Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: make the grade (used idiomatically: yes)
You must be prepared to stand on the practice green for ages . RICKY WILLISON So what does it take to first qualify and then make the grade as a PGA European Tour player ? According to former Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup player Paul McGinley , who obtained his European Tour Card last year , it does n't just come down to how much natural ability a player has . ‘ I read that when Tom Watson was asked what made him such a successful player , he replied : ‘ Desire , dedication , determination and a little bit of talent.’
Idiom: few and far between (used idiomatically: yes)
Certainly in my own experience I have never come across armed smugglers , although on at least one occasion I was threatened with a knife when attempting to stop a seaman leaving a ship , and once I was attached by a ship 's steward when attempting to relieve him of a briefcase full of uncustomed goods . This was in my earlier days when carrying out general duties ashore . Thank goodness these incidents were few and far between . As a rule , even the more hardened cases respond to authority when they realise the game is up . Some take a little longer to persuade than others , and , like many of my colleagues , I have been involved in a few " Sweeny " type incidents ashore and afloat .
Idiom: over the moon (used idiomatically: yes)
Are you , or are you not , a Dundee Sunday league football player?’ ‘ Yes.’ ‘ And are you , or are you not , sick as a parrot or over the moon respectively , about increased charges for changing rooms and pitches?’ ‘ More like gutted . Really gutted.’
Idiom: do me a favour (used idiomatically: no)
‘ I 've more than enough for my needs . And there 's nothing like a conversation when you smoke . You 're doing me a favour.’ The benevolence was infectious : the young man dug in . ‘ We could sit on this rock,’ Hope pointed to a jutting flat stone , ‘ and look out at the lake.’
Idiom: catch fire (used idiomatically: yes)
But if one poor soul had been left on board he would have made me pray ( my thought is broad ) for the many who founder and catch fire , for the few still burning , six months later . Resolve
Idiom: set eyes on (used idiomatically: yes)
But I do know that by midsummer I had started to write a love - story . It was about a man , who , while eating out with his wife one evening , falls in love with a man he sees in the restaurant . I never got beyond the moment he sets eyes on him , which happens at the top of the second page . The rest of the page is blank . What The Clay Said To The Potter
Idiom: take the piss (used idiomatically: yes)
THE INSPIRALS admit that they , in Clint 's words , ‘ Get niggled by little things’ on the road , but they 're as likely to go into a discussion about the virtues of meat pies in Dallas as opposed to Houston , as they are to have an out - and - out fight . ‘ It 's taken us five years to get this far and by now we know when we 've had enough of each other and when to get out of the van and go and sit somewhere quiet to cool off,’ says Craig . ‘ You might be dying with tonsillitis and every f — er is taking the piss out of yer and running around and shouting in the room.’ Clint : ‘ It 's like every trade . It 'll never be perfect but it can run as smooth as you can get it .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
If football can bring Michael back then so much the better . ' Michael , who had been looking forward to his 21st birthday next month , has recently been taken off a life support machine . SUNDERLAND skipper Paul Bracewell last night underwent surgery on his broken nose and will miss the next four games . The shock news came as Roker manager Malcolm Crosby was completing his preparations for tonight 's visit of Second Dvision leaders Ipswich Town the first of four crucial games in seven days . Bracewell , who received the injury in an accidental clash with Gavin Peacock in the derby game at Newcastle last month , played in the FA Cup semi - final victory over Norwich City , but missed the midweek defeat at Leicester last week when he had to have a slight blockage in his nose cleared .
Idiom: walk the talk (used idiomatically: yes)
The reason why many language learners never become fluent is that they talk the walk more than they walk the talk .
Idiom: in the dock (used idiomatically: yes)
He repeated the opening question out loud , fingerspelling each word with an occasional supportive sign , breaking away for the sake of legalistic accuracy from their usual curtailed and compressed flow of pure communication . Mrs Balanchine frowned and concentrated , trying to hold the tortuous grammar in her mind as the question was formed letter - by - letter . Over in the dock the accused , a gangling boy of about nineteen , was smirking . He seemed to think that he had an idiot for an accuser , but his solicitor was not so happy ; he did n't seem to like the idea of having to address a witness through an intermediary . The army officer was back , his uniform cap in his hands as if he was in a church .
