Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: no)
Yesterday the president met congressmen during the day before making an evening television address to the nation to start selling his economic plan two days in advance . ‘ We 're trying to change a direction of 12 years , take a new course’ from the Reagan - Bush era , he told reporters before meeting Democratic congressmen . ‘ I 'm going to offer a programme that 's going to create half a million or more jobs in the short run , that is highly progressive , that is very well balanced , that is faithful to the great middle class of this country and good for the things that we care about , jobs and health care,’ he said of his economic plan . ‘ And I think it 's going to be very important that I sell it to the Congress and the American people , and that we have a partnership here.’ The White House spokeswoman , Dee Dee Myers , said Mr Clinton would ‘ make one of the most important economic statements this country has seen in a decade’ in his speech to Congress .
Idiom: give something a miss (used idiomatically: yes)
As it is now it 's bloody awful . Have you had some cake ? Er no I 'll give it a miss right now thankyou . I 'm a bit full from my sandwich . No I I 'll enjoy it more
Idiom: turn tail (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Very well , I 'm listening.’ Ferd sucked in a deep breath . ‘ First thing : you ca n't just haul off and smack a dog in the snout and expect him to turn tail and run away.’ ‘ No?’ wondered Anabelle . ‘ No .
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
' You were a blessing , you know that . It 's been the best ten years St Mary 's ever had … you being here . ' Mother Francis stood at a window and watched little Eve go down the long avenue of the convent out to Sunday lunch on her own with the Hogans . She prayed that they would be kind to her , and that Benny would n't change and find a new friend . She remembered the fights she had had to keep Eve in the first place , when so many other solutions were being offered .
Idiom: break someone's heart (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Her illness has been a terrible blow to her , I know , but … ’ ‘ It was n't her illness I was referring to , David . That in itself is traumatic enough but —’ she swallowed ‘ — it was losing you that really broke her heart . Just think how she 's going to feel now when she knows that her own sister is having a relationship with the man who left her.’ In the silence that followed she gradually became aware of David 's stillness ; so aware that in the end she was forced to twist her head so that she could see his face .
Idiom: go it alone (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ But I want to make it clear to both of you — as I shall to Mrs Abberley — that any further information you come across touching on this case should be communicated to us immediately . We sha n't be so tolerant if this happens again . There must be no more going it alone.’ ‘ I 'm sure —’ Derek began , only to be cut short by Charlotte . ‘ There wo n't be , Chief Inspector.’
Idiom: with a view to (used idiomatically: yes)
THE Coopers and Lybrand report on how Ferranti came to be defrauded of £ 215 m after buying American arms firm International Signal and Control is expected to be handed to the Serious Fraud Office within days . A board meeting of Ferranti was called to consider the report yesterday . The SFO is expected to take a number of weeks to decide on whether to mount further investigations with a view to taking action against individuals and organisations . Ferranti said the Coopers report confirmed what its own directors and accountants had already established — namely that ‘ phantom’ assets and profits had been created in ISC 's accounts worth some £ 215 m . The group has said the write - off against its reserves after tax relief will have to be £ 185 m .
Idiom: go begging (used idiomatically: yes)
Torn between passion and prudence , he falls in love with a spiteful little blonde , and , even as he is being taught in class how to recognise a typical Jew by his grotesque hooked nose , he is personally being held up as an example of the ideologically acceptable East Baltic race . This is mind - boggling black - comic stuff , but Holland , perhaps overwhelmed by the weight of the Holocaust taking place just out of frame , seems to sit back and let it happen . Consequently , the result is a dull plod , a sort of po - faced mini - series in which a whole bunch of set - pieces go begging for some cinematic tricks to give them a proper build - up and punchline . While Solomon is posing as a German soldier , for example , he makes a botched attempt to surrender to the Russians that results in his inadvertently capturing their position — but the irony is passed over in so offhand a fashion that one barely notices it . Arthur Penn made a remarkable tall story out of a similar theme in Little Big Man , a sympathetic account of American - Indian life filmed 20 years before Dances With Wolves .
