Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: word of mouth (used idiomatically: no)
They are told about maternity grants and other benefits , the possibility of having a social worker , and lots of other useful information . Sadly , pregnant girls were not yet flocking to this club , even after a launch day at the civic centre , and radio advertising . More community midwives are needed to persuade girls to come , but the most effective way at present is word of mouth . The initial publicity had , however , encouraged some pregnant girls along , including Sara , who had started coming when she was twenty - four weeks pregnant , and now had three - and - a - half weeks left to go . On the day I was there , she had brought along two of her friends who were in a much earlier stage of pregnancy .
Idiom: join the club (used idiomatically: yes)
Nutty said heavily , scornfully . You could do anything in this world , she had already discovered , if you paid for it . She had asked if they could have it private , early or late , but had been told they must join the club , for which there was a waiting list and a subscription . ‘ Anyway,’ Gloria said , offhand . ‘ They often do n't go , from what Seb says .
Idiom: up to scratch (used idiomatically: yes)
Voice over Bruno 's been training hard for this fight in Leicester . Some of his past opponents , like Joe Bugner in 1987 , have n't been up to scratch . South African , Pierre Coetzer says he 's not just there for the payout . Male speaker
Idiom: no dice (used idiomatically: yes)
bum . You 've got the bum ! No dice ! ? No .
Idiom: get off the ground (used idiomatically: yes)
BRITISH companies seeking new markets get a helping hand today for any projects they fancy setting up in Russia . With our own economy still struggling along , anything that can boost overseas ventures for UK groups is welcome news . And Russia is , after all , where the first English joint - stock company , of the sort whose shares we would recognise on the market today , got off the ground . It was the Muscovy Company , formed by enterprising English merchants in the year 1554 to trade with the country then ruled by Tzar Ivan the Terrible . It marked the beginning of the London Stock Exchange and an international trading boom for Britain .
Idiom: gone with the wind (used idiomatically: no)
As one critic puts it , the picture is ' forensic ' , not pornographic . His work is the exact opposite of Helmut Newton 's neo - Victorian titillations . It is not prurient but cruel , hip and disturbingly beautiful , intimate and playfully referential , as in Thomas and Dovana , where a naked black man and a ball - gowned white woman are caught , dancing , in a pose that both mocks and reveres the myths and fears of Gone with the Wind . A culture unzippered . Clearly stuff to trouble a Know Nothing .
Idiom: fun and games (used idiomatically: yes)
Cos we 've changed that very much did n't we ? Well we started working in this one that I 've got here . Okay , so you sort of nine , ten , eleven cos we had fun and games with Do you want me to come round there so you can read this sheet as well ?
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
The magazine 's managing editor Tom Nash said : ‘ People get desperate in the recession — particularly entrepreneurs who have seen their businesses go bust.’ OH BLAST IT SQUIDGY , I'VE SQUASHED THE CAR ( About time The Sun hit one spot on ) PETER KANE PRINCESS Diana 's shy pal James Gilbey finally met the press yesterday … in a head - on road smash .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
Flat expanses of sand conjured up images of the savannah it had once been : giraffes picking leaves from high branches , an antelope grazing , and young zebras running in circles while their mothers eye a drowsy lion in the long grass . The cliffs which had proved so difficult bordered a valley a mile or more across , the bed of what had once been a great , meandering river . It put me in mind of the vast River Niger further south , which brings fish and game to villagers all along its course . My mind games were not always concerned with the past ; sometimes they involved transforming my surroundings into a fantasy landscape . In the river - bed , islands of rock stuck up above the imaginary water level .
Idiom: take it or leave it (used idiomatically: yes)
Take it or leave it . ' Miss Rene went before her out of the storeroom , her hand waving in the air , and the other two sisters took it up chanting merrily : ' Take it or leave it . Take it or leave it . ' At the shop door they all stood around her , and she looked at them solemnly now and said , ' Thank you so much . You know , when I came from ' — she thumbed towards the wall — next door , not more than half an hour ago , I was very sad inside .
