Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: look the other way (used idiomatically: no)
Crows may do much the same sort of thing as buzzards and eagles but , since there are so many of them , the luckless crows are ignored . An eagle is greeted by sharp intakes of breath from those who spot them , as they reach for their binoculars and cameras . Crows , like the ones that hover round the summit of Buchaille Etive Mor , could fly in a pyramid formation and play the trumpet and walkers would still look the other way . Deer ruin their chances of being awesome beasts , providing a rare and special experience to those who spot them , by standing in massive herds all along the verge of the A9 looking glum , and grouse lose points for frightening you half to death by crashing out of the heather from under your feet screeching like banshees . This can be multiplied manyfold in its unpleasantness , if you are a woman emptying your bladder at the time .
Idiom: state of the art (used idiomatically: yes)
It is dedicated to unifying the world of telecommunications through state - of the - art , tailor - made services .
Idiom: with a will (used idiomatically: no)
The children ca n't make wills cos in law they 're not of sound mind until they 're eighteen and adults so any will supposed to be made by somebody aged fifteen which is n't going to be a will . It 's in writing because it 's got to be identified by somebody and your not around to say . It 's no good telling the children You can have the grandfather clock when I go , it 's with the will . And indeed as people get old or ill I find again from personal experience that they tend to give things to several people . comes along and come along I was promised this Oh I was promised this as well .
Idiom: doom and gloom (used idiomatically: yes)
By piping water from the perennial spring , this project will provide drinkable water to over fifty thousand people in the region . Village life in this case , is being transformed at the cost of a mere fifteen pounds per villager . So amidst the doom and gloom that seems to cloud the the African horizon , we can see that aid does work and in the example I 've just given , that it works indeed for children . But there 's no room for anyone of course to be complacent about the growing er demand of the needs of children er a subject of such importance here . Seventy years ago your founder Eglantine Jebb drafted a revolutionary and challenging document , a charter which stated that each child has independent rights .
Idiom: on the square (used idiomatically: yes)
The hotel has it 's own restaurant ' The Stadhouders ' featuring typical Dutch fare . SWISSOTEL AMSTERDAM ASCOT HOTEL ( AH4 ) Situated at a superb vantage point close to the Royal Palace on Dam Square and Amsterdam 's famous shopping areas , the Ascot offers exceptional standards of comfort and service for its 4 star rating . Behind the historical gabled facade are 110 large , well appointed rooms with private facilities , phone , multi - channel TV , mini bar , radio , air - conditioning and hair dryer . Additional facilities include a cocktail bar featuring Dutch specialities & international classics and a cosy French restaurant ' Le Bistro ' serving everything from a quick lunch to a sumptuous haute cuisine dinner .
Idiom: to the tune of (used idiomatically: yes)
We look at the political troubles facing the space station and , on the next page , the Superconducting Super Collider A GLANCE at the provision for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the president 's budget for 1994 reveals nothing unusual . As custom requires , it is bigger than last year 's — to the tune of $ 1 billion . And a handy $ 2.3 billion has been allowed for the space station . Look at the fine print , though , and you will see that it is all change at NASA .
Idiom: behind bars (used idiomatically: yes)
deputy . And you said handle were Could you put those three behind the bar ? Please . What ?
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: yes)
Once a month , using a good quality limewood diffuser , is about right . You should also have little trouble with quality gang valves such as those made by Algarde . Sometimes slime algae can be very difficult to shift , even though you do all the right things . The fact is , it is a very resilient form of life and will proliferate mostly in poor , but also in quite good water quality . Lighting does not really enter into it .
Idiom: the ball is in someone's court (used idiomatically: yes)
I have no wish to unsettle the player concerned . ' Obviously Wednesday have let it out . this time and the ball 's in their court . Now we shall have to look elsewhere . ' Sale fan John Flacks , a member of the fledgling Supporters Shareholders Association , said last night : ' I was at a meeting with Alex Ferguson on Thursday and he inferred that something might be sorted out by today .