Idiom: one of those days (used idiomatically: yes)
People can not be photographed well at a quarter of a second … The problem can only be solved with patience , and with the realisation that , much as one is posed with the right pressure on the cable release , one may not actually get a shot because of the steady stream of people making their way ( quite properly ) to a performance in the hall itself . I did not have the time for this myself , but clearly , a solution is to lie in wait for this photograph on one of those days when the time of performance does not coincide with the time of sunset ! SEE HERE Photography 's comprehensive guide of what to see at your local gallery
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
Science policy The Advisory Board for the Research Councils ( ABRC ) has for some time been worried that British spending on civil science , especially within the higher education sector , may not be adequate to enable the country to remain internationally competitive . This project aims to provide solid evidence as to whether Britain is indeed out of line with other advanced industrial societies by comparing its pattern of spending on academic and academically related research with that of France , Japan , the Netherlands , West Germany and the United States . Data are collected for nine major fields of research ( eg engineering and social sciences ) , broken down into 46 sub - fields ( eg chemical engineering and sociology ) . As well as comparing overall spending , figures are being prepared on both general funds for academic research ( UGC - type finance ) and separately budgeted research ( equivalent to that funded by the Research Councils ) .
Idiom: in the pink (used idiomatically: yes)
' I suppose that makes it worse . ' ' If true , ' she said . ' There 's a young fool down there in pink , shrieking like a banshee and windmilling away . That 's what headed Charley back to earth . ' He nodded sourly .
Idiom: walk all over (used idiomatically: yes)
His cheeks burned as he remembered the older man 's words . ‘ Look son , you 'll have to act a bit more positively . Be a bit firmer with the neds or they 'll walk all over you . Dobson and his mob just laughed you off the street tonight and we ca n't afford that.’ It was true of course .
Idiom: in the driving seat (used idiomatically: no)
Certainly the minimum of one - and - a - half days per month envisaged by the Home Office as being all that will be required , it seems to me to be very wide of the mark . I agree with the Lord of Aberdale that it is vital for the elected representatives on the police authority to be clearly seen to be in the driving seat of the committee . It is a view I believe which is held by everyone connected with policing at local level and additionally , the continuation of the tripartite system with its essential checks and balances on the activities of the three parties involved and My Lords that is the real importance and value of the tripartite system that depends on the local authorities being seen to be in the driving seat . I therefore support Amendment Numbers Five , Eight and Eleven moved by Lord MacIntosh of Haringey . Hear !
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
Jo , Jo , you want to speak to Jo . Hello , may I speak to Jo please . Mary , you must try and transfer it , do n't you , because you ca n't see that Jo 's handset 's off the hook , we 'll assume that we know that , okay , we 'll cheat , we 'll try and call park it . Would you mind just holding on please ? Yes , thank you .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
Democratic politicians everywhere vie for the support of ethnic lobbies . To gain the Cuban vote in Florida , American politicians are tough on Fidel ~ Castro ; to secure Jewish votes in New ~ York , they are soft on Israel . At the same time as they play this game , US policymakers ( both Democrats and Republicans ) demand that Vojislav ~ Kostunica , President of Yugoslavia , cooperate with the Hague Tribunal unconditionally . Kostunica , however , is a sensible politician . He knows that , although the Serbian lobby is weak in the US , it is all � powerful in Serbia .
Idiom: cost the earth (used idiomatically: yes)
The outside is the estate agents and I 've never known anybody give that up . No . Cost cost the earth . Okay that 's for you to take away . As all this is .
