Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: pull a rabbit out of a hat (used idiomatically: yes)
There are fears over the future of the Highland lines , though MacGregor dismissed them . MacGregor maintains his interest in conjuring , only this month spending a day off buying up the collection of another conjuror , mainly books . If he becomes Chancellor , it will be a gift for cartoonists , with MacGregor trying to make the huge public deficit disappear and pulling rabbits out of hats . And as Chancellor , if not as Transport Secretary , he might be sufficiently prominent to get that invitation to Desert Island Discs and have the Shotts Pipe Band playing over the airwaves . John MacGregor : If he becomes Chancellor , cartoonists will have him trying to make the deficit disappear
Idiom: think the world of (used idiomatically: yes)
Do n't just sit there and worry alone — if you 've got a problem and feel you need some help , write to Sue Frost WHY WON'T HE TALK TO ME ? I 'm 40 , I 've been living with my fiancé , who 's the same age , for three years and I think the world of him . When we first met he told me he could n't stand rows but I like to talk things over when I feel something 's wrong . I get very uptight over what to say without upsetting him , so when we do finally talk I end up saying the wrong things .
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: no)
‘ We will to talk again with Bowe 's people — and we will demand that Bowe has no warm-up fight beforehand . This time we will be calling their bluff . ‘ This type of thing eats away at a fighter 's heart — it 's like a cancer that has to be cut out . But if it does n't happen there is no way Lewis will be deflated . After all , he 'll still be the WBC champion in the New Year . ’
Idiom: bear fruit (used idiomatically: yes)
You will work until your feet are stripped raw of flesh and until your legs are bowed and your skin is shrivelled . Only then , Wolfprince , only when you are cowed and submissive , only when I have drawn from you every shred of defiance , when I have extracted every sliver of pleasure I can from your predicament , shall I take your soul . ‘ And when you and your royal half - brother have been sucked dry of every drop of accursed wolfseed by the Frost Giantess ; when you have been deprived of every drop that might bear fruit in some unknown womb and create another wolfcreatury , I shall give you both to the Soul Eaters . ‘ With those two souls placed on the Scales of Sorcery and rendered to the Soul Eaters , my debt will have been paid . ‘ My powers will be restored — and I shall rule Ireland for ever.’
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
It cascaded unbound below her waist . Her skin complemented her hair ; she had an olive complexion which shone like burnished gold . Her lips were red , half - open as if waiting to be kissed , displaying teeth as white as ivory , though I noticed one tooth slightly out of line with the others . But like Agnes 's , it was her eyes which fascinated me — large , dark , and almond - shaped . Whenever she turned , whenever she spoke , they exuded an excitement which had my young loins stirring .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
UEFA seem intent on making life as difficult as possible for our clubs in Europe . It makes you wonder if there is some kind of conspiracy going on , with one rule for the English and another for the rest . Leeds were forced to play that third game against German champions Stuttgart , when the Bundesliga outfit should have been kicked out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player . Not only that , Howard Wilkinson 's men were forced to travel all the way to Spain to settle the tie . Absolutely ludicrous
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
On the first morning I stepped onto the chalet balcony and looked up at the mountain . Now I was impressed : I not seen a ski hill like this before . A speck on a rock halfway to heaven was the top cablecar station , I was told . The skiing arrangement is simple : you take the cablecar from the bottom to the top , then you ski from the top to the bottom . No need for a piste map .
Idiom: Indian summer (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ I WILL’ , boasts an elegantly calligraphed message on the side of a subway train . This is ‘ THE SPIRIT OF CHICAGO’ , apparently . I WILL thrust splendidly into the cut - glass sky , flanked on the east by Lake Michigan , a convincing fake beach if ever you saw one ; I WILL inject the Indian summer glare with a brittle but somehow reassuring fake coastal wind ; I WILL present a clean front , a scrubbed facade for the city 's countless visitors , and at least one vegetarian take - out that 's just big enough to accommodate all of Consolidated . I WILL by your kinda town ; I WILL host the first leg of this year 's most significant ‘ alternative’ rock event , and I WILL send my splendid , scrubbed , windswept children to worship at the feet of its various missionaries . Rollercoaster USA .
