Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: on the take (used idiomatically: no)
Imagine if he found out that the frock I claimed I 'd bought two years ago in a closing-down sale had , in fact , arrived in my wardrobe a little over two weeks ago , having been purchased from a smart department store ? Or how about if he realised that the real reason I had been looking ‘ better ’ lately had something to do with a £6.99 bargain hair colourant from Clairol ? Worse , probably , would be the shocked reaction of the wider world ( my mother , for instance ) to the news that I was bringing up my children on a combination of take-away junk food and microwave meals . Even the most innocent of statements and receipts — from Safeway , W H Smith or Marks & Spencer , to name a few — have the power to expose your most intimate of secrets , your dress size , your habit of bulk-buying Wispa bars and even your peculiar addiction to Des O'Connor or Barry Manilow records . They might also reveal that you have been in some distant shopping mall far from your usual stomping ground on a day on which you had sworn ( at least to the office ) that you had been laid up with flu .
Idiom: same difference (used idiomatically: yes)
Yeah two yeah . Two thousand or twenty hundred , same difference . Now a hundred times N , what will that give ? A hundred N.
Idiom: leave well alone (used idiomatically: yes)
Side A 's ‘ Bubble’ comes bursting out of a 303 clutching more acid popsicles and there are other seggxy mixes from the likes of Darren Emerson and D - Code . We love Mr Egg , we do . But is n't it funny how people who are now well and truly ‘ progged up’ are willing to accept this sort of thing which a few months ago they 'd have left well alone ? Live dates imminent . JJ : Feel It / You Stole My Heart
Idiom: pull a face (used idiomatically: yes)
The sardonic grin that twisted Nathan 's mouth was tempered by the unexpected sympathy in his eyes . ' Obviously you attended the wedding . ' Startled by his understanding , Polly nodded and pulled a wry face . ' It bore a fair resemblance to the Spanish Inquisition . All the relations fired the same questions at me .
Idiom: hold someone's hand (used idiomatically: no)
When they were within two paces of each ~ other , Marley 's Ghost held up its hand , warning him to come no nearer .
Idiom: in hot water (used idiomatically: yes)
MORE and more areas of BNFL 's THORP plant are coming to shape as contractors and commissioning teams strive towards the February 1993 deadline for all areas to be under the control of the Commissioning Group . BNFL News has again been into the flagship plant to bring you the latest reports . THERE was a testing time in store for members of THORP 's Chemical Separation Process team who found themselves in hot water recently . They were taking part in a crucial first safety commissioning test when hundreds of tons of hot water were pumped through a section of the plant 's miles of piping … and it all passed with flying colours . The tests , conducted under the watchful eye of Nuclear Installations Inspectorate teams , aim to prove the safety of the Highly Active Cycle system , which uses steam ejectors to pump highly active liquor around the plant .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
Given this , it is no longer possible for the rate of interest to ensure equality between planned saving and planned investment and so Say 's Law will no longer hold . ( b ) He argued that , because of monopoly power in both the goods and labour markets , wages and prices will tend to be inflexible , at least in the short - run and particularly in the downward direction . This means that in a situation where saving exceeds investment , so that aggregate demand is less than the total value of production , firms will reduce output and lay off workers . It is in this way that demand - deficient unemployment is created .
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Of course , but I fail to see where this question is leading.’ Whitlock smiled . ‘ Sorry , it 's just my journalistic training getting the better of me . Can we talk about you now?’ ‘ Ask away’ Leitzig replied , folding his hands on the desk .
Idiom: all over the shop (used idiomatically: no)
A truly remarkable family connection of over 70 years . Dai told the story of how one of the visitors , a wealthy industrialist , came into his well stocked shop to use the phone and find out how things had been going at work during his absence . ‘ You 'd have heard him all over the shop,’ he said , ‘ and he came off the phone complaining that he 'd just lost 40,000 . ‘ I asked him was that pounds or dollars and he said dollars , so I said sure that 's not so bad and offered him £ 5 off the price of a new sweater . We all have to make a living.’