Idiom: up in the air (used idiomatically: yes)
A peculiar hold . As hefting her out on his back . The woman up in the air , screaming by her pigtails . ‘ Why did he dae that?’ Rab was honestly astounded : the caveman heave , and what , in this place , had gone before .
Idiom: have the last laugh (used idiomatically: yes)
It proved a costly foul . Porto equalised from the subsequent free - kick when Brazilian striker Jose Carlos blasted the ball home . Hero Freeman has last laugh Altrincham 2 Chester 0 SKIPPER Clive Freeman cracked a brilliant goal and a few jokes after Altrincham 's record - equalling 15th FA Cup triumph over League opposition .
Idiom: in the bag (used idiomatically: yes)
First I had my shower . The shower is the only time in any twenty - four - hour period I take my underpants right off . I put the old pair in the dirty - linen bag in the airing cupboard . I showered carefully , starting at my hair and ending between my toes and under my toenails . Sometimes , when I have to make precious substances such as toenail cheese or belly - button fluff , I have to go without a shower or bath for days and days ; I hate doing this because I soon feel dirty and itchy , and the only bright thing about such abstinence is how good it feels to have a shower at the end of it .
Idiom: catch someone's eye (used idiomatically: yes)
What other artist would sell all they own to pursue the craft ? Nigel Hillier , 31 year - old freelance photographer did just that . In order to finance an 11 month trip around the world shooting anything and everything that caught his well - honed eye , he sold his most treasured and expensive possession , his home . ' It 's not quite as romantic as you might imagine , ' he explains . ' My girlfriend suggested it .
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
There are also delays — though on occasion I have had Chandos ' Bax and Hyperion 's Simpson discs in my collection before the reviews appear in GRAMOPHONE . Perhaps the major companies should use the independent distributors for their low volume items ; they could attach a ' special import ' sticker and charge a few dollar more . As GRAMOPHONE readers know , CD prices are substantially lower in America than in the UK , and while we rarely complain about this it does raise the number of units which must be sold to reach the break - even point on a particular recording : this in turn discourages risk - taking on limited appeal issues . However , I believe that with a bit of determination to do so the majors can find a way of opening more of their catalogues to US buyers and make a bit more money in the process . Maw 's ' Odyssey '
Idiom: dead in the water (used idiomatically: yes)
Julia Langdon The lady 's not for returning Thatcherism is dead in the water — whoever wins Whatever their own political persuasions , journalists tend to look for the most interesting outcome of any given set of circumstances . Thus , at the time of the last Tory leadership election , a victory for Michael Heseltine would have been by far the most professionally exciting result .
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: yes)
How do I get into it ? So you need the practice . Erm been tending to concentrate on specific things which you know stand a good chance of being on the paper , and even if they 're not will help you with others . So how much of it did you understand ? Erm
Idiom: on edge (used idiomatically: no)
Both sides remain stubborn . The Palestinians are tired but still defiant after their long struggle and most Israelis , like Mr Rabin , remain confident that they can cope , even if their doubts are beginning to nag . It is a dangerous moment , pregnant with hope teetering on the edge of despair . Intifada enters year three under curfew . By Ian Black in Jerusalem
Idiom: in the long run (used idiomatically: yes)
At Ogata , in Kochi prefecture , 44 boats are now taking tourists from three ports , mainly to look at Bryde 's whales . Already , the trade provides about a third of the earnings of local fishermen . The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society , a British group , now hopes to demonstrate to the Japanese that whale - watching is more profitable in the long run than whaling . It will argue to delegates in Kyoto that , while a Bryde 's whale is worth about ¥ 33.4 m ( $ 100,000 ) in a fish market , the 16 resident Bryde 's whales at Ogata are expected to bring in ¥ 675 m to the boatmen over the next 15 years and nearly eight times as much in hotel accommodation and assorted knick - knacks . Japan
Idiom: vale of tears (used idiomatically: yes)
I sense a presence . A presence forcing its way through from the Other Side . If you would all join hands , make a communion , perhaps we can assist our friend on his long journey to this vale of tears … ’ I was already holding Susan 's hand . She held that of her neighbour and I , being on the end of the row , had awkwardly to turn and grasp the hand of the man sitting behind me .
