Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
On the fourth day of your holiday you 'll make the easy coach journey from Rome to Florence , where you 'll stay for four nights at the Hotel Columbus . This beautiful Renaissance city , in its lovely setting beside the Arno river , has something of interest for everyone . The fantastic art treasures of the Uffizi Gallery , the ancient gold and silversmiths ' shops on the Ponte Vecchio and the bustling pavement cafés on the wide , elegant squares — it 's full of beauty and atmosphere . And , as in Rome , you 'll find it hard to resist all the wonderful shops — especially the beautiful leather shoes and handbags . An optional half - day tour of the city , which includes a visit to the Coliseum , is available to help you get your bearings .
Idiom: in the works (used idiomatically: yes)
3 A number of changes are advocated to secure a civil service that is more accountable to Parliament and more amenable to the control of ministers . A Freedom of Information Act ( also supported by the Liberals and the Social Democrats ) is advocated to open up to public scrutiny the workings of government departments . In addition , it is argued that ministers should have a larger say in the appointment and transfer of senior departmental officials with whom they would be working ; that ministers should have their own private political office of specialist and political advisers ; that junior ministers should be involved in the work of departmental and interdepartmental committees which are at the moment the preserve of departmental officials ; and that backbenchers should be more closely involved in the decision - making process through bringing them into government departments . 4 In Chapter 1 we discussed the thesis about prime ministerial government . Sections of the Left agree with that thesis and are of the opinion that the powers of the Prime Minister are too great .
Idiom: friends in high places (used idiomatically: yes)
A spokesperson for U2 told NME : ' The group were very surprised by Mr Clinton 's knowledge of their early work . His favourite LP is ' The Joshua Tree ' . It 's nice to know they have friends in such high places . ' ' Cop Killer ' furore rages on US Police promise ' living hell ' for Time - Warner — despite the track 's withdrawal
Idiom: at loggerheads (used idiomatically: yes)
He accepts that his contrary nature sometimes irritated the other members but feels his sacking contained an element of Gedge wanting to remove a strong influence from the group , an influence often opposed to his own . The drummer fought battles that the other three say as largely irrelevant . ‘ He was continually at loggerheads with David . We were in a situation where we would not have been able to keep going . It was never a power struggle because that assumes one person controls the group .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
The report considers which level of geographical unit is most suited to analysing regional problems in the Community from the three levels defined in the mid-1970s and subsumed under the French acronym , NUTS levels I , II and III . It decided that the level II regions or standard " administrative base units " was appropriate for consideration . The use of level II regions for analysis of regional disparities was perfectly understandable in light of the fact that there already existed in many countries an administrative structure which was in a position to provide relevant statistical information . The problems and criticism that arose from this decision , however , reflected the varying sizes of the administrative units . For example , certain German regions ( notably Hamburg , Bremen and West Berlin ) were little more than cities and quite small relative to the large British and French regions .
Idiom: hold water (used idiomatically: yes)
Teacher : Can you fit any more water into the jug ? Aabida : No . Aabida continued pouring water into various containers at teacher 's suggestion , but remained convinced that a taller container held more water than a shorter , fatter one . Although there is no adult conversation in the next example , it is obvious that Jill was a sympathetic listener , letting Dean enjoy his experiences and learn from them . Example 4
Idiom: state of the art (used idiomatically: yes)
Plant safety was markedly increased by the construction of a new multi - purpose unit equipped with state - of - the - art safety technology .
Idiom: wear the trousers (used idiomatically: no)
If it feels good , do it . ( Nothing feels particularly good . Calm down , cheer up , control your temper , wipe that make - up off , you look like a tart , look at the way you walk , do n't wear those trousers , put a dress on , men ca n't control themselves , it 's up to you to take control , love bites are a sign of a man out of control , your sister 's a tart , if you lose your name no one will have you , who do you think you are , listen to her — social life ? While you 're at school , my girl ? You 're getting some very odd ideas . )
Idiom: see the light (used idiomatically: yes)
The footsteps stop outside his door . The knock is soft , little more than a rapid series of taps , like if you beat your fingernails on the table to get attention . Whoever is out there will have seen our light , and knows we 're awake . I glide to the side of the door , Des stands up , and Rachel sits among the coffee cups wondering what to do . I pull the pistol and hold it within my jacket .
