Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: down and out (used idiomatically: yes)
Her children felt , it seemed , as immediately at home as she had . Molly moved to a high window someone had left open , fearing that the baby , to escape its pursuing sisters , might leap out . She thought again what a point of defence the tower was , commanding the countryside , and then she saw that there was a back road leading away from the tower , narrower , bumpier even than the drive to the front door , which snaked quickly down the hill and out of sight . That way , whoever had brought the ham and cheese , and she could guess who it must have been , had vanished as they arrived , leaving a set of keys behind . ' Why do n't you come down and have a swim ?
Idiom: out to lunch (used idiomatically: yes)
They felt so grateful to the CWPR for protecting them — even though they could n't afford pigswill and potato peelings for their supper anymore . Anyway , that day was obviously a lucky day . The troll was out to lunch , the sky did not fall in and the three pals arrived without mishap at the Gruff 's house . Standing on tip - trotters , they rang the bell . Ding - dong !
Idiom: slip through the net (used idiomatically: yes)
They used to write back and they said he was always being sent out and I said that 's because he 's bored ! He could n't be bothered you see . And how many more children slip through the net that way ? That 's right . It 's very true .
Idiom: fun and games (used idiomatically: yes)
Although most of the activities of the Young Conservatives may be ostensibly apolitical , nevertheless a tacit deal has been struck , which is of great political value to the main Party . As pan of its side of the deal , the senior branch allows the fun to continue ; it aids the YCs in material ways , by providing premises , helping with the occasional financial loan and generally keeping a benign eye on things . In return for the fun and games , the youthful members , whether or not interested in politics , are expected to help with the electioneering . In this way , the Party furnishes itself with an army of willing and uncomplaining helpers for the vital tasks of conducting electoral campaigns . In marginal constituencies the smoothness of the campaigning machine can make the difference between success or failure , and the Conservative Party generally has a reputation for efficient , well - financed organization .
Idiom: hack it (used idiomatically: yes)
A formidable and flamboyant performer , Andrea is intent on bringing the energy back to live shows . ‘ I get the biggest buzz out of getting on stage . I 'm sick of all these people making great music , but when you put them on stage , they ca n't hack it , I think that 's pretty weak . I found the acid house thing really disillusioning . There was a time when I 'd go to clubs , feel nothing , get a headache , and have to leave .
Idiom: in the short run (used idiomatically: yes)
The bond channel does n’t work when bond yields are already low ; and the credit channel does n’t work when banks hoard liquidity and velocity collapses . Indeed , those who can borrow ( high - grade firms and prime households ) do n’t want or need to , while those who need to – highly leveraged firms and non - prime households – ca n’t , owing to the credit crunch . Moreover , the stock - market channel leading to asset reflation following QE works only in the short run if growth fails to recover . And the reduction in real interest rates via a rise in expected inflation when open - ended QE is implemented risks eventually stoking inflation expectations . Third , the foreign - exchange channel of QE transmission – the currency weakening implied by monetary easing – is ineffective if several major central banks pursue QE at the same time .
Idiom: on the back of (used idiomatically: yes)
He pulled over to the kerb and struck a match , shading it with his hand . ‘ Should be up here somewhere.’ The pencil lines on the back of the Lucky Strike packet that were supposed to represent the commercial heart of Glasgow , somehow did n't match up with the darkened canyon they were driving along . ‘ Say,’ said Riley . ‘ Here 's one of their trams .
Idiom: in the flesh (used idiomatically: yes)
She had agreed to that and named her fee . But what more could he reasonably expect of her ? Did a bitch do more than submit when she was mounted by a strange dog in the street , held down by his teeth in the loose flesh of her neck to keep her still and ensure his better satisfaction ? What else was this ? She closed her eyes again , wondering how long , and then opened them wide , staring in disbelief as he withdrew from her , his act far from complete , got up and with the purest gesture of impatience she had ever seen , threw an Oriental robe of some kind in garish , tribal colours , around his shoulders .