Idiom: tell tales (used idiomatically: yes)
As body weight is transferred back to the centre of the machine , lifting the bike still further , the rider heaves himself forward over the front . Today 's 500s wheelie out of most turns and try and lift the front even when the rider still needs the tyre 's grip . He will almost certainly complete the turn hard up against the kerb , front wheel off the ground , still using body weight to steer ( with the front wheel airborne he does n't have a lot of choice ) as the rear tyre continues to lay down its tell - tale streak of hot rubber . Chicanes infest most modern GP tracks and demand a complex cocktail of the above techniques . The purpose of these tight esses is usually to keep speeds at a safe level , invariably at corners made unsafe by the speed of modern bikes .
Idiom: point the finger (used idiomatically: yes)
She passed around the table but slowly , and touched the back of one of the seventeen vacant chairs to steady herself . She had reached the door , was almost through it , when she called wearily , ' Come on , boys . ' Leon Kennedy pointed a questioning finger between himself and Rosen , who was paralysed in a protective lunge between his and Delia Sutherland 's chair . Rosen shook his head , indicating the dogs under the sideboard who were staring after their mistress , equally uncertain . They shifted their gaze to Rosen who grimaced sympathy at them , nodding .
Idiom: steal the show (used idiomatically: yes)
Fortunately , the Huarache has moved to centre stage and is now attracting the support and sales it deserves . The word is that minimalist Huarache technology with the absence of a conventional heel and the neoprene sock , is a path Nike intends to develop in the future . As ever , although one shoe steals the show , there six a healthy supporting cast of new characters in the top selling technical range . Everything still centres on Air Cushioning and is likely to do so in the future . PUMA
Idiom: in the pink (used idiomatically: yes)
For your convalescence.’ Dot did n't know what her convalescence was . ‘ To get you in the pink . For your operation . Like the nice man said .
Idiom: fly the flag (used idiomatically: yes)
But for every two up - and - coming clubs that make the grade , there are always two on the way down . It might still be a little premature to consign famous old clubs Nottingham and Rosslyn Park to relegation , but both have been well beaten by a resurgent Bristol — whose youthful side have been setting a blistering pace at the Memorial Ground so far this season — and their other results indicate that they face an uphill struggle to maintain their First Division status . Elsewhere , Orrell are flying the flag for top flight northern rugby in their own , inimitable style . Rosslyn Park and Saracens have both endured an early season steamrollering from Wigan 's finest . Of the other main contenders , Wasps got the better of Harlequins in their league opener , but neither looks sharp enough to worry Bath this year .
Idiom: on ice (used idiomatically: no)
Great adventure : Robert and Nicky on the North Pole trail . ‘ If you 're going to marry a madman you might as well find out what makes him tick’ Romance blossoms on ice walk to ‘ hell’ . WITH the ice cracking and groaning underfoot and the wind etching their faces , Robert Swan stood at the North Pole and turned to the woman for whom he had just walked to the end of the earth . ‘ Will you marry me?’ he asked Nicky Cole , with breath rasping .
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: no)
Susanna , is there an article that you can dig up where Illona says I 'm good?’ Some of Koons ' colleagues scoff at the Cicciolina affair , dismissing it as yet another publicity ploy , the perfect merger between two media personalities , and a disguise for a small talent . ‘ He has only one thing on his mind — to be famous,’ says one sculptor . ‘ And in a sense he 's become a prisoner to the publicity he 's generated . He 's required to play the part of the clown .
