Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
Protect Yourself Young songwriters are often worried about record companies and other artists stealing their songs . The instances of this happening are few and far between . Nevertheless , it makes sense to take a few simple precautions . Always mark your demos clearly with the copyright symbols ( a letter ‘ c’ in a circle ) followed by the year in which the songs were written and the writers ' names .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Anglers like Dave Harrell can not be praised too highly , and yet , because the average standard of anglers has gone up , they can appear to do little different , apart from catch loads more fish . Sure the mechanics are similar , but those tiny little extras mount up to a whole lot more than their actual sum . On the face of it these trivial little improvements , or plus points ahead of the norm look to be insignificant . But compare it to darts . There is only a fraction of an inch difference between hitting the treble twenty consistently and hitting the one , but no - one would deny that the man who hits the treble twenty most often , when he wants to , is the more accomplished player .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: no)
Hewlett - Packard Co reckons an Intel Corp 80486 platform wo n't be enough to run Microsoft Corp Windows NT and , while it 's watching how Pentium develops , is figuring Microsoft is going to need a better RISC processor than it 's currently got . It dismisses MIPS out of hand and writes DEC 's Alpha off as too late . It 's betting neither IBM Corp nor Sun Microsystems Inc will play Bill Gates ' game . That narrows the field and HP does of course have the Hummingbird PA - RISC variant up its sleeve ( UX No 414 ) , but it 's been burned in its dealing with Microsoft before so it 's approaching NT rather gingerly . It wants to see how badly Gates needs RISC and what unknown concessions he 's willing to make before making any commitment .
Idiom: on a shoestring (used idiomatically: yes)
This covers both administration and transfer costs , and is not refundable . Your holiday price includes transfers , accommodation and meals as shown in each hotel description . ON A SHOESTRING Our ' Shoestring ' properties tend to be smaller and less grand than most of the larger resort hotels , and are an excellent choice if you 're looking for a more ' ethnic'type of holiday . The hotels themselves have a basic range of facilities , and the rooms are simply yet adequately furnished .
Idiom: slippery slope (used idiomatically: yes)
Crucial issue in euthanasia debate Dr Callum Henderson ( Points of View , today ) makes a thoughtful and reasoned case against the legalisation of euthanasia by relying on two main arguments , first , the familiar ‘ slippery slope’ argument and second , that life is sacred because it is created by God . The slippery slope argument should never be dismissed as irrelevant ; it would be totally irrational to reach policy decisions without consideration of their likely consequences . On the other hand , once the consequences have been fully assessed , the argument loses its importance . The argument based on the sanctity of life is essentially a matter of religious dogma .
Idiom: to all intents and purposes (used idiomatically: no)
' And shut up . ' ' I am out , ' Stephen said , not moving from his best friend 's own armchair in Dulwich . ' To all intents and purposes . And I 'm effectively shut up because I 've been kicked out of my job and a]so because you do n't seem to have heard a word I 've been saying . ' He tried to leave the chair and go , but did n't badly enough want to , and carried on with a furious daydream of what the trades - union movement might come to represent again in England , although England was only half his country .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
Silence is golden ? Coincident with the attention to reduce noise on the German Speedwing , David Clarke of Windy Kites in the UK had been toying with the concept of a kite with a rigid trailing edge . Choosing to follow the Rogallo principle to the letter , he evolved a near perfect conical camber design with conventional structure of leading edges , cross - spar and spine in carbon tube . The difference came in the trailing edge where 3 mm glass fibre rod was retained in a hemmed sleeve . Shaped as a parallelogram with equal length sides inclined at 60 degrees the sail was pulled into two deep cones by controlling the length of the cross - spar .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
But in any situation there is a limit to the amount of mutual involvement that may be tolerated , and too much mutual looking may arouse anxiety’(Argyle and Kendon 1972:39 ) . When the preacher looks at the ceiling before long his congregation look at their shoes and then their watches ! Yet another element in ‘ paralinguistic phenomena’ is the distance between those engaging in face - to - face interaction . These vary between cultures and in accordance with the nature of the communication in the scale : intimate , casual , social , public or frozen . In the communication process a change of distance can signal change of relationship .
Idiom: on the cards (used idiomatically: yes)
If you use your card as a way to spread payments , of course , low annual percentage rate ( APR ) is more important than a fee . The cheapest is National & Provincial , which will charge 21.6 per cent from the middle of January . The Co-op has a three-level charge on its Robert Owen card but for monthly spending above £300 or repaying by direct debit , the APR is 22.42 . Barclaycard is shortly cutting its APR to 22.9 , First Direct will be 24.3 from January 1 , and the Yorkshire and Lloyds cards are 24.6 . Before you switch to a new card firm , do n't cancel the old one until you have been accepted by the new issuer .
