Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: cut and run (used idiomatically: yes)
Personal enemies of Ralemberg ? I felt my stomach lurch and my heart beat a little faster . My hands felt clammy , the usual signs of old Shallot beginning to wonder whether it is time to cut and run . My elation of the previous day began to evaporate until I remembered Agnes , the indentures I had signed , and the basic honesty of Ralemberg and de Macon . I washed , dressed , strapped on my sword belt and strutted out , quietly vowing that a group of cut - throats and alley - sneakers could not frighten this new Merchant Prince .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
The reason for demotion was never made clear to me . Despite these fluctuations in his status I remember him fondly on his infrequent leaves as someone with a great sense of fun . He could tell endless tales , normally with himself as the butt . In his youth he seemed to he involved with many sports and I have seen evidence of his playing goalkeeper for a select Scottish hockey team — on roller - skates . In fact in our tenement " penthouse " I once unearthed several roller - skates which I cannibalised until finally there was only one , at which point I gave up the unequal struggle on a solo skate .
Idiom: keep up appearances (used idiomatically: yes)
Endless styling possibilities for girls on the go who love curls ! WORKING GIRLS Keeping up appearances at work is paying off — a recent survey has revealed that women now account for 26 % of managerial posts — a figure that 's trebled since the late 1970 's . We know looks are n't everything , but there 's no doubt that a well - groomed image will win hands down when it comes to first impressions . To maintain your top - to - toe perfection , you need the right tools .
Idiom: by the back door (used idiomatically: yes)
Just one other detail ; the key of my cottage . I do n't believe he 's been carrying a huge old - fashioned thing like that around ever since he left . I see there 's a place on your key - rack by the back door for the cottage key , and it 's missing . Unless you took it-?’ He shook his head .
Idiom: fall short (used idiomatically: no)
Almost nine tenths , 88 per cent , of the people who had spent some time in a residential home were said to have had access to a telephone where they could make calls and people could telephone them . Among those who did not have this facility , two - fifths were thought to have wanted it . Ninety - two per cent of those in old people 's homes compared with 82 per cent of those in other sorts of homes had this amenity — a difference which fell short of statistical significance — but more of those in old people 's homes had a room of their own , two - thirds against half . Overall the proportion with a room of their own was three - fifths and again two - fifths of those without one were thought to have wanted one . If the respondent was a relative , friend , or neighbour , they were asked to say whether they thought various aspects of the home were good or not so good .
Idiom: walk of life (used idiomatically: no)
Elizabeth Adams : ‘ I think perhaps I did not require from Somerville as much as I might here , fromJean Stanier : ‘ Somehow the fact that it was wartime put a sharper edge on things , as if we had to make the most of something that might not last’ . Some of us were still there to see Oxford when the lights came on again : V.E. night saw floodlighting return not only to some of the ancient buildings but also ( with apparatus hastily improvised by members of the university ) to a magnificent horse chestnut tree in Parks Road in full blossom , its blaze of floodlit white ‘ candles’ making a spectacular welcome to the return of peace and light . Now , after almost fifty years we look back and the rich variety of our doings in the years between fulfills the concept of university as a preparation for life rather than training for a specific walk of life . For medicals , of course , the degree course is the basis of a career . Before having her family Alison Miles ( Mrs Fergusson ) held various hospital appointments including a lectureship at St. Bartholomew 's Medical college .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
Mitch left the next morning at dawn . They walked to the edge of town and shook hands . The sun lifted over the hills and threw their shadows across the road . Mitch took a last look round . ‘ You know what I like about out here ?
Idiom: short shrift (used idiomatically: yes)
Another difficulty that arises in a system where public policy emerges primarily out of a clash of partial interests , crudely resolved by bargaining , is that the national interest is likely to be neglected . Furthermore , those with the most resources , the most bargaining counters , will be at an advantage ; the organized , the wealthy and the privileged are likely to gain while the problems of the unorganized , the poor and the underprivileged may be given insufficient attention . In political systems heavily dependent on trading and dealing , matters of principle get short shrift , long - standing problems are not faced and there is little scope for more than modest incremental change . Bargaining is an unavoidable necessity in American politics and negotiating skill is a central component of presidential power . It would be a mistake , however , to assume that the latter is about nothing else .