Idiom: bell the cat (used idiomatically: no)
The outings are grouped under such unusual headings as ‘ Folklore and Legend ’ , ‘ Monarchs of all they Surveyed ’ , ‘ Monumental Viewpoints ’ and ‘ Literary Landscapes ’ . Not surprisingly the choice of ‘ Great Views ’ is a very personal one and many favourites are missing , including my own cherished ones of the Cuillins from Elgol or the summit of Sgurr na Stri at the entrance to Loch Coruisk , or Rannoch Moor seen from Buachaille Etive Mor at the head of Glen Coe . In fact only a few of Scotland 's great views are included but many well known ones elsewhere are covered such as Cat Bells and Snowdon , plus a few less familiar ones such as Mow Cop on the edge of the Cheshire Hills and Bennachie in Aberdeenshire . The various viewpoints and their approach walks are entertainingly described in the author 's competent , easy to read style and contain anecdotes , useful information about the legends , history and geology of the area along with other fascinating disclosures . The lengths of the outings varies from a gentle stroll to long mountain days , details of which are shown on maps in the now familiar pen and ink style of Mark Richards .
Idiom: fall into place (used idiomatically: yes)
Classy in fact ! This kit has a classy FEEL to it . Looks like everything is falling into place … From : Date : Thu , 29 Jul 93 11:52 GMT
Idiom: up to here (used idiomatically: yes)
I say : " Everybody likes me ! Everybody LIKES me ! I 'm fed up to here with being liked and admired and called a proper bloody goldmine and the next Barbra Streisand . I want to look like a racehorse and have long hair and Jim , that 's what I want . What use is being liked , for heaven 's sake ? "
Idiom: on board (used idiomatically: yes)
True records of the dolphin kills by this sector of the industry can therefore only be estimated , and are likely to be very conservative . Official figures do not usually include animals that escape or are released from the nets but have nevertheless been mortally wounded . Until very recently , observers were rarely on board to verify officially reported figures , and even if they were , attempts were often made to stop them witnessing the dolphin catch . Nor do the figures take into account the effect of the repeated chase and capture of dolphins during a fishing season . Dolphin kills were suspected from the time the practice of fishing on dolphins began in 1959 , but a secretive tuna industry for many years resisted all attempts to have observers placed on their boats , no doubt fearful of the outrage that would result if the truth were made public .
Idiom: out of sorts (used idiomatically: yes)
Some people prefer not to talk or to think about their tinnitus as they find that the more they concentrate on it the worse it becomes . There are many different causes of tinnitus and one 's own tolerance can vary . It is easier to cope with any difficulty when feeling well and alert , less easy when worried , tired , ‘ out of sorts’ . There are many excellent books available on tinnitus . It is helpful to realize that tinnitus is now widely recognized ; courses are run for professional people who meet tinnitus sufferers ; there is much research which is continuing .
Idiom: neck and neck (used idiomatically: yes)
Food and Drink : Leaves full of tasty ideas By SIMONE SEKERS ANEW crop of cookery books is springing up with all the vigour of hardy perennials ; neck - and - neck with growth in the garden is the arrival of publications on my doorstep , some fresh and new , some welcome revivals . One of the latter is a book that has become a favourite in the two years since it first appeared in hardback form . Now out in paperback is Joyce Molyneux 's The Carved Angel Cookery Book ( Grafton , £ 6.99 ) , full of recipes that range from the frankly rib - sticking to the fashionably rib - revealing , from pheasant with pig 's trotters to courgette terrine , and with a whole , wonderful chapter on offal .
Idiom: open someone's eyes (used idiomatically: yes)
I jumped . I 'd almost fallen asleep while Uncle Hamish had been droning on . I opened my eyes . The Tree was looking expectantly at me . ‘ Oh,’ I said .