Idiom: short shrift (used idiomatically: yes)
The Croats had apparently been put on red - alert . Amaranth was the subject of much comment . One matron declared that if Ms Wilikins - the accent was on the Ms — came looking for a seat in Camberley she would receive short shrift . Her husband , who was wearing a Sapper tie , reluctantly agreed . Hyacinth Scragg , escorted by a camera crew , director and producer , was let through the barrier with scarcely an attempt at scrutiny .
Idiom: steer clear of (used idiomatically: yes)
The only one he knew that well was Rosie , who had cousins in it , brothers maybe , although she never talked of it except in the most general terms . She had emigrated with half her family to England when a baby , but they had all come back the night an auntie 's house in Derry had been seen on TV news , with the sofa flying from an upstairs window and loyalist thugs pouring petrol on the geraniums . He and Mallachy , between themselves , called her the Wee Green Patriot , but steered clear of all argument on the subject . ‘ Go on?’ ‘ Just a thought,’ said Rory .
Idiom: play for time (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Actually , you arrived just as I was about to invite Leith to Parkwood . You 'd like that , would n't you , Leith?’ he had the unmitigated nerve to put her on the spot . ‘ The lasagne 's fine,’ she murmured as she played for time and thought of the three months ' mortgage she had to find and how impossible she would find it to pay one months ' mortgage , let alone three , if she did n't have a job . Which she would n't , she realised , if she did n't buck her ideas up and play this according to Mr Naylor I - hold - all - the - aces Massingham . ‘ It sounds very nice.’
Idiom: across the board (used idiomatically: yes)
JONES THE BOOTMAKERS Sale starts on Monday , December 28 . Across -the- board reductions with many products under half price . Shoes now priced at £56.95 will be £26.95 , others at £72.95 will be down to £32.95 . KNICKERBOX
Idiom: down the tubes (used idiomatically: yes)
A groan of real sympathy came down the line . ‘ Bloody hell!’ he said . ‘ That 's a bit of history gone down the tubes , eh ? The lads always used to drink in there before mid - week matches . Few pints in the Punch , then a quick cab to Spurs or the Arsenal .
Idiom: over the hill (used idiomatically: yes)
down and up to the right , up to the left . Mhm . Up over the hill . Oh he , he did n't come over by , oh he did come by the quarry . No , I just came over fields , I went along and followed a dyke , I turned left at the cafe , and then followed the first I saw going up .
Idiom: put a sock in it (used idiomatically: yes)
Major 's first chance to show that he is his own man has been squandered on favours . But there again , not everyone cares to lead from the front , like Thatcher . He may lack his own philosophy , but he is a shrewd party manager . Edward Pearce 's Sketch Some people really should put a sock in it When I worked for the Daily Telegraph , the editor , Bill Deedes , would say that he never missed the letters column of the Guardian . He had a great respect for his rival , but its letters simply cheered him up .
Idiom: tie the knot (used idiomatically: yes)
Fiona Hughes and Paul Boynton left London 's Pimlico for the romance of a wedding in Jersey . By Kim Jones Fiona & Paul had been together for six years before deciding to tie the knot . They have a lovely daughter named Katie who acted as one of their attendants on the big day . Fiona chose a short dress in a pale pink shade called blush made of silk dupion decorated with pearls and sequins and with a bustle at the back , a creation by designer Marianne Jessica .
Idiom: make history (used idiomatically: yes)
Those who knew him remember an amiable man , but not necessarily the sort of person you 'd expect to end up in the White House . One of those contemporaries , Bob Reich , is tipped to become President Clinton 's Economic Adviser . But if there is to be an Oxford mafia in Washington , it wo n't be the first time former University College students have made history . Clinton completes an impressive quartet of political leaders who studied there . Prime Ministers , Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson and Australia 's Bob Hawke are the other three .
Idiom: behind the scenes (used idiomatically: yes)
Much of Japan 's success , he unwittingly reveals , has been achieved by the diplomatic pressure used by all foreign states . The slick programmes and vast fees may have contributed less than is apparent to those outside government , who can not see how policy conclusions are actually reached . Choate shows up the hypocrisy of former Administration members who oppose the Japanese publicly but take large fees for acting for them behind the scenes . It is less the revolving door that the temptation placed in the paths of hitherto ethical men and women that he criticises . Yet lobbying is not a peculiarly Japanese speciality .