Idiom: sing the praises of (used idiomatically: yes)
There is nothing illegal in this method , to my knowledge anyway , but I avoid it because to me it seems like cheating . I rather suspect it could lead to a lot of foul - hooked fish , which is another thing I deplore when done deliberately . Having sung the praises of swimfeeders I must point out that I do not think they are the be - all and end - all of barbel fishing , specially for the very big ones . Not that ‘ feeders do not tempt big barbel , but they are extremely cumbersome objects to have on the line when playing these powerful fish in weedy or otherwise snaggy areas . More often than not it is the ‘ feeder that becomes stuck when the barbel charge through a thick weedbed or the like .
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: no)
It was in station catering , so long the Cinderella , that the changed order of the 1980s made its first mark . The fast-food revolution arrived in style in October 1980 with the opening of the first Casey Jones restaurant at Waterloo . Casey Jones , with its colourful , upbeat presentation , its production-line methods and its computer-controlled cooking , was light years away from anything seen before on British stations . Passengers and passers-by alike found its wide , illuminated photographs of mouth-watering meals irresistible — though at a cost ( in 1980 ) of nearly £½million , Casey Jones was obviously going to pay for himself only at the busiest venues . Over the next five years the CJ chain grew to fourteen , including provincial cities such as Birmingham , Liverpool and Glasgow ( Central and Queen Street ) , spawning meanwhile a revolution in approach throughout the business .
Idiom: in the pink (used idiomatically: no)
Remove seedlings from windowsills at night , as even centrally heated houses can become icy near the windows . If you 're not sure you can maintain the temperature , wait until next month . Experiment with newcomers : ' Avanti ' , a very early flowering geranium , and ' Picotee Swirl ' , the first busy Lizzie in soft pink with frilled , deep rose edges . From Thompson & Morgan . Start off , indoors or under cover , half - hardy annuals that need a long growing season , such as Begonia semperflorens , gloxinias , trailing lobelias for hanging baskets , and pelargoniums .
Idiom: go to the wall (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's the man there . And there 's the machine circking machine . If I stood here the machine would go to that wall and the same that way and then round , in diameter . So that 's the size of the machine . They were initially developed er from a , a salt machine again like the , the other ones called the Griswald a little hand , salt machine you used to turn like that and make salt .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Hearing the early stuff can be embarrassing , like discovering love letters you 'd written when you were 15.’ So the song ‘ Sunday Papers’ has had to go ( ' I re - wrote the lyrics for the last tour -called it ‘ Monday Papers’ . There was nothing I could do for it this time ' ) , but ‘ Is She Really Going Out With Him?’ , formerly ditched , now finds itself reinstated , although apparently in a setting designed to tease out its reluctant humour once and for all . If his own reactions to past work are subject to shifts , the response of fans bewilders him even more . ‘ I still find it amazing that intelligent - looking people will come up and say they think Look Sharp ! is a good record .
Idiom: out of your mind (used idiomatically: no)
Two R A F tornados have already been lost . We were pretty hacked off , but we 've got to move on , we 've got a job to do . Quickly put it out of your minds and carry on with the task in hand . For the ground crews there is barely time to think as they bomb up the tornados for yet another sortie . Out in the gulf a tommahawk missile drills up into the ink - black sky fired from the U S battle ship Wisconsin .
Idiom: foot the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
Whether such modest dieting is enough remains to be seen . Hollywood has plenty more fat to lose . But , it also has a well - proven knack of persuading outsiders to foot the bill for its excesses . Carolco recently raised close to $ 100 m from several European investors , including Giovanni Agnelli of Fiat . Columbia 's recent spending spree has partly been paid for by Sony .