Idiom: steer clear of (used idiomatically: yes)
Keeping up the pricing pressure , Dell Computer Corp yesterday cut prices by $ 50 to $ 300 on six of its Dimension systems : the cuts affect three mid - size desktops and three floor - standing systems , and move than 60 Dimension configurations . DEC NOTICEABLE IN THEIR ABSENCE Digital Equipment Corp was the most obvious absentee from the Common Open Software Environment jamboree last week ( CI No 2,130 ) : was it , as some have said , that DEC was steering clear of anything that might damage Microsoft 's Windows NT?— apparently not — DEC says it was simply that no one invited to join until the day before the launch . MEYERSON MAY ALSO HAVE RULED HIMSELF OUT Morton Meyerson , head of Perot Systems Corp , appears to have ruled himself out of the vacant post atop IBM Corp according to the New York Times : it reckons that RJR Nabisco Inc chief Louis Gerstner , who does not have a computer industry background , is now the only front - runner not to have ruled himself out .
Idiom: under the sun (used idiomatically: yes)
Closed it after him and pushed the bolt . CAT AND MOUSE On the sheep - cropped summit , under hot sun , The mouse crouched , staring out the chance It dared not take ,
Idiom: in the can (used idiomatically: yes)
A technique used for revealing flaws in metal casings is often helpful in such cases . It relies on the preferential absorption on to clay minerals of an ultra - violet sensitive dye . There are three reagents , conveniently supplied in aerosol cans . A pre - smoothed face is gently etched with 5 % hydrochloric acid . Zyglo ® Penetrant is sprayed on the surface until completely wet , and allowed to soak in for at least 10 minutes .
Idiom: go it alone (used idiomatically: no)
The classical piece Cale always claimed was in him never emerged , mainly because the showman in him would n't let it go : ' there was just so much chaos going on , in my personal and creative life , that I could n't finish … As the shows progressed , it got more outlandish . ' What frustrated his old fans was that when he went it more or less alone , as on 1982 's masterfully stark and turbulent Music For A New Society , Cale produced what he also regards as his best album , ' because all the old pain was right there . ' The four year hiatus has been a good old - fashioned period of reappraisal ; he 's learnt to become a good father , he says , while the composing has flourished . His ballet music Sanctus and Carnival and self - explanatory Four Sketches For String Quartet have been performed , he supervised the film soundtrack for Jonathan Demme 's Something Wild , and a Canadian documentary on the Falklands has already used Cale 's score .
Idiom: play into someone's hands (used idiomatically: yes)
She blinked , pulling her mind back to the present . She hoped that he would n't suggest coming up for a coffee ; she did n't think she could rise to a social occasion at this particular moment , so she was thankful to accept her car keys , bid him a hurried , ' Safe journey , ' and close the door again . Fate , it seemed , had played right into Luke 's hands , confirming his suspicions about her with illuminating certainty and damning her as a liar . But there was nothing she could do about it , short of giving him an explanation for the presence of Richard 's car outside her flat . And why should she make a production of it ?
Idiom: on the take (used idiomatically: no)
Having shown how the advent to monogamy leads to the subjugation of women , Engels follows their increasing humiliation either as prisoners , as in ancient Athens , or as prostitutes . Prostitutes became necessary as a result of monogamy since , as we noted , monogamy both forbids sexual freedom in wives and encourages it in husbands . Monogamy also leads to marriages being part of property deals among the ruling classes since marriage becomes part of the process of securing heirs to private property , and once marriage is seen as a matter of passing on property , it rapidly takes on that form exclusively among the propertied classes . Among them , argues Engels , women 's wishes and happiness become subjugated to the needs of maintaining the ownership of the means of production within the dominant class . In these ruling classes the destiny of women is thus supremely unhappy .
Idiom: go up in smoke (used idiomatically: yes)
Alan Shearer had put Southampton ahead after 28 minutes , only for Bolton to level through Andy Walker . SUNDERLAND produced a magnificent away performance to knock First Division West Ham out of the FA Cup last night and secure a money - spinning quarter - final tie . But there was only misery for Middlesbrough as their treble hopes went up in smoke with a 4–2 defeat at home to Portsmouth in their replay . The Rokermen go through to the quarter - final for the first time since 1976 and a delighted caretaker manager Malcolm Crosby said : ‘ I am proud of the players . ‘ It is not easy to give a two - goal lead away to a First Division side and then show the character to come back and win the game .