Idiom: turn a blind eye (used idiomatically: yes)
Have you seen policemen patrolling the flats ? Oh yeah , I 've seen them . I 've seen them , but I mean if , if they saw anything , I think they 'd just turn a blind eye to most of it . Mm . Have , have you seen anything like that happen , or is ?
Idiom: make heavy weather of (used idiomatically: yes)
A full - strength Gloucester side against Richmond . It should have been easy ; it should have been a walkover . The 4 tries were good enough , but inbetween , the cherry and whites made heavy weather of the game . They were 10 - 15 down at half - time . Richmond scored the first try .
Idiom: all along (used idiomatically: yes)
But it may be the one part of Daimler that is able to do a deal with some of the Mitsubishi companies , which are eager for a way into trading , finance and other service businesses in Europe . Daimler 's recent decision to take a 10 % stake in Metallgesellschaft , a leading German supplier of environmental technology including vehicle - parts recycling , also makes some sense . This was the kind of diversification Daimler should have pursued all along , rather than chasing grandiose ‘ synergies’ which probably do not exist . Mr Reuter remains unrepentant , at least in public . And Deutsche Bank continues to back him , despite Herrhausen 's death .
Idiom: ring a bell (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Is it anyone I know?’ she asked , wishing that David would stop staring at her . ‘ His name 's Len Seager.’ She frowned , shaking her head , then as the name rang a bell in her mind she looked up quickly . ‘ Oh , yes , I do know Len . I remember him from his hearing tests — a quiet man .
Idiom: turn the tables (used idiomatically: yes)
Our journeys to and through survival take place within a culture that encourages women to take responsibility for themselves , men and children . A culture in which those who are abused pay the price — twice , three and more times over . It 's time to turn the tables . Liz Kelly WORDS FROM THE SAME HEART
Idiom: once and for all (used idiomatically: yes)
The beauty of glass , he wrote , is this , that the surface does not have to be covered . Much of the middle , in fact , he wrote , will depend on where it is set up . If I could only resolve that lower right hand panel though , he wrote , or even decide once and for all to leave it empty , then perhaps the boredom would disappear . Boredom a sign of failure , he wrote . If I am bored then I have not found the way to do what I wanted to do .
Idiom: in the soup (used idiomatically: no)
A heavy fog had descended upon us , and we realized that finding the other two divers had to be the immediate priority . Finding a lone man amid open ocean is doubtful at the best of times , and we had just been through the densest fog bank either one of us had ever experienced . We motored around in this soup , attempting to follow the current that the two divers had followed . We finally found them and quickly picked them up . They had drifted much farther than I would have thought possible .
Idiom: come to think of it (used idiomatically: yes)
What on earth they had been doing all this time before being consumed with their mad dreams of conquest I do not know . But there they were , in their thousands , or it may have been millions , and they were a horrific threat to the survival of humanity on this planet . Come to think of it , the Krooms may have come from outer space , though outer space was not then as popular as it later became for launching expeditions against Earthmen . Be that as it may , the most desperate measures were necessary to provide even the most slender chance of defeating the malevolent hordes . Fortunately there was a scientist about who had invented and brought to a high pitch of development , a time machine .
Idiom: there's the rub (used idiomatically: yes)
We need to go only as far as eqn ( 2.21 ) . We may see then that we chose our reference point at infinity . Perhaps there is the rub . We may have tampered too much with infinity . Let us abandon that assumption and see what happens .
Idiom: knock it off (used idiomatically: yes)
It was n't off ? No oh do n't say that to him though , cos he 'll blow his top wo n't he ? Yeah hiya , I 'm just coming up now with you some dinner , er , I do n't know whether the cats have knocked it off or have ya ? Yeah , okay , I 've just been to Asda so kids are on the way to put the bits of shopping in the van , alright , cos I got 'em some cereal and some bread and I 'll bring up the toaster , they can take the toaster with 'em for a while and oh there is , is there ? Oh well okay then , erm , but I 've got 'em cereal and sugar and coffee and tea and bread and some cheese slices to make some toasted sandwiches and , so it should be okay , alright , er , I wo n't be long , alright , bye .