Idiom: up to speed (used idiomatically: no)
Only two hymns seem to have been recorded , presumably because the anonymity of the subject - matter meant no copyright complications . The record was pressed ( in at least two runs of 500 copies each ) by the Columbia company for the Abbey Restoration Fund ( 12 ) . Surviving copies are very faint , distinctly telephonic in quality , and start with an appalling wow because the cutter was engaged before the wax was up to speed ; but an account in the Illustrated London News ( 13 ) shows the disposition of the microphones and the apparatus , which amount to a full recording system in the modern sense . With the benefit of hindsight , we can see that the disappointing results were largely caused by the use of telephone mouthpieces ( in the absence of better microphones ) , and a cutter whose moving parts had too much inertia . It is a clear example of the point that a successful electrical recording system had to be planned with consistent quality and matching equipment from first to last .
Idiom: go to ground (used idiomatically: yes)
His burnt and tortured body was found on a brushy hill near his home in western Kenya . The government refuses to release a Scotland Yard report on the death , and is instead running its own commission of inquiry . The dead man 's brother has gone to ground . Lavish press coverage keeps the issue before the public . The government says it had nothing to do with the case .
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: yes)
' I 've served my purpose , eh ? Too fucking right I have . ' He leaned forward , setting his hands firmly on the edge of the desk , facing the Director . as if sensing what he intended , Spatz drew the file towards him , then handed it to Ellis at his side . ' If you say another word … '
Idiom: cog in the machine (used idiomatically: yes)
Most of the ' congregation'[he said it in such a way that it merited being put in inverted commas]do not know how to behave , when to stand or kneel , how to express their grief . I have to pronounce words of Christian hope when I do not know if there is any hope . ' Even more tragically for the vicar is the fact that for many unchurched families he is simply a cog – in the death machine ; an impersonal professional who has to mumble a few words before the curtains swish and the coffin descends to the fires below . The first concrete experience of the church that many people have in their whole lives is at a funeral . For nominal Christians it is perhaps only the third time they have been at a religious service ; the other two being their baptism and marriage .
Idiom: keep a straight face (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's good . Fine job.’ Klepner kept a straight face , but was overjoyed at the top man 's response . ‘ Thank you , sir.’ Randy Mueller put the first question but , before doing so , added his congratulations to those of the President .
Idiom: off and on (used idiomatically: yes)
It has to be said that when Dustin has co - starred in a movie with as big a star as he — McQueen , Redford , Beatty or Connery — he has come off second best . He works much better when he has plenty of space around him , and when his name is , metaphorically or literally , the only one above the title . Here , Dustin generates a little warmth , but not much passion or conviction , and his celebrated off - and - on smile gives the impression that he is not exactly sure what to do with his mouth . ‘ With it’ as the film pretends to be , it is curiously reactionary . The political references seem no more than accoutrements , just another part of the decor of the period .
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: yes)
Its $ 470~billion public debt is very large relative to the Greek economy ’s size , but less than 1 % of global debt – and less than half is held by private banks ( mainly Greek ) . Barclays Capital estimates that only a few globally significant foreign banks hold close to 10 % of their Tier 1 capital in Greek government bonds , with the majority holding much less . So , at ~ least on paper , Greece should not be a systemically important economy . Yet there are several reasons why the Greek crisis is having substantial spillover effects . Moreover , Greece is not alone in this respect .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
This in my opinion is a poor reward for honest persons like me . AN investigation into bedsits , flats and guest houses in Darlington may be ordered by councillors as part of a crackdown on unscrupulous landlords . The inquiry will take up to three years but councillors are determined to make sure properties come up to scratch . Members of the housing committee are expected to approve the investigation at their meeting on Wednesday . Officers have already drawn up a new code of standards for landlords .
Idiom: take a dim view of (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's the same force , you know.’ It sounded plausible . Loretta 's occasional visits to the Cruise missile base had never involved her in getting arrested , but she was well aware that some police took a dim view of peace protesters . ‘ But what did you tell them?’ she asked , recalling herself to the matter in hand . ‘ Nothing spectacular,’ Bridget said .
