Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: make a meal of (used idiomatically: yes)
That night the little creature did not stop crying and its pitiful little squeak tore at Aggie 's heartstrings . She took the kitten in its little cardboard box to the bedroom and was constantly getting up all night , peering at the tiny bundle of black fur . Harold was becoming more and more irritable with his wife 's bouncing in and out of bed and he declared that if the mice saw the kitten they might well decide to make a meal of it . Aggie persevered with the kitten and when it was time to get it neutered she went along to the local vet , who informed her that the tomcat was in fact a ‘ she’ . Aggie was mortified .
Idiom: kick over the traces (used idiomatically: yes)
Dysart shook his head . ‘ He 's always struck me as something of a misogynist . But perhaps even misogynists can kick over the traces . That steely Irish charm of his would appeal to some women , I do n't doubt . Perhaps Clare was one of them .
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
3 . REFORM OF TAXATION & BENEFITS SYSTEMS In the long run we aim to introduce a Citizen 's income , a payment to every individual , irrespective of sex , marital status , income of employment status . This is for the future but we propose to move quickly to integrate income tax and National Insurance into Broad Income Tax : treat all savings equally with regard to tax liability ; pay all pensioners a decent level of pension adequate for subsistence , restoring the link between pensions and earnings ; increasing child benefit and indexing it in future years . See the next FOCUS for other policy proposals — and if you would like more detailed information about the above we can lend you the documents .
Idiom: on the dot (used idiomatically: no)
‘ I 'll ring you in the morning . I 've got some work to do , unfortunately , so it wo n't be till eleven . Eleven fifteen on the dot , wait for it to pick the phone up . I 'll say I 'm from the garage if someone else does , about the service . I 'll give you the directions , we 'll get there separately .
Idiom: cut and thrust (used idiomatically: yes)
The public have had some sideways glances at them — they now deserve to see the full picture . Satellite Insurance THE US 's space shuttle is getting preferential treatment in the cut - and - thrust world of satellite insurance . Underwriters in the insurance markets in London and New York are making no bones about being more willing to insure craft launched with the American orbiter than with Europe 's Ariane rocket , which has suffered a number of teething problems . The cost of building and launching a satellite can run to around $ 100 million .
Idiom: make a move (used idiomatically: yes)
Besides , Adam had said it was a long detour to get back on to the main road , if this lane was cut off . Lifting her head , she gazed around bleakly , and sighed . No wonder Rouke had made no move to stop her . He must have known all along that she would run into this set - back . Drumming her fingers on the wheel , she contemplated her options .
Idiom: put a foot wrong (used idiomatically: yes)
Such is Ireland 's thrust for self - respect that , after the match , the Irish dressing room was buzzing as if there was some confusion about the outcome . It is quite clear that the hard work put into it by coach Gerry Murphy is beginning to pay off . The back division have badly under - performed while the forwards have hardly put a foot wrong , with debutant No 8 , Michael Galwey , outstanding . The Irish Lions selector , Ken Reid , who arrived yesterday in Edinburgh for a selectors meeting , must have been in a reasonably good frame of mind after Saturday 's contest . Galwey and Popplewell , and to an extent O'Hara and the much - maligned Francis , produced outstanding performances which , if repeated against Wales and England , could secure them tickets for the trip to New Zealand .
Idiom: lose face (used idiomatically: no)
According to Lucy : ‘ It 's a fing like , I 'd be talking to Carol , right , and she 's with Ann … ’ And Carol and Ann are white and all it needs is for one of them to lead the other , censoring friendship , arousing hostility . Thus the other follows because she does not want to lose face with her white friend . Allegiances are formed according to colour and group censorship demands conformity as ritualized insults fly : Lucy:(At school ) there used to be a group of white girls and a group of black girls , right and y'know , they start … once they 're on their own they 're alright but once they 're with their people they get a bit lippy so they start callin ' me black bastard —‘Look at you you mother fucker’— an ' all that fing .