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
The reason is simple , if you have taken the trouble to read it the content is fresh in your mind and so it is easier to find a reply . There are , of course , exceptions to the rule . There are times when an item requires more thought but they should be few and far between . Disposing of letters and memos in a decisive way is a good habit . SECTION II
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: yes)
CAMBRIDGE – Does it make sense for United ~ States Treasury Secretary ~ Hank Paulson to be touring the Middle ~ East supporting the region 's hard dollar exchange - rate pegs , while the Bush administration simultaneously blasts Asian countries for not letting their currencies appreciate faster against the dollar ? Unfortunately , this blatant inconsistency stems from the US 's continuing economic and financial vulnerability rather than reflecting any compelling economic logic . Instead of promoting dollar pegs , as Paulson is , the US should be supporting the International ~ Monetary ~ Fund 's behind - the - scenes efforts to promote de - linking of oil currencies and the dollar . Perhaps the Bush administration worries that if oil countries abandoned the dollar standard , today 's dollar weakness would turn into a rout . But the US should be far more worried about promoting faster adjustment of its still - gaping trade deficit , which in many ways lies at the root of the recent sub - prime mortgage crisis .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: yes)
B. Each town has a few factories , most of which were set up during the last 40 years . To assist them the Government has made the west of the region a Development Area in which special grants are given to industries . Mrs Pearce is a manager in an electronics business , making printed circuits . She considers whether or not to start a small factory in the region . The main disadvantage is normally the cost of transport for bulky raw materials , or fuel or finished goods .
Idiom: under the weather (used idiomatically: no)
Blackmoor 's Paul Tupper — on his way to a superb 66 . Liphook Ladies ' Spring Meeting Liphook Ladies ' captain Dorothy Ling welcomed and congratulated all the players who had competed in the Spring Meeting morning medal and afternoon foursomes under very poor weather conditions . She thanked everyone who had contributed to the success of the day . Morning Medal results :
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
After years of indifference at international level , England have regained their belief and self - respect . Gooch has led the way with monumental batting efforts and a strict diet of training and practice that leaves younger men breathless . Indeed , his work rate is so high that his players are inspired to perform if only so that the old so - and - so does not get the better of them . In the hushed , beaten dressing - room after the World Cup final , there was a united whisper —‘If only we could have done it for Goochie’ . Graham Gooch was born in 1953 at Leytonstone , son of Alf and Rose .
Idiom: run into the sand (used idiomatically: yes)
In Queens of the River Steamship Co. Ltd. v. Conservators of the River Thames , 15 T.L.R. 474 , Phillimore J. founded his decision on the fact that there was no consideration for the payment . Although this stream seems subsequently to have run into the sand , I find the approach attractive : money paid on the footing that there is a legal demand is paid for a reason that does not exist if that demand is a nullity . There is in my view a close analogy to the right to recover money paid under a contract the consideration for which has wholly failed . The other stream , based on compulsion , stems from Morgan v. Palmer , 2 B. & C. 729 and the majority decision in Steele v. Williams .
Idiom: out of pocket (used idiomatically: yes)
Tom got down on his knees in front of everyone in the restaurant , pulled a diamond ring out of his pocket and proposed to Mary , to the applause of all present .
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: yes)
Passengers were ordered off as the double - decker picked up casualties from the Welcome Inn at Eltham , London . I HAD A GOTTLE OF GEER TOO MANY SAYS VENTRILOQUIST Wife lands him in dock GORDON HUGHES VENTRILOQUIST Mike Dennett had a drink too many after he got fed up with listening to his wife Gladys .
Idiom: know the score (used idiomatically: yes)
Well , the most serious one , I suppose , is that there were some people in a car driving down the bottom end of Commerical Street and they had their windows broken by stones thrown by Hereford lads . Often police at the match never really get a chance to see the game . Did Chris Fairburn know the final score ? Yes , I know that Wolverhampton won , but I ca n't tell you the actual score . Police had to abandon a car chase after a serious of blunders .
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Half - past one,’ said Dyson . ‘ I ran out of petrol.’ She ran her hand down over his chest and stomach , and seized him softly and irresistibly by the roots . ‘ No , Jannie,’ he said . ‘ No , really …
Idiom: on the game (used idiomatically: yes)
But Geek er , sorry , Woody , er sorry , Billy , has problems , such as the mob after his butt and a pretty bad temper . What he should do is chill out , get a job and pay off his debts , but he does n't . Gloria ( Perez ) , his girlfriend , wins a lot of money on a gameshow she 's spent her whole life practising for , but Billy bets it all on a basketball game . Will he win ? And if he does , will she still be there to celebrate ?