Idiom: go from strength to strength (used idiomatically: yes)
Soon he was writing and directing plays for television . In 1963 he turned to the theatre , directing Titus Andronicus and other plays at the Birmigham Rep , and showing himself adept at producing the intimate and affable atmosphere of the small screen on stage . His theatrical reputation went from strength to strength . He proved as capable in modern plays , such as the Scottish Marxist John McGrath 's Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun ( 1966 ) , as in classics like Shaw 's Widowers ' Houses ( 1965 ) . His production of Mrs Warren 's Profession for the National Theatre in 1971 steered cunningly clear of melodrama ; his Much Ado About Nothing for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1971 featured white parasols and sun - dappled lawns that seemed to evoke the world of Turgenev .
Idiom: crocodile tears (used idiomatically: yes)
While in the world as a whole the dispossessed may outnumber the reasonably well - off by some four to one , in the democratic ‘ market economies’ of the capitalist world their minority status assures them lasting subservience to the democratic majority . The ‘ culture of contentment’— Galbraith might equally have used the phrase ‘ culture of complacency’— is the prevailing majority of electors in the US , UK and other advanced economies . They weep crocodile tears for the poor and disadvantaged , but are basically happy with things as they are . In common with the financial markets in which they invest their funds , they are essentially short - term in their outlook , and would rather invest in secure compounds for the rich than extra public spending on the improvement of housing , education and job prospects in the urban ghettos that occasionally trouble them . Galbraith attributes the traditional tolerance of the underclass to the view , now perhaps no longer valid , that what keeps them happy ( or , at least , unrevolutionary ) is the possibility that they may eventually get out .
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
Sorry it 's your sorry it 's your birthday I should n't say anything . It 's alright I know I take the piss out of you every other day of the year but today I will not from now on . You have been . You never take the piss out of me .
Idiom: get to grips with (used idiomatically: yes)
They wash the wind . Just as they clean up all the trash and litter , they also clean up the earth and the sky , transmogrifying cars , turning tools , parts , weapons , bolts into carbon and iron . They 've really got to grips with their environmental problems , facing them squarely , with common purpose . Time for talk is over . There is no talk .
Idiom: get on someone's nerves (used idiomatically: yes)
Erm what was I gon na say ? I thought she 's just the type of person which everybody would avoid to speak to , this girl ! You know , the one that gets on your nerves ! Not very nice ! Well
Idiom: watch this space (used idiomatically: yes)
The Under - Secretary General Madame Therese Sevigny and I will discuss this . It needs investigation but if agreement was reached the campaign could be tried in the UK as a test with space donated by local UK media . ' Watch this space . ' Conquer greed ? Absolutely .
Idiom: fit the bill (used idiomatically: yes)
Somewhere you can rent a villa in a resort , then say goodbye to tourists and go exploring ( forget all small Mediterranean islands ) , staying at interesting , but inexpensive , old hotels ( delete Italy ) . Which leaves France ( lovely , but you 've been so often ) and Portugal . Which fits the bill perfectly . Great swathes of beach along its 520-mile shore ; sunny but breezy weather ; family - oriented resorts and a stunning , untouristy hinterland ; reasonable to bargain - basement prices for excellent meals . Just thinking about it makes you feel the sun on your skin and taste the freshly grilled sardines and the prickly vinho verde .
Idiom: turn someone's head (used idiomatically: yes)
How could I possibly love him ? I 've known the wretched man for less than a week ! He 's just turned my head , that 's all , and I intend to turn it right back again . From now on there 'll be no more going weak at the knees ! She felt a pang of hunger .
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
And EC Commission Ray MacSharry brought the row to boiling point when he resigned his negotiating role yesterday . Mr MacSharry accused Commission president Jacques Delors of sabotaging the talks and fighting solely for French interests . President Delors also came under fire from Tory MPs . Agriculture Minister John Gummer has now taken over the negotiating role . He said : ‘ A trade war would damage Europe , Britain and the world.’
Idiom: champ at the bit (used idiomatically: yes)
One relaxing way to see the countryside is on horseback . An hour 's peaceful plodding , setting out from stables in the village of Horner , is just one of the off-site activities . It was our first time in the saddle and it had daughter , 11 , champing at the bit for more . Two-thirds of Somerwest 's guests go self-catering . But we sampled half-board , and ample portions of breakfast and dinner with individual tables for each family kept up the energy levels .