Idiom: under fire (used idiomatically: yes)
Needless to say , this is an oversimplification ; the struggle is partial as well as , always , enmeshed in both the opposing trends to varying extents . Adorno 's recognition of the radical potential of what he called jazz ( see , for example , Adorno 1976 : 33–4 ) could have given him the theoretical space for such an approach ( it certainly means he has no logical grounds for the theoretical closure he operates , only a self - fulfilling pessimism ) ; but he fails to follow his quest into places where he could have found what he sought , and , more damagingly , he excludes the possibility of any other mode of critique than that associated with alienated individualism . At the same time , the concept of the unitary individual subject , on which he relies , should come under fire — as it has done in recent years , under the influence of post - structuralist thought . The idea of the ‘ split subject’ provides a way of grasping , precisely , the position occupied by the various human productive forces . Composers , performers and other productive agents are not either wholly ‘ manipulated’ or wholly ‘ critical’and ‘ free’ ; their subjectivity — or the positions being continually constructed for that subjectivity — is traversed by a multitude of different , often conflicting lines of social influence , bringing them into multiple , often overlapping identities and collectivities .
Idiom: go without saying (used idiomatically: yes)
You are expected to take adequate steps to protect yourself . In this example , the opponent has thrown himself forwards , with no thought of a face guard It goes almost without saying that karate competitions must be held in an atmosphere of respect , for the self , for the opponent and for the members of the refereeing panel . Where this is missing , the penalties can be severe in the extreme . Not only must the contestants behave , but their team - mates are also obliged to conduct themselves properly , even when not fighting .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
well it 's got my electric cable running through that fence you see Oh Well it actually does n't very , it does n't touch the actual fence it erm all along the concrete poles they 've got holes through them where you can put some wire different higher of fence you see wire through each lead , you know , put back through each one , where you going ? The shop
Idiom: in this day and age (used idiomatically: yes)
I did that with Graham . I went out , I had n't even I 'd said hello to him , that was it . You see , I think that 's really strange in this day and age . Yes but you 're meeting in a public place . Not like , I mean I was making my way there , he was making his way there and I would n't want them to come and pick me up in the car
Idiom: up against it (used idiomatically: yes)
Under new boss Kaj Petkovic , Servette just about squeezed into a UEFA slot . Crusaders , of course , had hopes of playing the European Cup but agonizingly lost out on goal difference to Linfield . Clearly , the Crues will be up against it . If they can go to the 30,000-capacity Charmilles Stadium in Geneva still in contention the Belfast side will have every reason to be satisfied . Servette have played in Europe 20 times , including a 4–3 aggregate win against Linfield in the 1985 European Cup .
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: yes)
" Look darling , it 's the 4.30 , you know it does n't wait a moment … " Maman was gone . Only a drift of her stayed on the solemn air of the dining room — a drift of Parma violet and a heavy load on Nicandra 's mind . When Maman came back , even if it was tomorrow , the telling would no longer match the moment . What next ?
Idiom: lose heart (used idiomatically: no)
' Joan , you are a lass of intelligence , ' said Elizabeth Mowbray . ' You must surely have realized therefore that there could be no future in this attachment . Lose not your heart to the prince , child — he will wreak havoc with many a feminine heart , I doubt not , ere he reaches his majority . He must marry when and where the king his father dictates … ' She paused as if turning over in her mind her next words before giving them substance .