Idiom: on the button (used idiomatically: no)
So was that what Johnny had done , fifty years ago ; or was doing now , depending on which way you looked at it ? Was he , even now , up there with bandits at every point of the clock face and machine gun fire rattling and stuttering around him ? Did he bank and dive , his finger on the button , his guns blazing from the wings ? Was he , perhaps , Red Leader ? Did he issue urgent warnings to his little band …
Idiom: in the hole (used idiomatically: yes)
It goes without saying that you must not leave holes or junk . It 's easy to be tidy , just carry a plastic sheet or bag upon which your excavated earth is placed . After recovery tip it all back in the hole and tread down your turf flap . You should see little , if any , sign of your recovery . Be polite to members of the public who stop to speak .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
If I 'm interested , I 'll ring you back . What 's your number ? " Once the dealer gave his number under these circumstances , he was submitting to the client 's own terms , letting him off the hook . Dealers would be taught to respond like this : " We could do that . You 'll appreciate though that with shares you 've got to move quickly .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
These formulae involve the rate of population growth , r;this is because the value of an offspring depends on the size of the population into which it is born . In an increasing population , offspring produced early will themselves start to reproduce , and so are more valuable than those produced late . But in the long term , density - dependent factors must regulate population size by decreasing survival and fertility such that r=0 . Sensitivities of fitness to changes in both fertility and mortality are related to the probability of reaching the age of gene expression , and are inversely proportional to the generation time . For a gene affecting survival , the proportion of total reproduction expected to occur after that age ( which depends on the fertility schedule ) is also important ( hence the integral in equation ( 2b ) ) .
Idiom: sit tight (used idiomatically: yes)
On the conventional battlefield Syria 's unprecedented programme of militarization may put pressure on Israel to reassess the respective costs of war and peace . If it chooses war it may deem it necessary to attack Syria before the latter becomes more powerful , but in doing so it risks incurring unacceptably high casualties . Or it may sit tight in the reasonable hope that either the economic strain proves too great and Syria 's military strength is sapped by political and economic instability , or that Syria will dissipate its strength against its eastern adversary , Iraq . If the danger increases , Israel may seek an easing of tension with Syria by a new agreement based upon the abandonment of the Golan Heights on condition of permanent demilitarization . Currently this may seem unacceptable as well as unlikely , but may no longer be so if Israel itself experiences military and economic recession .
Idiom: get to the bottom of (used idiomatically: yes)
One obvious advantage is that , as a social situation , the informal interview is very natural ; the conversation flows much more like two people with a common interest having a talk together . There is not the amount of direct questioning that could give an interview the air of a lawyer / witness relationship . Informants have a great deal more liberty to range as they wish and to develop their ideas , and this ‘ freedom to roam’ can be extremely useful in getting to the bottom of complex social situations and events . Rather than just giving a ‘ yes’ or ‘ no’to a carefully put question from the interviewer the informant can control much more the direction of the discussion and can therefore decide what is or is not relevant to a particular situation . This enables the interviewer to burrow much further into the complexities of some situations and may well introduce him to relevant factors which had not been thought of before at all .