Idiom: all the rage (used idiomatically: yes)
' She gets them made in a factory in Hong Kong . I knew she should n't have told him . All the rage , she says , selling like hot cakes . Stockings and suspender belts , nostalgia and sex appeal , she says , you ca n't beat it . The madam .
Idiom: behind bars (used idiomatically: yes)
His arm was still round her , as Pepe called , ' Hola , muchachos ! ' from behind the bar . ' Hola , Pepe . ' Miguel led Shelley behind the bar and behind the beaded curtain into the private section of Pepe 's . She said , ' You 're meeting Miguelito ! ' accusingly . ' You do n't mind , do you ?
Idiom: touch a nerve (used idiomatically: yes)
Women were in the audience when T. H. Huxley and Bishop Wilberforce had their encounter at Oxford in 1860 . One fainted , according to some reports , and had to be carried out — so tremendous had been the spectacle of a man of God slain by a man of science . The bishop had asked whether Huxley would prefer to think of himself descended from an ape on his grandfather 's or his grandmother 's side , thereby touching the sensitive nerve of female ancestry . Huxley 's retort that he would rather have an ape for an ancestor than a bishop — or words to that effect — has come to symbolize not merely the conflict between Darwinism and the Bible but the victory of science over religion . ' The Lord hath delivered him into mine hands ' was a phrase that came into Huxley 's mind , as he reminisced about the incident later .
Idiom: see the light of day (used idiomatically: yes)
Anecdotal evidence of publication bias has existed for a long time . But , as requirements for registering clinical trials have become more stringent , its magnitude has become quantifiable : the results of at ~ least half of the clinical trials involving patients and healthy volunteers remain unpublished years after completion . Studies with " negative " results are particularly unlikely to see the light of day . But neglecting to report research can lead to distorted clinical - practice recommendations , suffering , and death . For example , anti - arrhythmic drugs were prescribed widely – with the United ~ States Food and Drug ~ Administration 's approval – to heart - attack victims for more than a decade , under the assumption that reducing heart - rhythm abnormalities would decrease mortality rates .
Idiom: tried and true (used idiomatically: yes)
All or some of the following might apply to you : You are cautious / play it safe / hold back / don't experiment for fear of making a mistake / failing / looking stupid . You stick to the tried and true , never going at risk and trying something new / different . You resist change ( ie travel the same way to work , read the same newspaper , wear the same sort of clothes , have fixed routines / habits , stick to familiar foods , stick to the same circle of friends ) . You ca n't be spontaneous or produce off - the - top - of - the - head ideas .
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
All our sympathy goes to his wife , and family . Pensioners ' Outing THE weather forecast was to say the least somewhat forbidding — gale force winds and blustery showers . Undeterred by this , pensioners from Louth , Grimsby and Gainsborough maltings , along with their spouses , set forth on their annual outing . A picturesque spot with well laid out gardens and leisure centre .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
During a visit to Taiwan in mid - November — to open a £ 150 m terephthalic acid plant — Sir Denys claimed that the merger was still on course , but in recent weeks doubt has been cast on whether the demerger will go ahead , at least in the immediate future . Last year , the businesses earmarked for ICI Bio accounted for only 34 % of group turnover , but generated 69 % of trading profits ; pharmaceuticals alone were responsible for 12 % of sales and 52 % of trading profit . In the third quarter of this year , pharmaceuticals profits fell slightly , specialities broke even and agrochemicals and seeds made a loss ; of the rump ICI activities , industrial chemicals and materials made losses , and profits generated by paints and explosives were down . If current market conditions persist , the ‘ rump’ businesses would be unable to cover their dividend in 1993 without support from pharmaceuticals ; and , on the other hand , a planned cash call by ICI Bio shortly after demerger might prove less than successful . Andrew Benson , an analyst at BZW , believes a postponement of the demerger can not be ruled out .