Idiom: easy on the eye (used idiomatically: yes)
All he could produce was a stiff upper lip , while young Lady C cast meaningful looks at sturdy gamekeeper Mellors . Joely Richardson seems perfect as the loyal but frustrated lady of the manor , while archetypal ‘ bit of rough’ Sean Bean could out - squint a King Cobra . Ken Russell 's production is certainly easy on the eye , but fans are expecting a bit more than a well - turned ankle . Penny Kiley discovers some unusual Fab Four tracks one of which is barking mad Exotic Beatles but are they in the wrong groove ? … Edmundo Ros ( left ) , Derek Enright ( above ) and William Shatner .
Idiom: as a rule (used idiomatically: yes)
The two other forms of acquired dyslexia which have been clearly defined are , for different reasons , less straightforward to interpret , these disorders being letter - by - letter reading and deep dyslexia . 9.4.3 Letter - by - letter reading This form of acquired dyslexia is sometimes called pure alexia or alexia without agraphia , the reason being that , as a rule , these patients have no impairment of writing or spelling , and so they contrast with patients having other kinds of acquired dyslexia , all of whom have had impaired writing and spelling as well as impaired reading . The letter - by - letter reader will usually be able to write a passage well , and then be unable to read what he has written . The reading difficulty is not due to some very peripheral visual defect , since the patient may be perfect at identifying letters ( e.g. Warrington and Shallice , 1980 ) .
Idiom: rock bottom (used idiomatically: yes)
I am now mobile . Upwardly so , I suppose , since I have now hit rock bottom . ' Rock bottom ' sounds nasty , but in fact the whole experience is rather disappointingly painless . The bad yellow - eyed woman made me take my toothbrush in case I got carted off to pokey . She said that the secret of a happy prison life was to submit cheerfully to buggery from morning till night , but phooey to that .
Idiom: stand the test of time (used idiomatically: yes)
But Unwin and his son Edward tackled the challenge with vigour and imagination ( Miller , 1981 ) . By the end of 1929 the First report was published : slim and hastily written it yet established a frame of reference for the London region . Philosophically and technically town planning demonstrated in Britain , as elsewhere , an operational capacity to conceive and prepare a metropolitan plan , robust enough to stand the test of time . Unwin 's analysis depended on four rings for the Greater London region : belts of population of decreasing density from core to periphery , separated by belts of open space for recreation purposes . These were expressed in schematic diagrams showing the relationship between building development and open land .
Idiom: stand the test of time (used idiomatically: yes)
If wanting that luxury , but are unable to buy your Swan new , then through our international network of twenty - two offices you can find those same endearing features in pre - owned Swans . Pride of Swan ownership means a pre - owned Swan is a well cared for Swan . Unlike so many others , a Swan stands the tests of time well . The looks , the comfort , the smoothness of systems , the very fabric of ultimate sailing endures . Our official brokerage network knows which boats are for sale worldwide and can help find exactly the right Swan for you .
Idiom: take stock (used idiomatically: yes)
People change and so do opportunities ; there is a need continually to make choices to accommodate these changes . Whatever your situation , whether you are planning a change of direction or simply looking forward at the various opportunities open to you , the process of your decision - making is an important element of the choice itself . With this in mind , the Careers Service at Bristol is offering a course for graduates of Bristol within ten years of graduation , who would like to help to take stock of their career to date and consider their future . Whether you feel that your original decision was not very wise , or that you never really made a decision , or you just want to review your situation , this course can help you . At a time of recession , the benefits could be considerable .
Idiom: one of those things (used idiomatically: no)
It 's instinctive . Sometimes you do n't shoot quick enough . It 's one of those things that happens.’ Does it , David ? Does it really ?
Idiom: in the saddle (used idiomatically: yes)
He went over to the pony lines and dismounted , clutching his back . ‘ He was obviously in some pain.’ Mr Arbiter said ‘ the wrong movement’ of the Prince in the saddle had aggravated the old injury . The Prince , walking slowly and painfully , later attended the polo awards ceremony . Celebrities among the 2,000 fans who saw the Maple Leafs win a 6–5 victory included actresses Susan George , Fiona Fullerton , Patricia Hodge and Cherie Lunghi , and society hostess Ivana Trump .