Idiom: all over the place (used idiomatically: no)
Oliver took over and the room sprang into focus . There was an easy chair and a television set , but the room was dominated by a table covered in paints and an easel with a partly finished painting on it . All over the place there were her completed paintings . They hung on walls , they leaned against each other in piles by the walls , they were stacked in corners . ' In the day , ' said Barbara Coleman , ' I can see as far as the Esterel …
Idiom: spring to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
An article published in the USA in 1867 under the title The Influence of Sewing Machines on Female Health warned against the inherent dangers of seamstresses becoming sexually aroused by the constant motion of the foot treadle , and advised the use of bromide to counteract any improper stimulation . SEX — TWENTY - FOUR ‘ SEX-’ WORDS TO BE IDENTIFIED The three letters S - E - X do n't always mean what immediately springs to mind , as the following show when you try to match the words with their definitions — answers on Page 178 . The Words Definitions Sextuple
Idiom: in the long term (used idiomatically: yes)
Erm , between nineteen seventy three er and er nineteen ninety one , reinvestment in building societies gave quite a good return actually erm gave four thousand three hundred and ninety eight return . Er R P I was five seven eight eight , so in , in other words , R P I ahead of building society rates . So in the longer term , building societies do n't do well . You 've had five years of phenomenal results in building societies , they 've been really exceptional . But I think those days are now over and anybody who 's been in building societies , there 's now a feeling er that things have altered quite a long way .
Idiom: word of mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
I can understand the publishers ' point of view : they 're fed up with booksellers buying 20,000 and returning 18,000 . But you do order fewer with firm sale . ' However , the range of popular titles available at under £ 10 drew appreciative comments from many booksellers ; in particular Bloomsbury 's Joanna Trollope collection , novels from Julian Barnes , Michael Stewart and Stephen King , the word - of - mouth seller Donna Tartt 's The Secret History , and of course many titles in the Everyman adult and children 's ranges . Blackwells in Reading set up an ' Under £ 10 ' table , which had to be constantly replenished and which the group may well replicate in other shops next year . What the bland uniformity of the final bestseller lists ( see opposite ) fails to reveal are the intriguing regional variations that could be found in most respondents ' submissions .
Idiom: on the carpet (used idiomatically: yes)
Oh aye . The spitting ? Oh no do n't do it with spit , saliva that you 're spitting to the boots you have to have water buckets of water and polish to do it I and they were up the stairs doing the boots on the grey carpet in the back bedroom and they had newspaper down well whatever ways they must have lumps , speckles all in the carpet .
Idiom: it takes two to tango (used idiomatically: yes)
Lawyers for Virgin and BA were working into the night , going over the small print of an agreement which could cost BA up to £ 10 million . Mr Branson 's chief negotiator , the Virgin group managing director , Trevor Abbott , said : ' It would be very sad if we do n't settle this . It takes two to tango , however , and I suspect we 'll still be here tomorrow discussing it . ' — PA ' We would expect to complete things tonight but there are a lot of points to be discussed and a number of outstanding issues .
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
This simplicity can be quantified ( in principle ) . It is done thus . We choose once and for all some language for describing theories . English might do , if you can decide just what is English ; but theoreticians prefer something more precise . Each candidate theory is described in this language .