Idiom: grind to a halt (used idiomatically: yes)
HIGH - SPEED TRAIN DRAMA TWO HUNDRED passengers escaped ‘ near disaster’ last night after vandals laid metal seats and railway sleepers across a main line . The inter - city train from Liverpool ground to a halt near Berkhampstead , Herts , after hitting several obstacles at full speed . Insp David Taylor of the British Transport police said it was fortunate that the train did not career off the track . ‘ We came very close to a serious accident , a near disaster,’ he said .
Idiom: word of mouth (used idiomatically: yes)
The 1985 OFT data indicates that architects predominantly use traditional means of advertising ( house magazines , directories and so on ) ; some 98 per cent using announcements and 11 per cent using printed advertisements . Furthermore , 60 per cent of those surveyed felt that the rules governing advertising had no impact on their behaviour . The 1989 AMERG survey presents a similar picture with the vast majority of architects using only traditional means and frequently relying on ‘ word of mouth’ . Asked whether the new rules have influenced either the amount or type of advertising undertaken , 56 per cent of those responding said that it had not and 11 per cent said that it had exercised only a very marginal effect . The remainder have in many cases , however , devoted more resources to traditional means of advertising rather than adopted new media .
Idiom: kill the fatted calf (used idiomatically: no)
But his father was overjoyed to see him , and at once threw a party . His elder brother coming home from the fields and hearing dancing enquired what was going on . When he heard the explanation , and that even the best calf had been killed , the fatted calf had been killed , to help the party he was furious . And that is understandable . At this point , we are then asked to consider , does the elder brother become the family black sheep , is there a sort of change of position .
Idiom: on the run (used idiomatically: no)
By Mary Clarke CHRISTMAS is upon us . The Royal Ballet embarks on a run of Ashton 's Cinderella on Friday . Two performances on Boxing Day ; assorted casts , full details of ballet casting from 01 - 240 9815 . Sadler 's Wells Royal Ballet at the Wells dance the MacMillan triple bill of Danses Concertantes , Las Hermanas and Solitaire tonight , and from tomorrow until December 28 give David Bintley 's character - comedy ballet Hobson 's Choice ( no performance on Boxing Day ) .
Idiom: on the nose (used idiomatically: yes)
Halfway up the drive , Wayne started pawing his belly and rolling the whites of his eyes . Soon he was cannoning off lime trees and , as they passed the second gates , crashed into the left - hand gatepost . By the time he had staggered into the yard he could hardly stand up , hitting the ancient , mossy mounting block and tripping over one of the green tubs filled with white geraniums , as Little Chef came bounding out to lick him on the nose . Perdita had never known Ricky so angry . Taking one look at the swaying Wayne , he yelled at Frances to ring Phil Bagley , the vet .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
The tell - tale signs are a complete humour transplant , temper tantrums , and strong Nietzschean overtones to all their actions . Crap footy games like European Club Soccer will be played in an atmosphere of strained silence and any game won will be greeted with fascistic glee . The real purpose of role - playing games is in providing a healthy alternative for potential child murderers and perverts . ‘ Yes , Tommy , you have got friends ! There 's Mumphkin the Leprechaun , Spazzle the Wizard and all the twitchy rabbits of Colostomy Castle!’
Idiom: hot air (used idiomatically: yes)
The drawing room is a quite spectacular octagonal room , with a 17-foot ceiling . John has a wealth of experience in the hotel business , having worked for some of the largest chains in the country including a stint at the Savoy in London . He and his journalist wife , Rosamund , are very welcoming and helpful hosts ; they take great trouble to ensure their guests enjoy their stay at Eagle House to the full , booking sports activities ( including hot air ballooning ) , theatre seats , and dinner reservations . As there is no dinner served at Eagle House , it is quite usual for John and Rosamund to find their guests dinner bookings , and they consider it their responsibility to find an eating establishment to suit the purse and palate of each guest . Easily Accessible : Please see entry on The Orchard , Bathford , p.32 .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
Speed has endured a miserable November , with Leeds being knocked out of the European and Coca - Cola Cups , and Wales crashing to Belgium in Wednesday 's World Cup qualifying tie . But the midfielder said : ‘ If we can win our home games , Wales can still qualify for the finals.’ And on Leeds , he added : ‘ Hopefully we can turn the corner like Arsenal did last season.’ Roxburgh pays price Graham Fisher
Idiom: set eyes on (used idiomatically: yes)
Here 's the café where he sat down and read all the papers , trying to understand the local politics . Here 's the shopping street he walked along , and , lingering in it like the smell of coffee , the first impression of the whole city that he based on it . Here 's the flight of steps and the balustrade where he first set eyes on Rose . A bus passes with a familiar number . On an impulse he runs after it and jumps aboard .