Idiom: up the river (used idiomatically: no)
For quite different reasons settlers were also beginning to move inland in America . They were no longer so ready to see themselves as isolated settlements on the sea coast , unrelated to each other and uninterested in the interior . At the beginning of the 1750s very few Englishmen in America had pushed even as far inland as the East India Company had done when it founded its port up the Hughli river at Calcutta . George Washington , a Virginia gentleman whose home at Mount Vernon was quite close to the salt water of Chesapeake Bay , could ride off to the frontier with no difficulty and acquire land to sell to future settlers . The significant difference was that by the 1750s this speculation in land looked like making good sense .
Idiom: bottom drawer (used idiomatically: no)
Do we have any knowledge of events which we have not experienced or are not now experiencing ? We normally suppose that our experience is a reliable guide to the nature of those parts of the world which we are not observing , and that in favourable cases it gives us knowledge . Thus I can know what is in the bottom drawer of my desk , or what I shall eat for breakfast tomorrow , by some form of inductive inference from what I have observed or am now observing . David Hume ( 1711–76 ) , the Scottish historian and philosopher , raised in a special way the question of whether this is really so ( Hume , 1955 , ch . 4.2 ) . He argued that I can not know that my diary is in the ( closed ) bottom drawer of my desk unless I have reason to believe that my experience makes that proposition probable ; we can suppose , perhaps , that my relevant experience is that I remember having put the diary there five minutes ago and that I do not remember having touched the drawer since , together with my general knowledge of the consistent behaviour of the experienced world .
Idiom: in the family way (used idiomatically: yes)
These were contained in a small round tin : condoms , commonly known as ' french - letters ' . This was not for my protection , but for hers . For a girl to be put in the family - way in those days spelt catastrophe — nothing worse could be imagined then . I wished to play safe . Came high - noon for me .
Idiom: in hot water (used idiomatically: yes)
Put the shingle in one bucket and fill it with cold water . Fill the other one with hot water and five drops of the oil . Stand in the hot water for two minutes , then step into the cold water and ' walk ' on the stones . This increases the blood flow and works wonders for varicose veins and chilblains . Massage , particularly aromatherapy , stimulates circulation in much the same way .
Idiom: water under the bridge (used idiomatically: yes)
Remember , they only missed out on meeting Copenhagen in the first round proper by 0.3 of a point . Instead , they were sent to Georgia to play a side which was ‘ invited’ to take part in the competition by UEFA ; I think serious vetting is the order of the day from now on ! But it 's all water under the bridge for this season and Linfield must now concentrate on bridging the gap between themselves and their Danish visitors . There are interesting similarities between the two clubs . Both play in their country 's national stadium , the grounds subjected to substantial renovations in recent years .
Idiom: by the back door (used idiomatically: no)
Once I waited so long and stayed so late that I gave myself away to Syl , who had called in the usual way at the front door , to be told by my mother that I was in the summer - house and he should go and bring me out and back to the drawing - room where , like normal people , we should converse . After that Syl took to walking from his garden along the edge of the golf course to my mother 's garden . He would look in the summer - house before coming in by the back door but he seldom found me there now . ‘ If you want to do something useful,’ my mother said to me one day , ‘ you can help me propagate the cactuses.’ When bits of them broke off you had only to plunge them into the earth and they grew into new cactuses .
Idiom: in the fast lane (used idiomatically: no)
That particular stretch of the motorway is in is very very busy , where he stopped was just round a fairly blind right hand bend and traffic was approaching that at their normal lane three speed , and they were faced with a stationery vehicle . A police car finally arrived at the scene and officers spoke to the motorist . he told them he 'd stopped in the fast lane instead of moving to the hard shoulder because he did n't want to ruin his tyre by driving on after a puncture . The police had to revers their patrol car down lane three to try and warn other motorists of the danger . A policeman then had to bring the traffic in all three lanes to a standstill while the motorist and his passenger crossed to safety .