Idiom: in tandem (used idiomatically: yes)
The focus for method work was also provided by a student 's account of a lesson he or she had taught . Here we proceeded in exactly the same way , dividing the activities between paired and whole group work . In one such session two students who had tried teaching a lesson in tandem , set out their objectives and procedures and tried to evaluate their success in the lesson . The lesson in question had as its intended outcome a transactional dialogue in pairs . The fifth form class were preparing to take part later in the term in the Negotiator / Interpreter assessments .
Idiom: make waves (used idiomatically: yes)
BY DAY , and often by night , Dr Graham Tydeman is a reassuring registrar in obstetrics at Falkirk Royal Infirmary , calming down anxious mothers as they give birth . In his spare time , however , he is constructing a Silence of the Lambs - style cage in his garage near Armadale which is intended to frighten the living daylights out of anyone who enters it . In his alter ego , Graham Tydeman has already made waves as a sculptor with the accent on the unusual ; now , it would appear , he has excelled himself . For his part in a week - long happening at Glasgow 's Tramway Theatre in early May —‘an exploration around the body , halfway between theatre and sculptor’— he has drawn on his own private nightmare . It was one , he said , which kept recurring … known as ‘ locked in syndrome .
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
We are what we are . It is impossible to force or encourage someone into a different sexuality from that which pertains to them . ' What both Mr Roberts and Mr Smith were actually trying to do was get Labour off the ' promotion ' hook . If people are born heterosexual or homosexual then the concept of ' promotion ' is irrelevant . If , however , human beings are born with the capacity to be sexual — with a sexuality — but the manner in which that sexuality is expressed is socially constructed , then ' promotion ' is possible .
Idiom: don't hold your breath (used idiomatically: yes)
you see , so , after that shop it came over the tannoy me and Elaine staying open , I ai n't going , I ca n't handle it I said I just wanna get out , it was really like a sentence I just could n't stand it of course I laughed , me and Elaine went to the meeting same place , same wall and I kept looking at her and we brought you in here to say thanks , and Elaine looked at me and I looked at her and I said well if that 's all he 's got ta say I said I 'm not , I , what did I say to Elaine ? I said do n't hold your breath Elaine but if it 's what I think 's in that carrier bag over there it ai n't a voucher , cos they all were saying What were it ? I wonder if we 've got twenty five pound voucher there would be some oh greed at the front you know , and there was a , all of us attended this meeting and that 's every single person in the building and I bet there was fifteen maximum twenty , that was all that was left in the whole building
Idiom: make or break (used idiomatically: yes)
It is the one that speaks volumes , the one that counts , the sleeve upon which NME wears its heart . It 's the part that catches your eye on WH Smith 's ankle - height shelf , it is the visual reference point , the crux . Not only does it influence whether or not you fork out the requisite 65p , it can make or break a band . Since 1972 , it would be true to say that the NME cover can not be bought . Prior to this date , the cover took the rather uninspired form of an A3 advertisement paid for by one of the big record companies .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
You could put it over that big scar thing on it . That big line . You could put a flower on it 's nose to cover it up . Put it on it 's bum . No it 's had a bit of a fight has n't it ?
Idiom: up in the air (used idiomatically: yes)
Like them men we saw on the newsreel , ai n't he?’ Gloria snapped back , ‘ No , I told you before , he were n't never a pilot . Never went up in the air . Though do n't you go thinking , just because a fellow do n't get airborne , did n't stop me liking him . In my own way.’
Idiom: fall into place (used idiomatically: yes)
Thus postnominal position does go hand in hand with a notion of emphasis , but only of one particular type , which is perhaps the weakest of those that might be considered . Moreover , since postnominal position is not a device for marking emphasis as such , a mere desire for emphasis does not of itself make postnominal position possible . The strong correlation between characterization and prenominal position , and " occasion " use and postnominal position also falls naturally into place , as well as the fact that it does not amount to a complete correspondence . When one is aiming simply to identify an entity for a hearer , in the nature of things one will tend to find enduring characteristics more reliable as the means of doing so , although there will certainly be a proportion of cases where some " occasional " property is just as useful . But if it is desirable to assign a property to an entity , then that will far more frequently , although not invariably , be needed precisely when the property is not an inherent quality of the entity in question ; further , this will especially be so when the property is tied to some particular event — hence the high incidence of present and past participles among postnominals .
