibility . And Unigram 's generally reliable sources reiterated their claims that USL did indeed talk to the Santa Cruz Operation about acquisition ( UX No 396 ) , and now add that USL ca n't possibly decide what to do about SCO until after it knows whether USL itself is going public , going for another investment round or going to get acquired .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
Of the S.A.S. , operating in enemy - occupied territory in small groups , unable to be entirely confident of their Maquis contacts and with the Gestapo as a constant threat , a special kind of courage was demanded . Though there was undoubtedly comradeship , there was also the danger and loneliness of individual enterprise . Their service was of a different order from that of soldiers fighting in bigger , regular units , who shared , by and large , the same collective experiences . In September 1944 Lieutenant - General ( Sir ) Frederick ‘ Boy’ Browning broadcast to S.A.S. troops behind the German lines . ‘ It is considered,’ he said , ‘ that the operations you have carried out have had more effect in hastening the disintegration of the German Seventh and Fifth Armies than any other single effort in the army .
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
Thus , in my view , practical ability tests are acceptable , but genetic tests for disabilities which may turn up later in life should not be made available to employers . Moreover , DNA testing for employment purposes should not be performed if a large ethnic group would suffer . But it goes without saying that a person presenting a potential employer or insurance company with unsolicited evidence that he does not carry the genes predisposing for various ailments will have a definite advantage . One can imagine the development of protest movements among those who have decided not to reveal their genetic identity , and there will be a fundamentalists who will never have themselves tested because they themselves do not want to know . All these groups will suffer grave social disadvantages .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
Well he 's got a cold , a very bad cold . Oh yeah . Got ta bring him up to scratch . Yeah . Ooh it 's a terrible cold innit ?
Idiom: take the fall (used idiomatically: no)
This August , the alpine heatwave provided ideal conditions for his ascent . The Grand Pilier d'Angle route took two and a half days and weighed in at 6c and A4 . It was on an aid pitch that he took his only fall , ripping two pegs before the last aid point held him . At the top of the pillar , the 26-year - old guide picked up a new sack of food and popped across to the Freney face to solo a new direct version of the Central Pillar ( Chris Bonington 's finest hour ) . In all , a five day ' enchainement ' .
Idiom: in someone's pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
The receivers were called in at the Broadgate developer and the shares suspended at 7¼p , but the FT-SE 100 Index shook off the crisis and climbed to a new peak , up 18 points at 2778.8 . Money supply figures unveiled by the Bank of England show that spending is again on the move . Cash and notes in circulation grew by 3% , hinting that consumers are putting their hands back in their pockets . A further cut in interest rates , however , to 6% , could be shelved until next year . Brewers , drugs shares , leisure and stores were in the vanguard .