Idiom: over the counter (used idiomatically: yes)
US oil company , Pennzoil , has been ordered by the courts to produce documents before Christmas to prove it does not intend launching a takeover bid for its bigger rival , Chevron . ICI in talks . ICI is discussing the sale of its Savlon antiseptic over - the - counter business , Care Laboratories , to the Swiss pharmaceuticals group , Ciba - Geigy . The Swiss company said it would guarantee the jobs of all but 24 administrative staff if the sale goes through . Wall Street higher .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
After work the same evening , my husband and I walked all over the golf course and were eventually rewarded by spotting the dog in the distance , although we failed to coax her towards us . To get her into a routine , I started leaving food out at the same time and place every day , always whistling the same tune , so that she would associate it with being fed . Eventually , after about a week , her little head would pop up over the hill and watch me put out her food as I whistled , but she would n't come down for it until she felt the coast was clear . She was obviously very hungry because she always gulped her food down like there was no tomorrow . In the meantime I asked my vet whether he would let me have some sedatives to put into her food .
Idiom: hold court (used idiomatically: yes)
On the other hand , outsiders could be welcomed in if they acknowledged the basic rules : a Viking recruit could " swear fidelity in his own fashion " or , better still , accept Christian baptism . At the king 's table , as in the great processions from residence to chapel that marked the church 's great feastdays , men knew their places . When the king held court , nobles in attendance participated in the giving of judgements ; brought and received gifts ; joined royal feasts or fasts ; heard royal speeches . From the palace , they went out to hunt , or to make war , together . At home , their life - style aped that of the royal household : a great magnate had his own jester , his band of retainers who hunted and ate with him , his chapel and his chapel clerks .
Idiom: jump the gun (used idiomatically: yes)
She walked to the door then paused to look back suspiciously at him . ‘ I 've put my neck on the block for you , Mike . Do n't jump the gun and go after Bernard by yourself.’ ‘ as if I would,’ he replied , his hands held out in a gesture of mock innocence . His face suddenly became serious .
Idiom: out of order (used idiomatically: yes)
This spontaneous buzz was more plausible than , for instance , the tape recordings contemporaneously played in the background at DPR Futures to give clients an impression of a busy dealing room . Famous at one licensed dealer was the traditional " one down , nine to shit " routine . This was initiated , so legend has it , when the lavatories were out of order . It may , for all the author knows , be practised in some firms even now . This is how it worked .
Idiom: marching orders (used idiomatically: yes)
By October local players were establishing themselves in the City reserves . These reserve games were not without incident . In a match at Elland Road Wainwright was given his marching orders for swearing after an offside decision — but refused to go . The mortified referee ordered the game to end but then was persuaded to leave while one of the linesmen took over , a spectator taking the linesman 's place . Wainwright had nothing to lose by his insubordination as it was his last game for Leeds : he had enlisted with the Royal Garrison Artillery and left for Dover two days later .
Idiom: in stitches (used idiomatically: yes)
The tuck brushes are important , so check in your manual . Tuck stitch has a tendency to drop stitches and the tuck brushes are there to prevent this . I once knitted almost half of the front of a sweater in tuck stitch , continually dropping stitches and muttering at all the time I was spending picking them up . I could n't think what was wrong . I 'd knitted the back with no problems only a couple of days before .
Idiom: anyone's guess (used idiomatically: yes)
On 30 August 1188 the Angevin army crossed the border near Pacy - sur - Eure and marched towards Mantes , where Philip was believed to be staying . Richard was involved in a skirmish with some French knights , among them his old opponent William des Barres , who recognized him by the lion on his shield . What really happened is anyone 's guess but afterwards each accused the other of cheating . Richard claimed that William des Barres surrendered to him and was released on parole while he went in pursuit of more victims . This was standard practice , both in tournaments and in war , but the French knight , he said , broke parole and escaped on a squire 's rouncy .
Idiom: down and out (used idiomatically: yes)
But once again Quakers gifted Reading another goal after 86 minutes . Pickering lost the ball on the edge of his own area allowing Gooding to thread the ball through for the unchallenged Maskell to shoot home . Quakers were down and out a minute later when Mark McGhee crossed from the right for Maskell to complete his hat - trick . MATCHFACTS Goals : Maskell ( 40 mins , 0–1 ) , Cork og ( 57 , 0–2 ) , Borthwick ( 62 , 1–2 ) , Cusack ( 69 , 2–2 ) , Maskell ( 86 , 23 ) , Maskell ( 87 , 2–4 ) . Referee : Mr K Hackett ( Sheffield ) .