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
Maybe there was a draught from the window they smashed at the back of the house . The rooms are a mess — drawers out , contents on the floor . Squab cushions on the carpet . Lids unscrewed from jars , boxes opened , books thrown off the shelves . Not too much damage .
Idiom: chew the cud (used idiomatically: yes)
A dog never learns to go ‘ Woof’ , or a cow to go ‘ Moo’ . They do so automatically even if raised on a bottle , by humans . It is as much a pattern of their inner being as is tail - wagging or chewing the cud . But whether man 's inward mind patterning , which provides him with the capacity for verbal language , is underlain by a subtle and universal language of meaning to which we all relate when using verbal language , is an interesting possibility I discussed in The Web of Life . Certainly , there is a basic mind structure in humans which we all recognize in each other while noting the absence of its full expression in other creatures .
Idiom: set eyes on (used idiomatically: yes)
He finds that the feast of the Ascension is about to be celebrated , and he hears Professors Hanky and Panky say to each ~ other that they never set eyes on the man Higgs , and they hope they never will ; but they are the High Priests of the religion of the Sun ~ Child .
Idiom: make tracks (used idiomatically: no)
The video programme is titled Project Video and will be distributed on cassette to secondary schools worldwide for use in teaching English as a foreign language . Project Video is provisionally scheduled for publication in September 1989 and we anticipate sales over the first three years to be in the region of 2,000 cassettes . We would like to make use of the tracks during a sequence in the programme where music is heard coming from a car radio . We would anticipate using between 30 and 60 seconds of each song . If we are able to make use of the track in the way specified I would be extremely grateful if you could let me know what the cost will be .
Idiom: breathe down someone's neck (used idiomatically: yes)
Go and telephone Sir Bryan and tell him that I 'll have his clubs back to him by midday.’ What he really wanted was to get rid of Bagshot . It was harder to think clearly with someone breathing down his neck . When the man had gone he closed the door . He was alone now in the baggage - room , surrounded by parcels , cast - off electric fires and typewriters , a step - ladder , two suitcases , a coat - rack on wheels , even several cases of wine .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
The Conservative Conference : Tories closer to standing in Ulster By STEPHEN GOODWIN THE RULING body of the Conservative Party yesterday gave way to rank - and - file pressure and moved a step nearer to sanctioning official party candidates in Northern Ireland . At the close of unusually emotional debate , Sir Peter Lane , chairman of the National Union Executive Committee , agreed to recommend affiliation to the party of a model Conservative association set up in North Down . Last November the executive committee turned down North Down 's application .
Idiom: get the better of (used idiomatically: yes)
She knew for sure that one contained the means to finding the Grimoire . The contents of the other was a mystery . ‘ Open them , Donna,’ said Julie , her impatience getting the better of her . Donna looked at her sister reproachfully . ‘ Give me time,’ she said quietly .
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: yes)
Microsoft to dominate the desktop It sees the combination of AT&T software and NCR hardware being particularly successful , while in the battle between Microsoft and Novell it expects ‘ Microsoft to dominate the desktop and possibly provide Novell with competition on the server.’ The Butler Bloor missive identifies a number of key trends that will , in its opinion , result in a dramatic increase in networking activity across the board . Although data and voice transmission lines are moving gradually towards the 144Kbits per second Integrated Services Digital Networks specification , the report believes that ISDN has not been as successful as many pundits believed it would be . In fact ‘ it has been short of traffic.’