Idiom: come of age (used idiomatically: yes)
Prestige comes in the shape of a Mercedes with the 240D or ‘ Stuttgart Taxi’ , commanding £ 7,000 but returning unfailing reliability . Even if lead levels in the atmosphere do not bother you , I am sure you will find the fact that unleaded petrol is 15p cheaper , and that diesel fuel boosts mpg by at least a third , most interesting . Motoring : Miles of smiles as the diesel comes of age : Brett Fraser on the Citroen AX , which offers fuel economy without much sacrifice in performance to drivers willing to turn away from the petrol engine By BRETT FRASER BACK IN the bad old days , drivers of diesel cars were the social outcasts of the motoring world .
Idiom: on someone's mind (used idiomatically: yes)
They have also been responsible for many symposia and meetings for specialists in the field of venereology . In spite of these efforts , the incidence of the sexually transmitted diseases continues to increase . The trouble is that when two people hop into bed together , whether it is after a disco in the West End of London , in an igloo in Greenland , or in a hut in Africa , the last thing on their minds is the opinion of a collection of ‘ VD’ experts from the WHO in Geneva . While it is unquestionably a step in the right direction for such international teams to make recommendations as to optimal treatment schedules and ideal diagnostic facilities , it avails little if governments do not take their advice or if there is a shortage of money , personnel , or both . This appears , sadly , to be the situation in many countries , and suggestions like the one from the WHO document Social and health aspects of sexually transmitted disease ( 1977 ) that ‘ it is essential for clinics to have the basic equipment required for making rapid diagnosis : the darkfield examination , a quick micro - flocculation test for syphilis , and smear and culture of specimens for gonorrhoea’ are not much use to a health worker in a village in India , who , far from considering buying a microscope , can not obtain the antibiotics needed to cure gonorrhoea had he the facilities for diagnosing it .
Idiom: hold your horses (used idiomatically: yes)
Of course she dared . She was just lighting the gas on the tiny ring when the knocker on the front door sounded a veritable tattoo . Irritably — she really wanted that cup of tea ; she was growing as bad as the British — McAllister turned off the gas ring , blew out the match , and walked to the front door , grumbling to herself , Hold your horses , I 'm coming , I 'm coming , when another urgent series of knocks sounded . She opened the door and there was Rose , dirty and dishevelled . She said urgently , ' Ow , McAllister , Dr Neil says to send his boy wiv his emergency bag and some towelling , and quick about it . '
Idiom: get the picture (used idiomatically: yes)
TO POT HAM WITH CHICKENS Readers interested in more than the bare formula of a dish will appreciate the charming , simple and well explained recipe below . Apart from the eighteenth - century country house atmosphere evoked by the writing , we get also a very clear picture of the manner in which these potted meats were presented and a substantial hint as to the devising of other permutations and combinations of poultry , game and meat for potting : " Take as much lean of boiled ham as you please , and half the quantity of fat , cut it as thin as possible , beat it very fine in a mortar , with a little oiled butter , beaten mace , pepper and salt , pot part of it into a china pot , then beat the white part of a fowl with a very little seasoning ; it is to qualify the ham , put a lay of chicken , then one of ham , then chicken at the top , press it hard down , and when it is cold , pour clarified butter over it ; when you send it to the table cut out a thin slice in the form of half a diamond , and lay it round the edge of your pot . " Elizabeth Raffald , The Experienced English Housekeeper , 1769
Idiom: from scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
In Roosevelt 's New Deal administration the bureau was brought under closer presidential control and two main effects became apparent : the bureau assisted the President in the difficult job of controlling his own bureaucracy , and the President 's programme , cleared and co - ordinated by the bureau , increasingly set the congressional agenda . It is now reckoned that 80 per cent of laws enacted by Congress emanate from the executive — if one were to weight these laws in terms of importance , almost certainly that proportion would be higher . As one House of Representatives committee chairman told the Eisenhower administration in 1953 : ‘ do n't expect us to start from scratch on what you people want . That 's not the way we do things here — you draft the bills and we work them over’(Mullen , 1976 , p. 60 ) . We shall look at the executive role in policy implementation when we examine the workings of bureaucracy later .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