Idiom: on the money (used idiomatically: no)
Improvise with flair Since most of us have very limited budgets for furnishing it is essential to know when to spend , when to save and how to improvise . For example , comfortable anchor pieces like large upholstery and capacious storage should , and will , certainly have first call on your money . This leaves the smaller pieces like coffee tables , ordinary tables , work tables , side tables and occasional chairs and low storage to make demands on your ingenuity and imagination . Most of them can be put together quite cheaply but without ruining the style or atmosphere of the room ; on the contrary it 's often these that add most of the character to a room and reflect your personality better than the bought pieces which can look like everyone else 's .
Idiom: by and large (used idiomatically: yes)
How does ten miles relate to the definition of the Greater York study area ? as a general erm guideline chairman , the Greater York study area has a some degree of consistency with the outer boundary erm of the York greenbelt which is generally around about six miles erm from the Greater York er er from from the City Centre . And in fact , quite fortuitously we did bring along a plan today which has a six mile radius , erm from the Centre of York which was er the subject of some discussion at the greenbelt local plan enquiry and by and large , erm there is some consistency between the outer boundary or the greenbelt erm and the Greater York study area , both at around about six miles from the city centre . I do n't understand that . That is the
Idiom: in the red (used idiomatically: yes)
It took weeks of winning his trust before he finally let us film his operation . We took a rickety public bus with him twenty miles out of town and then struck out on foot for several hours into the wilderness . We saw not another soul , even when we finally reached the clearing where a number of circular dustbin - sized holes had been neatly excavated in the red mud . Only when Halim whistled astonishingly loudly through his blackened front teeth , did a small platoon of grubby , half - naked men sheepishly emerge from their hiding places in the bush and recommence excavating the holes with trowels made from flattened tin cans , and thin probes of concrete - reinforcement steel . " This my army , " Halim announced proudly and , with a sweeping gesture,"this our private Ming mine !
Idiom: round the bend (used idiomatically: yes)
Leaning over the parapet to watch the young bloods in the river sprucing up their horses for the fair . Bare chested and wet trousered , the job done , they swank before their audience then gallop off to Fair Hill . The crowd begins to melt away and a bubbling froth is tossed along the river , dancing and swirling and disappearing from sight round the bend . I hope that 's ozone - friendly washing - up liquid they 're using . Gig racing , horse racing , buying and selling of Fell ponies , Dales ponies , piebalds and skewbalds and painted gypsy ponies , mongrels and workhorses of all shapes and sizes .
Idiom: on the level (used idiomatically: yes)
On the level of the abstract command of a regulation the European citizen in trans - border action can not foresee , for example , fifteen different national blanket clauses in the field of economic criminal ~ law .
Idiom: push the panic button (used idiomatically: yes)
And a delighted Billy Bonds saluted Allen 's week by saying : ‘ He is just a great goalscorer — it 's as simple as that.’ A classic Trevor Morley effort was sandwiched between Allen 's double after Ian Rodgerson had given Blues the lead . Derby County chairman Brian Fearn has refused to push the panic button after Tranmere 's 2–1 win . He and Derby 's millionaire owner Lionel Pickering met with manager Arthur Cox after the latest disaster and later issued a pledge of ‘ business as usual.’ Manager Colin Murphy was far from happy after seeing Southend crash to a late goal that increased their relegation worries .
Idiom: turn heads (used idiomatically: yes)
CHAPTER SEVEN ' Tell me more about Suzie . ' Rune must have read her guilt and disappointment as she turned her head away from him . ' This friction between her and your mother — was it really important or just a manifestation of teenage rebellion ? ' ' I think it was just a build - up of ongoing tension between them , ' Gina admitted unhappily .