Idiom: not cricket (used idiomatically: no)
Middlesbrough 2 Oxford 1 Please refer to microfilm for complete text Not cricket : Cricket matches are not special occasions , according to Guisborough magistrates . Both the Saltburn and Marske clubs have been refused exemptions to carry on drinking at club premises between 5–7pm .
Idiom: in the final analysis (used idiomatically: yes)
Newspapers are better media on this score . Direct mail scores high on relevance ie it can be directed very specifically at certain markets , but because of the personnel costs , it can be expensive . In the final analysis , organizations have to weigh up the anticipated benefits of particular media against the costs involved . This brings us on to the question of how do organizations assess the effectiveness of their advertising ? ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS
Idiom: hot and heavy (used idiomatically: no)
Now get movin'.’ ‘ I 'm staying here,’ I repeated , my voice sounding obstinate , almost petulant . I do n't know what it was , the mist , the way it hung , hot and heavy like a blanket , the weirdness and the exhaustion of the long night drive up the coast , but I suddenly realised I was scared . Scared of the country , scared of Ward . Most of all of Ward .
Idiom: lose your head (used idiomatically: yes)
Adam sighed as he replaced the telephone receiver . Again he ran his left hand through his hair , but this time he felt a tingle of anticipation . There was always something around the corner if you did n't lose your head . He had a definite feeling of success about the Carefree deal . And there were plenty more deals .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
In trying to sum up what this Green Movement is you need to distinguish between two important polarities , or tendencies . The first is the ‘ light green’ tendency . The light greens by and large believe that the system of which we are all a part is perfectible , that it could be reformed in such a way as to create a sustainable , environmentally friendly way of living . At the other end of the spectrum are the ‘ dark greens’ , who believe essentially that the system is inherently corrupt and unsustainable , and that any attempts to ameliorate its impact on the natural world are utterly forlorn . What they advocate is the wholesale transformation of the system so that something quite different can emerge .
Idiom: on the fly (used idiomatically: yes)
This does not effect the quality of the stored image file , but if you require an on screen display of the final image , a SVGA card displaying 256 colours will be needed . You will , of course , need a video source which can either be a video player or camera . If you only require mono images for eventual in - house mono printing then a video player is quite adequate as VidiPC can capture mono images ' on - the - fly ' . Ideally , a still video image from a video camera or camcorder would be used . This allows real - life 3-D objects to be digitised in both black and white and colour .
Idiom: up sticks (used idiomatically: no)
He is putting on his protection , a long mitt made of sacking up to his elbow . All three put on their arms . They pick up sticks . ‘ Brian,’ Mr Sherwood calls , ‘ they 're talking to you.’ Brian grins and waves his stick .
Idiom: wipe the floor with (used idiomatically: yes)
The music paper reader polls which coincided with the success of ‘ How Soon Is Now’ were the most important and final proof of the band 's influence . Even so , the extent of their superiority was surprising . The magazine Jamming saw the band wipe the floor with all opposition in all categories outside the female sections . But , with respect to Jamming or Melody Maker the most influential readers ' poll is undoubtedly in NME . The Smiths won best group , top songwriters , fourth and twelfth best LPs , three of the top twenty singles and Marr was top instrumentalist with Morrissey taking second best dressed person , fourth most wonderful human being and an appropriate placing in the ‘ creep of the year’ award .
Idiom: tie the knot (used idiomatically: yes)
Well that 's right . Jonathan , if that breaks and hits someone in the eye , you will be in big trouble . It does n't cos it ties a knot . It 'll hit him in the eye That 'll hit his own face .
Idiom: alive and kicking (used idiomatically: yes)
Is that old fox still alive ? ' Hayman also smiled . ' Alive and kicking . He 's a good man . ' ' The best , ' Manville agreed .