Idiom: walk free (used idiomatically: yes)
Mandela himself , on the day of his release , described de Klerk as " a man of integrity who is acutely aware of the dangers of a public figure not honouring his undertakings " , and who had " gone further than any other Nationalist president in taking real steps to normalise the situation " . Release of Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela walked free from the Victor Verster prison ( Cape Province ) in the early afternoon of Feb. 11 . The date of his release had only been announced by de Klerk at a news conference on Feb. 10 . Biography of Mandela
Idiom: on the button (used idiomatically: yes)
His signal achievement at Chanel has been to take all the familiar Chanel ideas , the neat , gilt buttoned suit , the chain handbags , the bows , the camellias , throw them up in the air , alter their proportions , and re - make the look invented by Coco for Twenties flappers , so that it strikes a new chord . From being a label past its peak , Chanel became the hottest news in fashion and Lagerfeld made the Chanel suit the number one fashion status symbol of the Eighties . His KL collection is in a sense a continuation of the looks he designed for Chloé in being soft , rather sexy and highly individual and tends to be worn by women who do not need the reassurance of the double C on gilt buttons . Lagerfeld demands and gets total creative control not only of the design of the collection , but how it is presented to the world . He started taking his own photographs to publicise his collections when he got impatient with photographers who did not understand what he was trying to say ; this has lead him to launch a parallel career as a photographer and his work is much in demand by magazines who like his candid portraits of such luminaires as Caroline of Monaco .
Idiom: to the letter (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course the burning of one old man can not be described as persecution ; it was in no way a parallel to the persecution in England which gave an instinctively kindly woman the name of Bloody Mary . But knowledge of the English burnings was widespread , and Scottish Protestants could not be sure that something similar might not now happen to them . It must have been at the very time of the proceedings against Myln that the archbishop of St Andrews received the earl of Argyll 's answers to his letter of admonition of 31 March 1558 , in which he warned the earl of the dangers of his support for Protestantism . Argyll 's reply included a counter - warning against listening to the counsel of those who would persuade him to ' blood - letting and burning of poor men , to make your Lordship serve their wicked appetites ' . That shows clearly enough what the Scottish Protestants feared .
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
The fact that the visit took place on the anniversary of Edmund 's death , together with the peacock cloak , suggests that Cnut was expressing concern for Edmund 's salvation . But he may also have intended to remind those present that he had come to the throne as a result of the treaty he had made with Edmund , which according to Florence of Worcester established peace , friendship and brotherhood between them . Florence further says that witnesses of the agreement later declared that Edmund left no portion of the kingdom to his brothers should he die , and agreed that Cnut should be the protector of his sons until they came of age . After his death , however , Edmund 's sons were set aside . This account of the treaty may , as Florence claims , have been a lie , but it , or something like it , could well have been what Cnut preferred people to believe , for he may have been aware that it had not been unusual within the West Saxon dynasty for brother to follow brother : it was the succession of King Æthelwulf 's sons in turn which brought Alfred to the throne in 871 , despite the fact that his brother Æthelred I had male issue .
Idiom: cut loose (used idiomatically: yes)
Amounts are converted at $ 0.77 to the Canadian dollar . IBM CONTINUES COST CUTTING The latest unit to go in IBM Corp 's cutting loose of its surplus manufacturing plants , which started with four factories in Europe last week , is IBM Canada Ltd 's Toronto manufacturing division , which is to become a separate , wholly owned subsidiary with a different , but as yet undetermined , name and logo : the Toronto division employs about 900 and has export revenues of some $ 800 m annually ; all employees will be offered positions with the new company , which will continue to manufacture products for IBM — for the time being at least , and will also seek work outside the company . BILL GATES FRIMS UP PRICES FOR WINDOWS NT Bill Gates has firmed up prices for Microsoft Corp 's Windows NT operating system , but the first ships date has moved off into the future again , and ‘ no later than’ August 1 is the new target : according to Gates , in comments reported in PC Week , large corporate customers looking to upgrade from Windows 3 to NT will be able to do so for less than $ 100 per desktop — the upgrade price for Windows users will be $ 300 , which translates to $ 180 ‘ on the street’and less than ‘ $ 100 per system’after deep volume discounts , Gates told a meeting of the Corporate Association of Microcomputer Professionals in Chicago ; OS/2 users will be offered ‘ extremely low prices;’NT 's suggested retail price for new — desktop — users will be $ 500 ; more bad news is that memory requirements are continuing to soar — Gates last week recommended that NT users install 16Mb on their desktop machines , even though the documentation may specify 12Mb — and no more than about 10 % of 80486 machines have 16Mb ; servers could require more than 16Mb , he added ; initial NT buyers will need to have specific applications in mind for it —‘If you do n't know why you want NT , you probably do n't want NT,’he said .