Idiom: state of the art (used idiomatically: yes)
In a recent survey of G-20 nations published in the newspaper Chosun Ilbo , the Hansun Foundation ranked South ~ Korea 13th in the world in terms of national power . South ~ Korea ranked 9th in hard power resources but performed more poorly in terms of soft power . In the newspaper ’s words , “ state of the art factories , high - tech weapons , advanced information communications infrastructure are the key components that a country must have for stronger international competitiveness . ” But for these “ hard power ” ingredients to become true engines of the country ’s growth and prosperity , they must be backed by more sophisticated and highly efficient “ soft power . ” South ~ Korea has impressive soft - power potential .
Idiom: bring up the rear (used idiomatically: yes)
There were only 5 C2s , all widely spaced . All were high kneeling except the final crew , Ralph / Crooks , the latter fresh from his seal launching exploits on Ramsey Island , a man who enjoys variety in his paddling . On this occasion they were accompanied over the later stages by Pagon and Sellwood , the two British ladies ' K1s , also bringing up the rear of their class . In fact , Danielle Sellwood 's involvement with the race had been rather more extensive , also being the designer of the race logo . The remaining class was the C1 .
Idiom: join the club (used idiomatically: yes)
But never for the hell of it . Besides , all the life is higher up . These courses gave me enough enthusiasm for the sport to want to join a club . I would have no hesitation in recommending either Puffin Dive School , or the dive sites to anyone . Diving is great fun !
Idiom: sleep rough (used idiomatically: yes)
A Scottish Office initiative to help homeless young people is showing positive results , health minister Lord Fraser revealed last week . But the Scottish Rooflessness Initiative still has some way to go , especially in preventing young Scots becoming homeless and at risk in London , he told a seminar in Edinburgh . ‘ Young people who were homeless or likely to become so have been helped , but … it is more difficult to help those sleeping rough,’ he said . Under the initiative , voluntary agencies have received grants totalling £ 150,000 . Girl 's death ‘ not preventable’
Idiom: call it a day (used idiomatically: yes)
The whispering on the backbenches began again . Throughout March and April the newspapers carried a plethora of stories suggesting either that there would be a further challenge to Mrs Thatcher when the next leadership election fell due in November , or that there would be strong pressure on her to announce her retirement before then . Polls suggested that up to one in four Conservative MPs wanted her to go before the next general election : growing numbers of backbenchers were prepared openly to declare that the time had come for her to call it a day . The unrest was taken sufficiently seriously to prompt vigorous attempts by senior members of the government to dampen this constant speculation about the leadership : for example , Sir Geoffrey Howe , among others , publicly denied that there had been any Cabinet - level discussion about the Prime Minister standing down . Even Mrs Thatcher felt obliged to dismiss talk of plots against her as ‘ bunkum and balderdash’ and to reaffirm her commitment to lead the party into the next election .
Idiom: right as rain (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ One minute she were up by the carriage , the next she were down on her back like a tumbled ewe.’ Horrocks knelt , put his hand to the woman 's brow then to the pulse at her wrist . ‘ All right , my dear,’ he murmured , ‘ we 'll have you right as rain in a moment . Are you in pain at all?’ Emilia closed her eyes and nodded .
Idiom: off the wall (used idiomatically: yes)
It was Sunday and the streets were empty . The gentle recorded feminine voice that admonished pedestrians —‘Attendez , pietons!’ and then , in encouraging tone , ‘ Pietons ! Traversez!’ echoed rather sadly off the walls . It grew colder and began to rain , as the iron bells of churches rolled of a French Sunday over the town . In the morning , spring had returned .