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
So that , erm , the fact that you 're increasing erm , protection , protectionism against it , is n't it likely to upset the producers who are exporting it , and who say it 's no point exporting it there cos we 're going to get erm , huge thing put on our things and we 're not going to sell that much , it might be better just sell in our own country , is n't that reduce world tr No , no eventually , protectionism will , will lead to a cessation of production in the most efficient er regions of the world which by and large , are the , are the regions that sell onto the world market . It 's only the inefficient producers that support their agricultures , because it 's those inefficient producers that need support , erm , so , in the , in the long run , world supply , world supply will contract , but in the short run , you know , farmers in these er , efficient countries of the world may well erm , continue in production because they may , may be able to cut their average variable costs , it 's only when in , in the long run , you know , providing farmers can cover their average variable costs , they 'll continue in production in the short run . Right , in the long run , they 've got to cover all their costs , right , they will be driven out of business , but that may take some time . Alright , so in , in the short run , because more is being produced , alright , and demand has been increased very much , or in world terms , then market prices will fall .
Idiom: come to terms with (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ That 's my idea of paradise,’ she told him . The most obvious sign of the Diana 's new life was the sight of her Scotland Yard bodyguard who was seated at a nearby table . It took her a long time to come to terms with that presence ; the proximity of an armed police officer was the most potent reminder of the gilded cage she had now entered . It was the little things she missed such as those blissful moments of privacy when she could listen to her favourite composers on the car stereo at full blast . Now she had to consider another person 's wishes at all times .
Idiom: down the tubes (used idiomatically: yes)
The city itself , undaunted by the loss of £ 3 m of public and private cash on its failed bid for the 1996 Games , will be spending a further hefty , though unspecified , sum . If Manchester wins , the whole of the North West 's economy will enjoy a tremendous boost . But much of the money spent in Berlin , Sydney , Istanbul , Bejing , and Milan , Manchester 's rivals , will have gone down the tubes . And the same will be true of Britain 's spending if Manchester loses for a second time . The government has decreed that the centrepiece of Manchester 's bid , a new £ 150 m ‘ national’ stadium , will be built regardless of the Olympics .
Idiom: in this day and age (used idiomatically: yes)
Have you ever seen an application with a cheerful little ‘ remove - me’ icon ? No — the manufacturers never believe in their wildest dreams that you 'd ever want to remove their product ; it 's far too wonderful . But you might ; even in this day and age some programs turn out to be complete dogs . Or suppose you have a program which is wonderful . When the next version arrives , you might want to install it in a separate subdirectory ( in case it has a hidden bug ) and keep the old version for a few months .
Idiom: top banana (used idiomatically: yes)
And we also talked about maybe you could say , erm , you know , if you continue to do a job , maybe we 'll look you know , at developing you further , but it 's all sort of , pretty similar sort of things you 're going to say to him in that situation . And informal , we came up with a great variety of things . Erm , great job , thanks a lot , unreal , nice one , topper , you 're a star , champion , thanks for doing that for me , and this one was a bit disputed , but we had top banana at the end . Alright , thanks very much . I 'm pleased .
Idiom: follow suit (used idiomatically: yes)
By LORNA BOURKE HOMEBUYERS now know the worst . Halifax and Abbey National have announced their new home loan rates — up 1 per cent to 14.5 per cent from 1 November -and most other large lenders are likely to follow suit . With demand for homeloans at a low ebb , few will want to go higher . For the average borrower with a £ 30,000 home loan over 25 years , monthly repayments after income tax relief on the interest , go up from £ 278.70 to £ 294.90 .
Idiom: food for thought (used idiomatically: yes)
( ' Eee ' — sudden swoop —'twashokay ? ' ) ' Just great . Food for thought . See you tomorrow . Not before ten at the earliest . '
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
It also boasts an hydraulic system which enables a 20-foot pod to be extended to increase the display area and allows the whole vehicle to lower itself down to a floor height of just 18 inches above the ground . Unlike its predecessor , the Mobile Exhibition Unit has ramps to ease access for the disabled . Company exhibitions manager Rob Axon said : ‘ It was built from scratch to our own design and so will prove far better than the old trailer . ‘ One advantage is that it can be used indoors at the bigger exhibition centres , thus saving the time and expense of setting up individual exhibitions.’ The unit went on display at Risley site earlier this month and moves to Capenhurst [ March 23–24 ] , Springfields [ March 25–26 ] , Sellafield [ March 30 - 31]and Chapelcross [ April 2–3]before an official public opening at the Edinburgh Science Festival .