Idiom: below the belt (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I know what I 'm talking about . I 've seen better men than you think they could handle the drink and end up in the gutter with a bottle of the fortified wine.’ If that last sally was intended to go below the belt , it failed ; the ‘ better men than you’ line was worked out long ago . ‘ Well , it 's my life , is n't it ? ’ I said and , putting my plate in the sink , left the kitchen .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
Art , being the alter - ego of Religion , reflects this trend , albeit at an intensified rate . Canonisation of artists has exploded : whereas in the last century you worshipped either Rubens or Botticelli , depending on your aesthetic credo , now it is legitimate to worship Gerome as well as Manet , while putting them on the same altar as living legends like Schnabel , Kiefer and Koons . Do n't be surprised if the Catholic Church follows suit and canonises the not - yet - dead . The contemplative nun - cum - critic - cum - TV - star Sister Wendy Beckett is a product of our time . Her writing first appeared in Modern Painters , a magazine founded by the evangelical English critic Peter Fuller in the late Eighties .
Idiom: speak volumes (used idiomatically: yes)
He was persuaded to buy up the remaining freeholds of the Monico block in order to promote an acceptable redevelopment scheme ; this took shape as a podium , a tall block and a large advertisement panel . At Cotton 's press conference in October 1959 the drawings exhibited showed an advertisement 100 ft in height for an imaginary soft drink , reading ‘ Snap Plom for Vigour’ . To many this brashness spoke volumes about the form which urban redevelopment was taking . A public inquiry lasted 18 days ; the Inspector ( Colin Buchanan ) recommended against and in May 1960 the Minister issued his decision rejecting the application . The Piccadilly Inquiry in many ways was a turning point in confirming the frailty of the planning system in dealing with the aesthetics of a major proposal of this kind .
Idiom: sail close to the wind (used idiomatically: yes)
Comprising nearly fifty supermarket trolleys tightly packed with discarded household kit salvaged from skips and tips , the exhibition recreates , in the context of an art gallery , an Oxford Street clearance sale , with all its sleazy devices for purchases by pressure . The gallery 's windows will be covered in whitewash announcements , and a tape recorder plays , on continuous loop , the artist 's own voice inciting his audience to buy while stocks last . At a time when business is tottering , Landy 's enterprise sails close to the wind and could only have been mounted by a dealer whose new lease in Charlotte Street has secured his own operation . Sadly , however , genuine closing down sales are taking place in other galleries . Kasmin 's shop posted a For Lease sign some weeks ago , although he remains in Cork Street until he can identify a new tenant for his property .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
A pile of documents , clippings and photographs fell with him and drifted around him as he writhed on the floor . The ringing stopped , and gave a silent thanks to St Bernadette of Lourdes for the miracle . Then I realised Carradine had knocked the phone off the hook when he fell , and that the receiver was dangling under the desk ‘ Tunney,’ said a female voice , tiny but shouting , ‘ Tunney , pick up the damned phone if you 're there . We need to talk .
Idiom: rock bottom (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I have seen these things happen before.’ Business leaders , building society chiefs and the construction industry are also demanding an interest cut . They say that without the introduction of a full - scale growth incentive public confidence will remain at rock bottom with no increase in spending . Until that comes the housing market will stay stagnant , stopping a boost in confidence and jobs . A spokesman for the Halifax building society said : ‘ We need to break this cycle of depression.’
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
Four - wheel drive Jeep tours take you through the canyons , past Hopi villages , Navajo homes with their hogan shelters and trading posts , and along winding trails . Magpies and bluebirds dart through the ponderosa pines Just before dusk , go to a canyon rim overlook called Donkey Point and cook a steak on the hot rock . At sundown the sky turns a multitude of colours from scarlet through aquamarine to inky black . The experience is quietly sensational .