Idiom: jump on the bandwagon (used idiomatically: yes)
They say that a release is on the cards this week er they make no mention of any ransom and they say Terry Waite is a priority for release ; he is at the top of a list of Western hostages about to be set free . So , so where is this ransom story come from do you think ? er The ransom story may , may have come from er a source er possibly a Hezbalar source er trying to latch on to the , basically to the er the , the thoughts of freedom and just to jump on the bandwagon . There are all sorts of people involved and the various underground factions , that maybe that one has , er as , probably as an afterthought er considered that , that maybe money in the release of any Western hostages , that may be where the story has come from , but certainly from the informed sources , and the , the , er certainly on the evidence of past hostages releases , er we would n't really have expected that er ransom would be demanded , obviously we have to wait and see when er , when the hostages are set free . If this really does happen it would be a remarkable situation because up until now they 've been let out in dribs and drabs , they 're talking here about a kind of mass release are n't they ?
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
J. Craddock , The Estate Office , Oak House , Bedale . IN reply to the letter from the carer whose son is ‘ mentally retarded’(March 16th ) , you rightly point out that there are no easy solutions . A carers group might help , but what about some form of respite care for both the carer and the son ? There is a Durham County project for children up to the age of 19 Banardos Durham Shared Care .
Idiom: sticky fingers (used idiomatically: yes)
The politician had sticky fingers , and 5 % of every contract ended in his pocket .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: no)
ISOLATION OF CELL MEMBRANES Cell membranes of human colorectal carcinomas and normal mucosa were prepared as described by Maeda et al with minor modifications . Briefly , tumours or mucosal scrapings were homogenised in TEA buffer ( 250 mM sucrose , 10 mM triethanolamine ( pH 7.6 ) containing 1 mM phenylmethylsuphonylfluoride ( PMSF ) and 1 mM N - ethylmaleimide as protease inhibitors ) on ice and centrifuged at 1000 g for 10 minutes . The supernatant liquid was centrifuged for 20 minutes at 19500 g . The fluffy white upper layer of the double pellet was resuspended in 15 ml of TEA buffer and loaded on 10 ml 41 % sucrose .
Idiom: carry the can (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Was ‘ e dead , then?’ ‘ No , they be taking him up the churchyard to see if ‘ e likes it.’ Odd Man Out : The man who carries the can By MARTYN HARRIS AT 1.15 I call the AA to ask can I borrow a patrolman for the afternoon , and at 1.45 he 's at the door with sewn - in trouser creases and a shiny van , packed tight as an egg with tools and spares .
Idiom: come to a head (used idiomatically: yes)
But , as things transpired , it was Nation 's eventual storyline , initially titled ‘ The Mutants’ that was to set the seal on the way the science fiction stories would be handled within Doctor Who 's structure . Although happy at first with the series concept as handed to him by Donald Wilson , David Whitaker 's under - lying love for ‘ ripping yarn’ storytelling was threatening to draw him into conflict with Newman 's wish to present educative and allegorical discussion of social issues within the show 's framework . Matters came to a head when Anthony Coburn delivered his second storyline , a science fiction adventure set on thirtieth - century Earth , titled simply ‘ The Robots’ . At this time in the planet 's history the human race had become extinct , having perished by some global catastrophe , and had been succeeded by their immortal robot servants . These highly intelligent androids , perfect except for their total inability to think creatively , had devised a super robot which they intended should lead them .
Idiom: back to the drawing board (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'm gon na talk about the son here It 's back to the drawing board back to the drawing board you 've got a backbone but you 've not got anywhere near a shocking front page . Vicki ? Some what 's your time line do you think ?
Idiom: cut and run (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's more pleasant for the diners too if the cooking paraphernalia - dirty pans and plates - can be kept out of sight So if the kitchen is large enough to take any sort of eating surface — even if it is only an extension of a counter top to make a breakfast and supper bar , this is obviously a bonus . If breakfast is a cut - and - run meal then a bar counter is a good idea and a nice compromise between setting a proper table and snatching a cup of coffee on the wing . And children enjoy perching on stools . But you still have to decide whether you want to make a kitchen you can eat in , or an eating place which is also the kitchen .