Idiom: spot on (used idiomatically: yes)
He had never intended to turn the dog loose , only to scare Frankie into scuttling for safety like a terrified rabbit running ahead of the hounds . He seated himself on the cold tiles and picked at their dark dusty colours with one finger . There was a stinging spot on the side of his tongue where his teeth had sunk into the soft flesh . Last night he had dreamed yet again that the Irishman was doing dirty things in his mam 's bed . It was the same dream as before , only this time Frankie had entered the room with his father 's long - handled axe held high above his head .
Idiom: right as rain (used idiomatically: yes)
It 's just a matter of when and how . But just because I promised I 'd make you a rich widow , do n't think you 're going to get rid of me yet . I 'll be right as rain now we 're home . London never did suit me . Everyone always dashin ' about like lunatics .
Idiom: game on (used idiomatically: yes)
World Cup fever comes to Trinidad and Tobago . THEY were jostling in the streets of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday as 29,500 tickets for the decisive World Cup qualifier with the United States went on sale at six outlets nationwide — and sold out within two hours . However , those who emerged empty - handed from all the pushing and shoving that went on should be able to see November 19 's game on giant video screens which the government is hoping to install in three different locations . The rush for tickets was sparked by Sunday 's goalless draw between the US and El Salvador which left Trinidad needing only to draw against the Americans in the National Stadium to qualify for next year 's finals . AC Milan 's Marco van Basten , in great form since his return from injury , is set to lead the Dutch attack in the decisive World Cup qualifier with Finland in Rotterdam on November 15 .
Idiom: give up the ghost (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Bum . Tit.’ If it was the battery it must have finally given up the ghost , because there was n't even the faintest wheeze or whisper from the starter motor . Whatever it was , she could do nothing about it herself , since she had n't the remotest idea what went on under the bonnet of the Renault . She got wearily out of the car and tramped across the car park to the reception lobby , where she asked the receptionist with peroxided hair if she could phone the AA .
Idiom: in spades (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ No,’ he said , ‘ I 'm the man from the auto - marine . I 'm here to do an inventory on your cruiser.’ If she 'd stung him before then he got his revenge now , and in spades . Her mouth fell open , and she clapped a hand over it . She went pale , and then coloured up red .
Idiom: licence to print money (used idiomatically: yes)
Ladbrokes other betting : 5–1 The Illywhacker , Second Schedual , 7–1 Freeline Finishing , Deep Sensation , 8–1 Far Senior . Pot of gold FOLLOWING our POT LUCK feature has become a licence to print money in recent weeks . Readers in the know were rewarded with their fifth payout in a fortnight at Wetherby yesterday when the suggested eight point stake produced a dividend of £ 135.40 to a £ 1 unit . Sampras halts Becker revival
Idiom: high and low (used idiomatically: yes)
Sitting with E. on stone under the wall … The sounds are two , and only two . On the left , Durlston Head roaring high and low , like a giant asleep . On the right a thrush . Above the bird hands the new moon and a steady planet’ .
Idiom: face to face (used idiomatically: yes)
Having said that , I 've met some very nice people who are terribly pro - dog and anti my campaign , but not anti - me . For instance , Mr Bill Edmond of the Kennel Club . Originally , I felt quite negative towards him — until I met him face to face and thought , ‘ Oh , he 's quite a nice man.’ Q : Would you like to see PANDA work together with the Kennel Club ? A : Well , I suppose I would — that would be the ideal situation , but I think you 've got to face up to the reality of the whole thing .
Idiom: swings and roundabouts (used idiomatically: yes)
Newcastle , though , need others to trip up . And Barnsley 's advantage could have been cut from five to two points had Keegan 's side not lacked the creative nous to topple them . A case of swings and roundabouts perhaps ? Newcastle have gained Keegan 's kick - start inspiration and solid organisation on the football management merry - go - round but at the expense , it seems , of the subtle artistry Ossie Ardiles introduced . Keegan knew his side would face Barnsley 's stifling three - man central - defensive formation , yet the attempts to counter it bordered on the banal .
Idiom: pissed off (used idiomatically: yes)
Since Dionne 's serious no to a casual affair , Jay had found it hard to talk to her . She shrugged . ‘ Well , she 's pissed off with the boy for a cultural break.’ ‘ And?’ ‘ And ?
