Gooogr/pie_idioms huggingface dataset:
Idiom: wide of the mark (used idiomatically: yes)
The new constitution will allow it to make its own foreign policy and join international organisations . Andorrans will for the first time wield full sovereignty , be able to form and join unions and political parties and have an independent judiciary . A Mile wide of the mark THE overwhelming feeling one got of the exhibition on the Royal Mile Traffic Calming ( Phase One ) Project was one of disappointment — not because the problem is easy or unimportant but because the analyses are so shallow and the solutions so insignificant . The scheme aims to reduce traffic in the Royal Mile through the introduction of a meandering road consisting of one lane each way .
Idiom: let sleeping dogs lie (used idiomatically: yes)
The prince himself was not a stupid man , basically , according to Mr James , but he had let his mind go and he did n't care . He was equable and a pessimist and very gay in everyday life . He was quite determined to let sleeping dogs lie . That meant ideas , understanding people , searching for motives ; he did n't want to change the world as Anna did and Constanza in her early years . He was an all - change - is - for - the - worse man .
Idiom: make a meal of (used idiomatically: yes)
Roots are laden with poison . Leaves are studded with stings . You realise then , well enough , that making a meal of plants can demand both skill and knowledge . Plant - eating animals , of course , have both . Woolly monkeys live very largely on leaves and they spend hours every day sitting high in the canopy , a hundred feet or more above the ground , plucking leaves and cramming them into their mouths .
Idiom: new blood (used idiomatically: yes)
However , Ursprung believes that some other structural changes are needed . He identified pharmacy , high energy physics and architecture as being over - represented in the universities . With 800–900 of Switzerland 's 2300 professors due to retire before the end of the decade , the Swiss have taken a leaf out of Britain 's book and set up a scheme for appointing ‘ new blood’ assistant professors at the rate of 300 in each of the next two four - year planning periods . A third of these posts are earmarked for women , and Ursprung is confident that enough suitable candidates will be available to fill them . He sees the new blood scheme as one way to redress the balance against over - represented subjects like particle physics .
Idiom: for the hell of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Greer 's onslaught was rewarded with a reply from Rolling Stone 's Gene Mahon replete with the fashionable vocabulary of the times . ‘ Revolution is a happening thing’ , he admonished . ‘ I hope you wo n't be stuck in your bag of ‘ defending’ the underground ; like the man said , let 's make it for the hell of it.’ Over in Hanover Square , as Wenner began to pull the rug on his London venture the ‘ hell of it’ was getting the upper hand . Back in Endell Street queasiness set in with the raid 's aftermath yet it blended with a certain sense of excitement .
Idiom: on the same page (used idiomatically: yes)
Apart from the obvious question of space ( where on earth do you put the new material - in the margin ? in between the lines ? on a separate sheet ? rewrite the whole page ? how many times ? ! ) there is the more serious problem that linear notes can give the impression of being comprehensive and exhaustive . That will rarely be the case ! They also make it difficult to show connections and relationships between different information on the same page or elsewhere in your file . 3 . There is strong evidence to suggest that the brain does not cope with information in a simple , linear form .
Idiom: stake a claim (used idiomatically: yes)
Ashdown claims ' moral voice ' for the 1990s . By Paul Nettleton MR PADDY Ashdown yesterday staked the Liberal Democrats ' claim to offer British politics a ' moral voice ' for the 1990s , building on its stance over Hong Kong and the Vietnamese refugees . He admitted the strategy posed risks to his party , but said : ' I 've got to be prepared , to continue to be prepared , to take risky positions to keep in the game . ' He went on : ' Looking back , the fact that we were the first to say Thatcher should go over the Lawson affair meant that we were in the game .
Idiom: in business (used idiomatically: no)
Prince Hal.’ Quayle was already well established as an actor of considerable stature , a director of intelligence and an unusually good administrator . The Festival of Britain , 1951 , was designed to tell the world that we were back in business , full of vim and zip , bursting with new ideas , new teeth in the new bulldog , through another war with honour and into the second half of the twentieth century with eagerness and confidence . Shakespeare was called in to play his part : Quayle was commissioned to serve up Shakespeare in Stratford : Burton was discovered to complement Quayle .