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: yes)
They 'll probably Oh hey ! Do me a favour ? die listening to her ! I 'm sure we 'd have some fun and get John on it will you ?
Idiom: rise from the ashes (used idiomatically: yes)
No time for respite , as , with the World Cup scarcely out of the way ( ticker - tape celebrations Down Under and all ) , thoughts turn to 1995 ( and , in this issue , South Africa the hosts —'yes ' or ' no ' ! ) and , more immediately , the start of a new International Championship . How fortunate we are — uniquely — to have this hardy annual event reappearing with each New Year . The Five Nations Championship is understandably the envy of the rest of the rugby world and what spice will be added to the coming encounters — notably when England travel once more to Murrayfield on the opening day and return to Paris in February ; when Ireland , so nearly conquerors of champions Australia , run out once more at Lansdowne Road , and Wales begin their brave attempt to rise like some Phoenix from the ashes . The excitement beckons — and I 'll go no further at this stage than to wonder whether the Championship record of exactly 100 years ago might be repeated in 1992 , when England beat Ireland , Wales and Scotland ( just ! ) , Scotland beat Wales and Ireland ( just ! ) and Ireland beat Wales .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
Additionally , new decrees demanded that border guards and soldiers follow the new expulsion orders to the letter .
Idiom: at the end of the day (used idiomatically: no)
And the third year eight perc eight and a half percent of the market we should in fact of two million two er thirty hundred and thirty four erm thousand pounds . Er note we 're flexible in our advertising budgets against make a profit in year three . Erm I personally feel although some members of me team do n't agree er with the with the heavy a advertising expenditure we 've got , we can probably do better than two and a half the first year certainly erm and maybe ten percent of the market in the end of the at the end of the day . Right . Advertising where it goes .
Idiom: against the grain (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet it seems clear that Eisenhower acted only when he was convinced that delay or vacillation might prove even more dangerous . Whether due to Anglo - American action or not , the Middle East became temporarily quieter than for some time . On the other hand British claims that the Americans had come to recognize the folly of their conduct in the Suez crisis depend as usual upon a simplistic interpretation of American policy from 1951 , and ignore the fact that in 1958 the intruding powers were able to work with — not against — the grain of local politics . The British were also made uncomfortably aware of their dependence upon the Americans . Macmillan 's dissatisfaction with the amount and certainty of American support was apparent in his complaint that policy in Washington had been " fitful and uncertain " .
Idiom: below par (used idiomatically: yes)
Malnutrition need not manifest itself in the short term as severe disease . Low - grade malnutrition ( slightly fewer vitamins and minerals than you need ; too much fat and sugar and too little fibre ) can show itself in small , insidious ways . You might feel below par , that ‘ washed - out’ feeling ; your resistance to infection could well be affected ; you will not have the zest for life that you should have . The aim of everyone , irrespective of weight , should be to modify their eating very slightly to maximize health benefits . These modifications need not be huge .
Idiom: pass the buck (used idiomatically: yes)
We can extend the chain to take into account the presence of an observer who " then hears the counter at A(B ) click " . You see what is happening ? The buck of decision is being passed down the chain of consequence . At no stage do we say now this happens ( the counter at A actually clicks ) but always then this happens ( if then the counter at A clicks ) . All that is being asserted is a correlation .
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: yes)
Sally felt like crying again . There must be something wrong with her . They 'd gone all the way and still she did n't feel any of the things one was supposed to feel — elated , contented , together . Now that it was over Edward seemed to have gone a very long way away from her , as if she was no more than a stranger to whom he was giving a lift . For the remainder of the journey she fiddled with her clothes , trying to make sure she would look respectable when she arrived home and arranging the neck of her blouse to cover her throat where she was sure she must have another love bite .