Idiom: to say the least (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Because they 're women in a man 's world . We all are . Wrens rarely get a real ship , you see , and some of the old hands look on us as intruders , to say the least . A few openly resent us ; that 's why we 've got to try to be as good as they are.’ ‘ Resent us?’
Idiom: break even (used idiomatically: yes)
As a run up to this , the London - based group devoted a good deal of management time to restructuring the US operations , mainly in the sphere of sales and customer support . According to chief executive Michael Warburg , it is also running ‘ a tighter ship to keep costs under control’ , and is trying to improve the company 's image by ensuring that software and services are delivered and implemented on time . Although he said he would be happy to see Brokerage break even by the end of the 1993 fiscal year , he did add that this would depend on the timing and amount of licence sales made . Group pre - tax profits for the year ending February 28 fell 12.5 % to £ 1.2 m . But if Brokerage 's £ 493,000 losses are not included , these actually rose 23 % to £ 1.7 m .
Idiom: to the bone (used idiomatically: no)
Far worse . For she had had vivid dreams — dreams in which he was dead and she had gone to see him in the T'ang 's Great Hall , laid out in state , clothed from head to foot in the white cloth of death . She stared at him a moment , her eyes narrowed slightly , as if she saw through the flesh to the bone itself , and while he met her staring eyes unflinchingly , something in the depths of him squirmed and tried to break away . They had been Ping Tiao . A specially trained cell .
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: yes)
The letter concerns formation of an obscure bone in the heads of a group of burrowing lizards called the amphisbaenians . ' This scientific paper would have riveted the anatomical and zoological world of the 1920s . It should do so today , ' says anatomist Dr Robert Presley of University College Cardiff , commenting on the paper . Comparative anatomy , however , is an unfashionable science in the West today . The excitement concerns a bone in the floor of the skull , that lies between the eyes of amphisbaenians , called the orbitosphenoid bone .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
' Suit ' games can reach up to with 11 multipliers or without 11 multipliers ( 4 Jacks , 7 Trump ~ cards ) . ' Grand ' games are played up to only with or without 4 multipliers .
Idiom: crystal clear (used idiomatically: yes)
Some incidents from my childhood are crystal clear , others are just a dim memory .
Idiom: at the crossroads (used idiomatically: yes)
Ziba wailed her grief . Another weeping woman staggered in off the street . Two men running to market to look for food had been killed at the crossroads by a sniper . There was silence in the courtyard . Even the guns were still for a moment .
Idiom: see red (used idiomatically: yes)
The colony is one of the most accessible for birdwatchers , and Puffin Cruises — run by the RSPB — takes them to the bottom of the cliffs for close views of the birds diving for fish and flying back from feeding grounds . Trips , costing £ 6 , run during May , June and July . Armchair birdwatchers can see red kites and peregrine falcons through the eyes of painter Bruce Pearson in David Cobham 's Birdscape on Channel 4 on Thursdays in May and June . THE BATIK TECHNIQUE The ancient art of batik , a form of resist dyeing , has been perfected over centuries on the Indonesian island of Java , so it was there that Angela Newport went to learn the technique .
Idiom: on paper (used idiomatically: no)
Very often , as we 've mentioned already in this programme , there 's contrast between alertness , brightness , whatever you call it , with words in speech and the disability in writing it down . So because there 's this contrast the child is n't necessarily playing up or not bothering . Also the dyslexic child is not necessarily unintelligent because he ca n't write something which you 've just written on the blackboard or which has only just been shown to him in some other way ; the dyslexic person ca n't look up at a blackboard , hold the visual symbols in her mind and get them down on paper in a different position . If the nature of dyslexia is borne in mind by the teacher , then the child 's confidence wo n't necessarily be undermined . So many dyslexic children have been reduced to a state of dreadful anxiety by teachers who 've called them stupid in front of the other children .
Idiom: every last (used idiomatically: yes)
Is n't it a beauty?’ ‘ Yes,’ she answered softly , but all the while she was watching him , seeing how his eyes cast a line to the climbing bird . Saw how he grasped every last detail of it and held that knowledge tight in his memory . His body was tensed , following the bird 's flight , and his eyes burned . She shivered .