According to Jamie , the object of the game is to get a soggy fag - end from wherever it is in the channel along to and down the coverless hole , breaking it up as much as possible en –ute . You can score points for the number of ceramic divisions you can move the butt over ( with extra for actually getting it down the hole and extra for doing it from the far end of the gutter from the hole ) , for the amount of destruction caused — apparently it 's very hard to get the little black cone at the burned end to disintegrate — and , over the course of the evening , the number of fag - ends so dispatched . The game can be played in a more limited form in the little bowl - type individual urinals which are more fashionable these days , but Jamie has never tried this himself , being so short that if he is to use one of those he has to stand about a metre back from it and lob his waste water in . Anyway , it sounds like something to make long pisses much more interesting , but it is not for me , thanks to cruel fate . ' Is he yur bruthur or sumhin ? '
Idiom: make tracks (used idiomatically: no)
Like mathematics , it does n't only stretch the imagination . It also disciplines and controls it . Making tracks through animal space As we saw in Chapter 2 , many people find it hard to believe that something like the eye , Paley 's favourite example , so complex and well designed , with so many interlocking working parts , could have arisen from small beginnings by a gradual series of step - by - step changes . Let 's return to the problem in the light of such new intuitions as the biomorphs may have given us .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
I flew her three times straight off , and then returned her to the aviary . I felt an incredible sense of relief and achievement , but as Richard quickly reminded me it 's not during the first free flights that a bird takes the opportunity to fly off , because it does n't fully realise what it means to be free . It 's when you 've been flying them for a few days consecutively that it ( pardon the pun ) dawns on them that they could escape and find out what 's over the next hill . I still had that hurdle to overcome . This is something else that is more difficult with an owl than a falcon .
Idiom: have a heart (used idiomatically: yes)
Frankie had left home and was now living in lodgings in a little backstreet near the pub they were sitting in . Frankie followed the boxing scene with much interest and it was through boxing that Billy had become involved with the volatile character in the first place . Chopper Harris , on the other hand , was a dullard who had a big heart where his friends were concerned , and it was he who often stood cups of tea or a pint for his friends . Billy had gone to school with Chopper and knew his background very well . He got his name from an incident when he was a lad .
Idiom: come to mind (used idiomatically: yes)
When an English speaker realises that a foreign person they are speaking to does n't understand one of their sentences , they repeat it , the same way , but louder , as though the person were deaf . At no point does it come to their mind that their vocabulary might be complicated or that their expression might most probably be ambiguous to a foreigner and that they could reword it in a simpler way . The result is that not only the person still does n't understand , but gets irritated at being considered deaf .
Idiom: seal of approval (used idiomatically: yes)
Sir Roger Bannister trained on Oxford 's Iffley Road track with Chris Chattaway before breaking the four minute barrier . He was back at the track to mark the donation of a quarter of a million pounds to refurbish the surface . A young man from Gloucestershire who wants to become a professional juggler has been given the royal seal of approval . Peter Cook has been awarded a thousand pounds by the Prince 's Youth Business Trust to set up his own juggling company . Pearl Afferty reports .
Idiom: take the fall (used idiomatically: yes)
During his convalescence he met the girl who was to become his wife at the local hunt ball and married her before returning to France . It was in 1918 , the last year of the war , when everything seemed to happen at once . His mother died , then his wife , out with the local hunt , when she took a bad fall . She 'd lasted ten days , long enough for Shaw to rush home on compassionate leave to be with her when she died . It was Lavinia who had supported him every step of the way , kept him upright at the graveside , yet within a month she , too , was alone , her husband shot down over the Western Front .