Idiom: cuckoo in the nest (used idiomatically: no)
She 'd always believed in the strength of her parents ' marriage , the power of its mutual affection . Now she had to face the fact that it could all have been a sham . Isabelle had loved another man — had given herself to him with disastrous consequences — and here was Sabine , the living proof , the cuckoo in the conventional Russell family nest . She wondered if Hugh Russell had ever hinted that his wife should have her baby adopted . According to Miss Russell , Isabelle had forced him to treat her child as his own — had even made it a condition of their marriage .
Idiom: in bed with (used idiomatically: yes)
even in pregnancies or anything mm . next thing I remember was being undressed and in bed with Debbie standing there with a boiled egg on a tray , saying mummy were so sorry you 'll never do Christmas again , you 've done it for us for forty years , we shall do it for you now . Oh , bless her cotton socks . And they have ever since .
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
This was an example of dramatic playing , made more pronounced to those of us watching by the fact that the rest of the class were attempting to work more formally — edging towards ' presentation ' . In fact his persistent signalling that he was absorbed in his own ' playing ' was one of the factors holding the rest of the class back . In preparation for the final session , I designated a ' robot controller ' room area , roped off , a large placard with ROBOT CONTROLLER in red ( I should have added PRIVATE , DO NOT ENTER as a nice re - inforcer of the point , but I did not think about it in time ) against a dais on which stood a table and a hand microphone ( a television control device which he had carried around with him on previous occasions ) . Thus the pressure on him to find what Dorothy Heathcote usefully calls his ' public voice ' was considerable . His robot companions were now to operate well away from him across a fairly large room and at key moments in the drama when there was an anticipatory silence from everyone else , he found he had the personal ' power ' , and with some verbal style ( and a high degree of repressed excitement as he discovered he could be publicly effective ) he presented himself as an efficient robot controller .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
When comprehension came to be discussed by Convocation , the High Anglican clergy proved unwilling to make the sort of concessions needed to comprehend the more moderate Dissenters . What was achieved in 1689 was certainly not what Anglicans such as Nottingham wanted , toleration without comprehension . This would encourage separatism , and thereby undermine the whole integrity of the Church of England , which it had been the aim of the Tories all along to protect . The Nonconformists also had reason to feel disappointed , since the relief granted was considerably less than the civil and religious liberty which they had enjoyed towards the end of James 's reign . CONCLUSION
Idiom: fit as a fiddle (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's a lot to do.’ ‘ Touch my toes a few times first . Better keep fit as a fiddle and ready for anything.’ ‘ I hope there 's a fat cheque in the posh otherwise I shall be as poor as a church mouse . That 'll be a fine kettle of fish and no mistake.’
Idiom: rule of thumb (used idiomatically: yes)
Front leg kicks travel the shortest distance , though they are regarded generally as too weak to score . However , with a bit of training a step - up roundhouse kick or reverse roundhouse kick will convince the referee that it is worth a full point . As a rule of thumb , always use a rear foot kick after a feint . The following remarks apply particularly to the roundhouse kick and the side kick and only to a lesser extent to the front kick . I have repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping your centre - line turned towards the opponent , yet some kicks require that you turn it away , sometimes by as much as 120 ° !