Idiom: round the clock (used idiomatically: yes)
Mentally disordered people are still subject to grossly inhuman , degrading or cruel practices , and serious problems have surfaced in large NHS mental hospitals , local authority - run residential homes , small , privately owned hostels and homes and units run by large profit - making corporations . No sector is immune from the problem although , fortunately , the reported scandals do appear to be relatively rare worst cases and are not the tip of some horrendous iceberg . Nevertheless , developing and maintaining standards of high quality practice in mental health services , especially those providing ‘ round the clock’ care in hospitals and residential homes , is an uphill struggle and people who depend on others to provide the basic necessities of life for most of their lives are necessarily vulnerable as they are not in a position to complain effectively , ‘ vote with their feet’or refuse to be consumers of a bad service . Dr Douglas Bennett , a psychiatrist renowned for his commitment to rehabilitation services , remarked that ‘ dust will settle’ in facilities for continuing care unless there is constant vigilance to maintain standards , and I have seen residential homes , established on the surest clinical foundations with excellent staff , deteriorate within a couple of years to become merely average . It is possible to identify the characteristics of organizations and institutions where scandals arise .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
Campaigners fighting the cross town route have argued the junction could be altered to remove the need for the new road . The cross - town route proposed by Durham County Council would link the A66 from Teesside with the A1(M ) , via a new road through Darlington coming out on the A68 past Faverdale on the edge of the town . But protestors who say they are prepared to defy the bulldozers argue that traffic from Teesside could use the existing southern A66 by - pass round Darlington to Blands Corner on the edge of the town then head for the A1(M ) . At the moment traffic using the A66 interchange can only get onto the southbound lane but protestors argue that a northbound carriageway would remove the need for a cross - town route . Yesterday Darlington Environmental Watch spokeswoman Maggie Bosanquet said she was delighted by the news from the DoT.
Idiom: turn heads (used idiomatically: yes)
In fact James Morris looked very different from the last time he had seen him , two years previously . ' Good flight ? ' Stephen asked pleasantly , turning his head slightly to smile at Elaine , who was standing awkwardly next to her husband , gripping a scuffed vanity case . ' As good as could be expected . Too long , too cramped , but we 're here safe and sound , that 's the main thing . '
Idiom: drink like a fish (used idiomatically: yes)
But since then , she 's leapt to all the wrong conclusions . Was he the drinking kind ? Well , my flatmate Cherry drinks like a fish , but then , so do I. Maybe he was the type to go to clubs , then . Again , yes , but not the sort of clubs that she had in mind .
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: no)
But as far as the Birmingham 18-year - old was concerned , securing his place in Britain 's European championship squad was more important either than the record or his victory in the Mycil ASA national championship final . ' I 'm just delighted to make the team . The record is a bit of a bonus , ' said Ruckwood , whose time of two minutes 01.90 seconds cut 0.68 of a second off Matthew O'Connor 's mark . Mike Fibbins , who like Ruckwood was unable to produce his best at the Barcelona Olympics , also bounced back with victory in the 50 metres freestyle . Father and son team up to take on top - dogs Quay
Idiom: go all the way (used idiomatically: no)
Can anybody tell me how long it will be until A is on this side and is on that side ? No . It will be exactly the same place , it will have gone all the way round , right ? Lewis . It will be twelve hours .
Idiom: rock the boat (used idiomatically: yes)
Ron Todd , Transport and General Workers ' Union general secretary , was applauded as he reaffirmed his union 's commitment to unilateralism . ‘ I am convinced that we need to push the British disarmament boat out from the shore . Once it 's properly launched , where everyone can see it , you wo n't have to worry too much about rocking the boat,’ he said . Labour should ‘ face the challenge’— the slogan of the policy review — by carrying out a full - scale programme to implement nuclear disarmament , he told the conference . ‘ Labour needs to walk tall in a world of challenges .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
Although clearly no pauper , and equally obviously ‘ a great ambassador for the game’ as everyone stresses , Bobby Charlton remains mysteriously unclaimed by commerce and untouched by the dead hand of blandness . The force field around him is filled , not with the echoes of computer keys tapping and the fall - out from easy patter , but with the flickering after - images that are the legacy of a living icon and a once - great player . ‘ A shot from Charlton , especially if hit on the run from outside the penalty area , is one of the great events of the sport , not because it is rare , which it is not , but because the power of it is massive and it erupts out of elegance,’ Arthur Hopcraft , who followed Charlton 's career from shy schoolboy to elder statesman , wrote in his classic account of the English game , The Football Man . ‘ He is never clumsy or desperate in movement , he can rise very close to the athletic ideal … He is the player we bring to mind first when we ask ourselves what football looks like when we enjoy it most.’