Idiom: left and right (used idiomatically: no)
The puddles in the hollows of the paving stones shimmered with a wash of colour as booted feet splashed through them , and officials of the court stood with long faces as they counted the extent of the destruction wrought by the rains . ‘ Bad luck,’ Ordai said , riding at Alexei 's side . He spat left and right . Alexei frowned . Some men were already saying that Artai 's election was ill - starred .
Idiom: take someone's word for it (used idiomatically: yes)
Are n't you going to produce it?’ he rasped out . ‘ You do n't need to see it . You can take my word for it.’ Marc threw his head back with a scathing guffaw . ‘ Good try , but you surely do n't think I 'll fall for a line like that?’
Idiom: on a roll (used idiomatically: yes)
On to the last day and Nicklaus — who was putting in a charge in front of us attempting the third part of the grand slam , having won the Masters and the US Open in 1972—and everything was going reasonably well until the 7th , the hare hole . We 'd seen the hare at the 4th and it reappeared again , dashing around right in Lee 's vision as he was putting , which cost him a stroke . Lee kept on the attack despite this and the fact that Nicklaus was on a roll . At the 9th tee Lee insisted on playing his driver because the Bear was on the run . He had been using the 1-iron , even though it was a par-5 , but he was afraid of dropping behind .
Idiom: rise to the occasion (used idiomatically: yes)
Within this context he also criticized families for whom welfare assistance had become a way of life . He expressed approval for the concept " that when able - bodied adults receive government assistance , they have responsibilities to the taxpayer : a responsibility to seek work , education , or job training , a responsibility to get their lives in order , a responsibility to hold their families together and refrain from having children out of wedlock , and a responsibility to obey the law . " Bush ended his speech by returning to the Desert War theme and informing his audience that"We are still the freest nation on earth ; the kindest nation on earth ; the strongest nation on earth ; and we have always risen to the occasion . We are going to lift this nation out of hard times inch by inch and day by day , and those who would stop us had best step aside . Because I look at hard times and I make this vow : This will not stand . "
Idiom: moment of truth (used idiomatically: yes)
The Middle ~ East ’s Moment of Truth JERUSALEM : Whatever the outcome of the summit convened by President Clinton at Camp David between Prime ~ Minister Ehud ~ Barak of Israel and PLO Chairman Yassar ~ Arafat , one thing is clear : the moment of truth for Israeli - Palestinian peace negotiations has arrived . Defections from Prime ~ Minister Barak ’s government and coalition , including the resignation of his foreign ~ minister , David Levy , who refused to accompany Barak to Washington , will make the negotiations even more dramatic . Israel and the Palestinians have been negotiating since 1995 , when they signed the Oslo Accords whose major achievement was mutual recognition and autonomy in areas of the West ~ Bank and Gaza for the Palestinians .
Idiom: make tracks (used idiomatically: no)
We would like to make use of the tracks during a sequence in the programme where music is heard coming from a car radio . We would anticipate using between 30 and 60 seconds of the song . I would be extremely grateful if you could let me know if we are able to make use of the track and if so , what the cost would be . Yours sincerely Vicki Whadcoat Electronic Publishing & Development
Idiom: jump on the bandwagon (used idiomatically: yes)
Twenty years ago we were thrilled when our accountant advised us to move into a larger house in order to qualify for a much higher tax exemption on our mortgage . We eagerly set out to find our dream home but , after much searching , eventually we decided that there was no way we could leave our quiet countryside house with its beautiful views . We 're still here , two extensions later , and very happy not to have jumped on the house - moving bandwagon . Over the years we 've enjoyed annual family holidays without feeling the pinch and we 've built up good relationships with our neighbours and the surrounding community . Our house has increased in value and we feel lucky that we 're not affected by the slump in the housing market .
Idiom: odds and ends (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ What did he give you?’ ‘ Nothing much , really . Some odds and ends . But one interesting thing about a gentleman we may have overlooked . Mr Felstead.’