Idiom: child's play (used idiomatically: yes)
And a British teacher I knew used to point out to me the oddness of Chinese children 's drawing styles compared with those of Western children . While Western infants are quite happy to draw in ways that are characteristically ‘ childish’ Chinese children rule careful lines and get quite frustrated in their attempts to produce pictures that do not look childish . Chinese parents do , of course , shower love and attention on their children but it is always made quite clear that child 's - play has to remain well within the limits of normal social behaviour . The same control applies to adults in their treatment of children . You hardly ever see a parent hit a child .
Idiom: head south (used idiomatically: yes)
His two sons Graham , aged eight , and Craig , six , witnessed the accident . CAVAN Pickpockets head south DETECTIVES in the Republic believe a gang of pickpockets which struck recently at shopping centres in Newry have now moved to Cavan where several stores were targeted in recent days . BALLYRONEY
Idiom: get a grip (used idiomatically: yes)
But Tory backbenchers are desperate for him to end the drift . Most of them are in no mood for another leadership contest and , in any case , there is no plausible challenger outside the Cabinet . But if the Prime Minister does not get a grip soon , even those who have staunchly backed him up to now will conclude that there is no alternative but for him to go . The country , too , needs a government which shows confidence , competence and a sense of purpose . So far , Mr Major has appeared lacking in all three .
Idiom: hands down (used idiomatically: yes)
DEC has decided to withdraw from exhibiting at the London Open Systems Show the first week in November , saying that it is worried about lack of support for the event . Others not exhibiting include Sun , Hewlett - Packard and the Santa Cruz Operation , although these companies will be involved in a series of vendor - led seminars . DEC had the prime position on the Show floor , a spot which has now been handed down to IBM . DEC says it will be attending the Open Forum show in Utrecht , later in November . Tadpole Technology plc , lost its chairman Bill Gilkes last week : George Grey , Tadpole chief executive officer and founder said a replacement will be named within 90 days .
Idiom: bear fruit (used idiomatically: yes)
The challenge of the electronic media informs much of its Strategic objectives for the year 2000 ( May 1993 ) . From the enhanced provision of electronic delivery by the Document Supply Centre to a huge programme for retrospectively converting music , map and manuscript catalogues which have been created over a period of more than one hundred and fifty years , to the question of how to extend the provisions of the Copyright Act 1911 to include legal deposit of digital publications , the Library faces a formidable set of tasks arising from the electronic revolution . Much investment has borne fruit already : in the publication by Chadwyck - Healey of the British Library Catalogue on CD - ROM , in the electronic output ( including CD - ROM publications ) of the National Bibliographic Service , in the publication by Bowker - Saur of the retroconverted Catalogue of Printed Music , and so on . In the autumn of 1993 , our Online Public Access Catalogue ( OPAC ) will be mounted on JANET,(and thus eventually on super - JANET ) and more specialised catalogues are likely to follow in due course . Our directorate of Computing and Telecommunications is establishing British Library Network Services in pursuit of the ambitious ultimate aim ' to be able to supply to the remote user text , sound or visual images from all parts of the collection …
Idiom: wipe the floor with (used idiomatically: yes)
To which the reply is : ‘ Make sure we do n't load the bases if Clark is due up.’ What is certain is that Oakland start their second consecutive World Series as firm favourites , their combination of power ( Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire ) , pitching ( Dave Stewart and Mike Moore ) , defence ( Mike Gallego and Carney Lansford ) and speed commonly seen as too strong for a San Francisco side carrying several half - fit pitchers and vulnerable defensively to Henderson 's base stealing . Yet Oakland were also supposed to wipe the floor with Los Angeles a year ago . Then they were a single out away from going one game up in Dodger Stadium — only for Kirk Gibson to turn the Series on its head with a home run at the last moment . And when the time came for the A 's big bats to show their muscle , they froze like rabbits in the spotlight of Orel Hershiser 's fastball .