Idiom: spread yourself too thin (used idiomatically: yes)
Fields is confident that Prabhakar , who now directs ARPA 's $ 300-million microelectronics technology office , can run an agency whose budget is expected to quadruple to $ 1.4 billion in the next four years . But he warns his former coworker that her every move will be scrutinized . ‘ If one tries to help every industry , you spread yourself too thin’ , says Fields . ‘ But if you favor those with the best chance of succeeding , then you leave yourself open to political attacks from those left out.’ The Clinton administration hopes to prevent that from happening .
Idiom: by the book (used idiomatically: yes)
After the evening meal , Ruth would retire to her area . She would do her slight homework if she had ' been given any , or paint wild garish pictures , forests of lions and castles on fire , duels in deserts , ships in tempests . Her imagination was obviously being fed by the school and by the books . Twice a week she went to the library , usually on her own . She caused , apart from the expensive , awkward food and the constant renewal of clothing , very little trouble .
Idiom: get lost (used idiomatically: yes)
Erm River . And you go from Portugal up the river and into Spain do n't you . Know we got lost with the time zone there because Portugal is an hour I mean charming people , lovely food So we 've learnt something already
Idiom: to all intents and purposes (used idiomatically: yes)
Guardian Women is edited by Louise Chunn Quentin Falk on how five minutes of TV documentary grew into a feature film Love among the bigots . THE source material of A Private Life , one of the first theatrical projects funded by the BBC , derives to all intents and purposes from a five - minute segment in an award - winning BBC series from 1978 called The White Tribe Of Africa . This disturbing profile of Afrikaners in their own backyard was drawn by David Dimbleby and directed by London - born but South Africa - educated Francis Gerard who , more than a decade later , makes his feature debut with A Private Life . During his extended research for the TV series , he met a close couple , Ray and Diana de Proft , living in the Cape Town suburb of Maitland .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
My research in the following few years was to lead me first to Rennes - le - Chateau to check Wood 's discovery and then to Wiltshire 's Marlborough Downs , which have since also become home to the world 's corn circle phenomenon . I finally turned to Kent , not because of what had already been discovered there but because it was on my doorstep and a lot more accessible than either France or Wiltshire . If the theories for the circles were to have any weight , they would have to be tested on ‘ virgin’ territory and for that reason and the ease of access , Kent fitted the bill . If I am right , then the circles discovered so far are only the tip of the iceberg . I believe that they are extant throughout Europe and that our ancient villages did not just grow up according to the ribbon development and river crossing theory of geography , but conform to a larger , geometric pattern .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
We can have a little heart - to - heart while we wait for him.’ ‘ Throw all those bedclothes off the chair and sit down , darling,’ said Mrs. Mounce , peeling potatoes at the sink . ‘ I 'm all right , thank you,’ said Tessa , standing with her hands behind her back , pretending she was examining Bob 's pictures . ‘ Lovey , he may not be back till eleven ! Go on , sit down .
Idiom: first among equals (used idiomatically: yes)
It has been argued that the demise of rule by terror led the leaders of sectional elites to become more assertive and supportive of the interests they represented even against those to whom they owed their appointment ( Ross , 1980 , pp . 262–3 ) . Nevertheless , overall , the party Politburo acted in effect as a cabinet — that is as a committee type of government , with the Party Secretary as chairman . The Party Secretary , like a British prime minister , could have great influence and authority , but in the last resort he was essentially primus inter pares— first among equals — and had to carry his colleagues with him . Various arrangements were tried when Gorbachev established a presidential system in the late 1980s . At first he was advised by a Presidential Council , consisting of representatives of the government and community , and a Council of the Federation , representing the major nationalities .