Idiom: an old flame (used idiomatically: yes)
She 'd hurt his pride … brought about a rift with his family … ' ' Forget the wounded pride . Soon consoled himself with his old flame , did n't he ? And getting the ring back would solve the family problems . ' ' Suppose Angy changed her mind about letting him have the ring ? '
Idiom: cut corners (used idiomatically: no)
Later that night , Jean Robertson , manageress of Brannigan 's pub near Easterhouse , and two male friends were threatened with knives when two men broke into the pub at around 11:45pm and took almost £ 600 . BR cut corners to save money when upgrading fatal junction BRITISH RAIL literally cut corners to save time and money at Newton junction , a fatal accident inquiry in Glasgow heard yesterday . When the track and the signals at the ageing junction were due for renewal , British Rail had chosen the cheapest option to enable InterCity trains to travel faster at the expense of local services , the inquiry into the 1991 disaster which killed four people and injured 22 , was told . Engineers , whose prime objective had been to maximise net revenue , originally had put forward four proposals for the upgrading of the junction , all of which would have made the head - on collision of two trains on a single - track section of line outside the station impossible .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
Liquidated damages are a genuine pre - estimate of the loss resulting from the breach , whereas a penalty , which might be out of all proportion to the loss suffered , will not be enforced by the courts . The stipulation of liquidated damages for breach of a particular term contradicts the possibility of that term being a condition ; therefore , terms backed by liquidated damages will usually not be regarded as conditions , unless the scale of the breach is considerable . In practice , many terms will be innominate terms , in which case it will only be possible to determine whether breach of the term allows a party to repudiate the contract in the light of the actual facts of the breach . Provisions concerning the performance of a computer system , how fast the programs work in practice , the degree of compatibility with other equipment are likely to be innominate terms . Provisions which will probably be conditions from the beginning deal with aspects such as the time for delivery and the description of the actual computer concerned .
Idiom: not all there (used idiomatically: yes)
I do n't bother people and they had best not bother me if they know what 's good for them . I do n't go giving people presents of burning dogs , or frighten the local toddlers with handfuls of maggots and mouthfuls of worms . The people in the town may say ‘ Oh , he 's not all there , you know,’ but that 's just their little joke ( and sometimes , just to rub it in , they do n't point to their heads as they say it ) ; I do n't mind . I 've learned to live with my disability , and learned to live without other people , so it 's no skin off my nose . My father seemed to be trying to hurt me , though ; he would n't say something like that normally .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: no)
‘ In the absence of mothers.’ She knew where she was going , and she wasted no time in getting there . The art shop in Covent Garden was the largest she could think of offhand , and the minute she walked in she knew that she had done the right thing . She would paint Piers Morrison out of her system . She took her time choosing the paints , the pad , the brushes , and then returned to the house in a fever of excitement .
Idiom: turn heads (used idiomatically: yes)
' If you think this constant repetition will force me to confess to something I did n't do , you could n't be more wrong . I 've told you everything I know . ' She deliberately turned her head to gaze out of the window once more . Clive Kemp 's suggestion that she join him on a cruise across the Mediterranean had seemed the perfect antidote to a long hard winter , a series of temping jobs which had been more demanding than usual , and the unpleasantness of her break - up with Giles . The trip had also offered temporary escape from her mother 's pointed reminiscences that when she was Polly 's age she had already been married two years and was preparing for the birth of her first child .
Idiom: crystal clear (used idiomatically: yes)
The waters of the Sol are notoriously cold , and the hardy people that live in that region are used to the mountains and extreme climate . The Upper Reik begins just south of Black Fire Pass where countless mountain streams converge to form what many people take as the beginnings of the mighty river Reik . Its waters are fast and crystal clear . The Upper Reik is joined by the Sol to the south of Nuln and continues northwards until it converges with the blue waters of the Aver to form the Reik at Nuln itself . The river Aver begins as a number of fast mountain streams which flow from the western slopes of the Dwarf fortress of Karak Varn just north of Black Fire Pass .
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
Tony Adams was uncertain at the heart of Arsenal 's defence and those on the periphery of Robson 's thoughts prior to the World Cup , such as Rangers ' Steven and Walters , did themselves no favours . It could have been worse for Rangers . Merson had the opportunity to extend Arsenal 's lead when Gough and Butcher misread one another 's intentions but , in keeping with the general tone , he was well off the mark . The loss of Gough after the interval was another setback for Souness . It is only two weeks since Gough came back from a multiple fracture of the cheekbone .
Idiom: out of sight (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ What about me?’ she asked in a small voice . ‘ We 'll have to ride double . Once I 'm across the drawbridge and out of sight I 'll circle around and pick you up . Thank God there 's no moat,’ he tacked on matter - of - factly . ‘ Although if it 's still raining the ditch wo n't be too comfortable .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
Hurley did not improve on further acquaintance . ‘ You better believe it . Anybody gets out of line , we just run his ass clear off the island . So any problems , you come to me . I 'm your sphincter muscle , okay ?