Idiom: discretion is the better part of valour (used idiomatically: yes)
Dad looked hard at the man , already the worse of drink , unsteady and menacing . The barman prudently kept his silence , and distance . Even though my father was a regular and popular customer , discretion was often the best part of valour ( so it is said ) . ' In the first place , ' said my old man , ' I do n't know you … in the second place , I do n't vant to know you … ' Then in that well - known Jewish intonation , with the words rising and lowering , and drawn out for full emphasis , he continued : ' If I vas a younger man I vould trow my visky at you , b - u - t dat vould be a vaste of good visky .
Idiom: carry the can (used idiomatically: yes)
As the sound is inaudible to the human ear the owners are unaware of my actions , avoiding possible conflict . ' The Dazer is available priced £ 29.95 including p&p and VAT , from Dazer Freepost , London SW11 6BR . Or there 's chemical warfare — but who wants to carry an aerosol can of doggy deterrent around with them , even if it is CFC free ? ' Just think ' balls ' , ' says Mick Cummings of Chester - le - Street . Aniseed balls that is .
Idiom: off the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
Cuts on cards THE cost of borrowing is coming down at last . First bank off the mark is Lloyds , which slashed the cost of personal loans , overdrafts and credit cards by between 1.4 and 2.8 per cent— the first reduction for a year . Nationwide building society has also brought its mortgage rate down by 0.75 per cent to 9.95 per cent . HOPES that there will be more interest rate cuts to come sparked off a fresh shares boom yesterday .
Idiom: stand up and be counted (used idiomatically: yes)
Turning rebellion into money , eh ? But before Musicians Against The War had the guts to get off their arses rather than supporting the kicking of other people 's , where the hell WAS the rebellion ? Ho ho Keith , some wags at the NME have taken to calling MAW ‘ musicians against success’ because — get this — those musicians who 've had the guts to stand up and be counted like Sinead O'Connor , The Farm , Carter USM , Cud , Billy Bragg , Lisa Stansfield , The Stones , Lush , Orbital and Soho are all ‘ failures that no - one 's heard of’ . Ho ho . Traitors flinch and cowards sneer — SW
Idiom: throw in the towel (used idiomatically: yes)
No thought of any homework , and it was patently obvious that only Imran Khan and Javed Mianded seemed to be recognisable down there . Apart from those two , like Chinese people to the Duke of Edinburgh , cricketers from Pakistan all look alike to Johnners . The old boy soldiered on , perplexed , till almost teatime on the first one - dayer , before throwing in the towel with blanket irony —‘Well , if I do n't know their names , at least it 's jolly nice to see all the familiar faces again.’ Pakistan 's opener Aamer Sohail had played in 17 one - day internationals before this tour , but never yet in a Test match . The talented left - hander did well with the bat in the World Cup , where he also managed to upset several of his opponents
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
Female has greyer throat and underparts . Wings show paler underneath . In winter differs from all sea terns by more sharply defined white shoulder patch , variable but distinctive black spot on side of breast and black bill , as well as by less deeply forked tail . Immature resembles winter adult but with darker mantle . Large flocks have a collective reedy cry ; also occasionally calls ‘ kik , kik’ , ‘ keek’ or krew ' .
Idiom: behind someone's back (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ No , just unhappy . Elise ca n't have been mistaken about the tears.’ ‘ I ca n't say I care for the idea of you two discussing me behind my back , but if you must know I was suffering from reaction,’ said Leonora with dignity . ‘ After my recent adventures it 's not really surprising , is it?’ Penry 's eyes held a sceptical gleam .