Idiom: break someone's heart (used idiomatically: yes)
You do n't know anything ! All you know is shit … ' ' I 'm just trying to stop you breaking your poor mother 's heart , Jocasta … ' ' Her heart ! What heart !
Idiom: slip of the tongue (used idiomatically: yes)
He said it is the choice of schools which is so dismal in the area . Mr Bergg wrote to Mr Fallon asking him to qualify the remarks he made during the debate . ‘ Perhaps it was an unfortunate slip of the tongue,’ said Mr Bergg . In his written reply Mr Fallon accuses Liberal Democrats of defending a ‘ socialist monopoly in education’ . He said in places where choice has been improved for parents the reaction has been favourable .
Idiom: fun and games (used idiomatically: yes)
WASHINGTON , DC THREE teenage boys were arrested last May for throwing 15-pound landscaping stones off a bridge over the main motorway that runs around Washington . Police suspected that the boys , whose fun and games hurt a lot of people , were on drugs . Now two of them have been convicted and sentenced to nearly 40 years in prison . And the form of drug they had indeed been taking — a legal drug , as it happens , called alcohol — is under attack from the surgeon - general .
Idiom: spend a penny (used idiomatically: yes)
So something like that . Er now so what fraction of the total , forty out of a pound . So the fraction will be you spend forty pence out of a hundred pence . Are you a bit worried about this ? Mm .
Idiom: in the soup (used idiomatically: no)
No dice . They were flabby and boring . They ended up in soup , as we wasted nothing . Well , a lot of things did — end up in soup , I mean . I still see our long pine table groaning with food , a large oil painting of Nigel 's only respectable ancestor ( ' All the rest were cattle - rustlers,'he said ) , one John Spottiswoode Archbishop of St Andrews , gazing benignly down upon us .
Idiom: take it or leave it (used idiomatically: yes)
This massive attack on the labour force in the inner London , the most heavily deprived districts in the country , ignores the social dimension , the climate of deep recession and the added importance of an economic entity in local judicious management . A massive reduction in beds erm will have , no doubt , a follow up in the rest of the United Kingdom , with its inevitable result on health care and jobs . The onward march of the Trust program is destined to swallow up the N H S as we know it , health care delivery biased in favour of the money orientated , terms and conditions for the workers on a take it or leave it basis , short term contracts as the norm and reduction in sickness entitlement . Certainly longer hours and less pay , all that was hard fought for tossed back in our faces . The intent of Tomlinson will add greatly to the expected one hundred thousand job losses in the capital in nineteen ninety four , a rise of thirteen percent .
Idiom: steal someone's thunder (used idiomatically: yes)
We will need to leverage our customers existing investments in other technology . We will need to provide an evolutionary approach to migrating from one technology to another so we 're not forcing our customers down the fantasy land alternative . John 's already stolen my thunder on the straw poll erm that I was going to do but suffice to say that we normally do that at these types of seminars and there 's always a few people in the room who put their hands up and say they 've got more than ten data sources in their organization . And if truth be known there are many more in that audience . We must be able to provide a level of transparency that shields users and the programmers from not only where the data is stored but in which relational database management system .
Idiom: make someone's day (used idiomatically: no)
Apparently , a day or so before my arrival , the children of Navan had been entertained at the centre by a man dressed - up as Mickey Mouse . At some time during my second afternoon at the centre , a Bonny Baby competition was held , but I missed it all in a blur of Mickeys . One event , however , made my day . Two old countrymen , oblivious of my pack of children , began a friendly argument , raising their voices and ending each sentence with ‘ Begor!’ an abbreviation of ‘ By God’ . Finally one of them clearly pronounced , ‘ It is that , so !
Idiom: food for thought (used idiomatically: yes)
The more certainty they can have from this enquiry , the better for us in making our own plans . An the sooner , the better . Having given you food for thought , I 'd like to move on to a discussion of the criteria and can I say right now that I think it would be right and proper to limit our discussion this morning to the criteria . What I would like to do is to come back on Monday sorry Tuesday , Tuesday , Tuesday . To look at possible locations and I would hope and expect to have a positive contribution from the district council representatives on that , and the county .