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
At the same time , the hotel staff could also provide services on behalf of the maintenance company . They could deal with the cleaning and laundry , for instance , and handle bookings , as well as general maintenance . In the long term , some of the earlier buyers will want to sell their timeshares , and the management company may undertake to do this for them on an agency basis , thus earning additional commission . This is not likely to be a significant item for the first five years or so , and we would of course have to give priority to selling our own unsold units first . 6 .
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: no)
Coming one after the other , these inflated scandals have , at ~ least for now , dealt a massive blow to the credibility of the evidence that underpins the battle against global ~ warming . But how justified are these attacks , particularly the attacks on the Intergovernmental ~ Panel ~ on ~ Climate ~ Change , the United ~ Nations body that has set the gold standard for analyzing global climate ~ change ? One tell - tale sign is the climate skeptics ’ contempt for the actual data in the Indian government ’s study , which is being used to undermine the IPCC report and the impeccable credentials of the scientist Syed ~ Iqbal ~ Hasnain , the source of the IPCC ’s alarming quote on the Himalayas . There is also the unholy glee with which they have set about destroying an icon of the anti - global ~ warming movement , the Nobel Laureate R.K ~ Pachauri , by attributing financial motives to his research . Hasnain , who is currently conducting a study of the accumulation of black carbon on snow at high altitudes in the Himalayas , is not some egotistical scientist seeking the limelight .
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: no)
The European Commission has approved plans for a " radical change " in the EC 's environment policies . Carlo Ripa di Meana , the EC environment commissioner , promised that the Commission would consult industry and consumers on its anti - pollution plans to a greater extent . Presenting the EC 's fifth environmental programme , setting general policy goals up to the year 2000 , Ripa di Meana conceded that the Commission had been criticised in the past for " handing down bans from on high " . He proposed a " general consultative forum " on which the Commission would systematically seek the views of all interest groups before finalising its proposals . The Commissioner said that he detected signs of a " more responsible " attitude by industry to the environment .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
( A further discussion of the possible efficiency gains from privatisation follows later in the chapter . ) The problems faced when assessing the performance of a nationalised industry are even more serious . When established during the 1940s , nationalised industries were instructed to operate in the ‘ public interest’ and to break even over a period of years . It is , of course , possible for a monopoly , to break even at a whole series of different outcomes , at different pricing , output , employment and investment levels . When taken with the latitude allowed by the instruction to ‘ operate in the public interest’ , it is easy to see that , with such imprecise targets , it was bound to be extremely difficult to assess the performance of nationalised industries .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
Crosby said : ‘ If I worry about what 's happening up the road , I 'll lose track of what we are doing here . ‘ We are not doing that badly.’ SWOOP : IAN CROOK fits the bill at Roker Park STAND BY YOUR LAMB NOW LET 'S HEAR IT FOR HIM AT LORD 'S TODAY
Idiom: run the gauntlet (used idiomatically: yes)
Still , the activity all around him was reassuring , for every yard was another step nearer a payment to him . For Nora , whose daily landscape was that endless to and fro of paper , there could be no such comfort . The office servants were cheerful , knowing they were in a thriving company at a time when others were tottering ; she had to run an endless gauntlet of their cheer . She had to endure the congratulations of Jackson on the steady increase in the firm 's wealth . And all the time she knew it in no way matched the reckoning , whose day could not much longer be postponed .
Idiom: take the plunge (used idiomatically: yes)
It is , of course , very different in the winter , and in high summer your peace may be shattered when the tourist season gets under way . It all needs careful consideration . But for those who take the plunge there is plenty to keep them amused , particularly if they play bowls or golf . Bowls clubs abound , and for the golfer there is a good selection of courses , ranging from parkland courses inland to some truly great links , particularly along the northern coast . At Kingsley Park , opposite the Royal North Devon golf club , what was once a leisure complex with holiday bungalows and apartments has now become a development of retirement and second homes .