Idiom: get stuck into (used idiomatically: yes)
I hear mutterings from the Conservative Back Benches to the effect that the Minister does return with good deals , but if one asked the British farmer , that is not the message that one would hear . Mr. David Nicholson Before the hon . Gentleman gets stuck into the CAP , on which matter I hope that he will be as robust as my right hon . Friend in defending the interests of the British farmer , may I advise him that I was interested to note that he began his speech by talking about animal diseases and BSE ? Does he think that he is helping our farmers in their genuine plight by highlighting such diseases in this debate ? Although the beef market is now in a better position , does not the hon . Gentleman realise the damage that he has done to beef consumption and to our farmers in the past year by constantly highlighting that issue on radio and television ?
Idiom: back to the drawing board (used idiomatically: yes)
The appeal by the Atomic Energy Authority against the Mullwharchar refusal was dismissed . Officially , the reason given was that it now seemed more sensible to store the highly active waste above ground for at least fifty years before disposing of it , probably in the form of glass blocks , and meanwhile allowing more of its intense heat to dissipate . Unofficially , it was clear that the scientists had been sent back to their drawing boards . Whilst the search for a high - level waste burial site had been shelved , a climax was also being reached over the vexed issue of sea dumping . After intense lobbying , the pressure of opposition was eventually brought home to the London Dumping Convention .
Idiom: down the road (used idiomatically: yes)
Now Rachel tailor - makes them for me.’ Have they ever gone out all together , a trio of matching flowery heads ? ‘ We did once and we got loads of comments — Liz even got chased down the road by a tramp!’ Daniel Halpin 's favourite hat is designed by Bernstock and Speirs . ‘ What really attracted me to this hat was its shape — it reminded me of the ones American tourists wear.’
Idiom: odds and ends (used idiomatically: yes)
I rummaged around , asked Miss Sowerby , but there was nothing . ‘ I 'll run down the hill and see if Jim Wilson 's got anything at the ship 's chandler,’ I said to Miss Sowerby . It was only three minutes down the road , and Jim always had a storehouse of odds and ends . Sure enough he came up with the perfect solution . ‘ How about this old door?’
Idiom: buy the farm (used idiomatically: yes)
The result is a text that operates in the mode of potentiality . This is what Irigaray calls the hysterical ' comme si'(1974:70 ) , a caricature of the discourse of the ( male ) subject which is complete or ' finalized ' . All ' events ' in the novel are virtual ; it is irrelevant to debate whether Mira imagines buying a pig farm with her severance pay or whether it ' really'happens , because nothing is ever ' really'accomplished . In A Rhetoric of the Unreal Brooke - Rose cites Genette 's claim that anterior time is a rarity in narrative , a mode reserved for subordinate accounts of dreams and prophecies ( 1981:329 ) . She says the reason for this is ' the need to believe that the event recounted actually took place , or is taking place : no one believes a prophet , and even a prediction needs to be realised within the narrative for sense and interest'(329 ) .
Idiom: sing the praises of (used idiomatically: yes)
His father could only say falteringly that ‘ My conscience has never allowed me to influence two people to marry.’ Vincent 's conscience was telling him precisely the opposite , and at the top of its voice . When he came to move among artists he would sing the praises of marriage , he vowed . An artist would be more productive with a wife , he went on to declare , theorising wildly , than if he stayed unmarried and took a mistress . Then he uttered the simple statement of his faith , one which read more tragically , in retrospect , than any other single thing he wrote : ‘ In order to work and to become an artist , one needs love .’
Idiom: heart and soul (used idiomatically: no)
‘ Here ! And here!’ replied Catherine , beating her head and her chest . ‘ In my heart and soul I know I 'm wrong ! Ellen , I ca n't live apart from Heathcliff ! He is more myself than I am .
Idiom: out of the box (used idiomatically: yes)
Part of the attraction of shopping at ' Laura Ashley ' was finding uniquely eccentric clothes . The peasant look was a potent image , but there were others . The magic was being able to step into a ' Laura Ashley ' dress and imagine you had found something out of a dressing - up box . You had put on much more than a dress , there was such a vivid aura of theatre and drama surrounding it . And all of this for just a few pounds .