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
The Code of Practice on picketing provides that organisers should ensure that ‘ the number of pickets does not exceed six at any entrance to a workplace ; frequently a smaller number will be appropriate’ . Miners complained that the police were unfairly restricting their traditional rights and in any case that the police had no responsibility for enforcing the civil law . The police on the other hand argued that their task was to uphold the law , to keep the peace , and to facilitate the entry of non - striking miners into workplaces ; mass picketing was obstructive and intimidating , both of which could give rise to arrest and charge for criminal offences . Sometimes violence took place , which only added to an already bitter situation . At the peak of the strike in June 1984 some 10,000 pickets massed against a very large force of police at Orgreave in South Yorkshire .
Idiom: now or never (used idiomatically: yes)
A willingness to learn and perseverance are much more important than candles on a birthday cake . Much really depends on the quality of opportunities open to you to refresh old skills , and to introduce new ones on a sensible timescale and with proper supervision and support . You will not have to depend on now or never clinical demonstrations in the clinical room ; nor will you be reduced to knock - kneed terror at the prospect of a viva voce examination . The education of nurses is now much more student - centred , focusing on the consolidation of skills already mastered , and on the gradual introduction of new and unfamiliar techniques by practice and experience . Your personal experience of relationships and interaction with others can be enhanced and built upon in a constructive way , thus helping to inspire both personal confidence and a learning environment where you will not be inhibited from admitting to a lack of knowledge or understanding .
Idiom: head south (used idiomatically: yes)
Its forecourt was taken up by miners and students writing such signs , while women and children were stopping traffic , thrusting paper signs over windscreens : ‘ We need to eat.’ Mining and the condition of miners has been a running sore in Bolivia since the colonial period when Indians were herded off for certain death in the silver mines of Potosí , at that time the wealthiest city in South America . I had planned to take a train there ; to head south and see more of South America . Yet I milled around the edge of the crowd at the demonstration feeling completely detached . It began to pour and I took shelter in a basement café .
Idiom: set the wheels in motion (used idiomatically: yes)
Something provocative . Intrigue them . GUIL : Wheels have been set in motion , and they have their own pace , to which we are … condemned . Each move is dictated by the previous one — that is the meaning of order . if we start being arbitrary it 'll just be a shambles : at least , let us hope so .
Idiom: bits and bobs (used idiomatically: yes)
After the inevitable nil - nil draw it 's back to the management section for some between - match spit and polish . Although not my cup of tea , I must admit Manchester United is a whole new ball game . Icon driven ( hurrah ! ) , it features all the usual bits and bobs , such as transfers , injuries , training and team selection . Re - released on its own it could 've been a winner , but a dodgy arcade section that feeds in dud results makes the game unplayable — what 's the point in managing a team that gets a goalless draw every week , whatever you do ? A management / arcade hybrid such as this could only really work if both sections are of a reasonably high standard .
Idiom: in one ear and out the other (used idiomatically: yes)
And what 's Lizzy been saying to him , I 'd like to know?’ As always when she was very angry , Evelyn 's voice was a thick Irish brogue . Kate let it all go in one ear and out the other . They finally arrived at Lizzy 's ward . She was sitting up in bed listening to the radio on the headphones .
Idiom: for keeps (used idiomatically: no)
The bad news reached her the next morning even before she had finished dressing , and then before very many days had passed she found out her condition , and the skies really fell in for her . She spent most of her time weeping and wailing to whoever would listen to her — and she really did go ' Boo - hoo ! ' exactly as it is written in the books . Her mother disowned her and she was sent , as was the custom then , to live out her pregnancy in a girls ' hostel near Cambridge , doing housework for her keep . She was very wretched . I met her once on one of my off - duty bookshop prowls , took pity on her and gave her lunch .
Idiom: at sea (used idiomatically: yes)
The British had never envisaged such a rapid build - up to this situation : India 's constitution was not finalised until 1950 , while Pakistan had to wait until 1956 for its soon - overthrown constitution ! Nu becomes President of Constituent Assembly At this juncture , the MP for Mergui was travelling to his distant constituency when he was drowned at sea . Aung San renewed his appeal to Nu to come in . He asked for time to consider , but this was brushed aside and Nu , willy - nilly , became MP for Mergui , a place he had never previously visited .
Idiom: out of line (used idiomatically: yes)
This is the Fox Report . Michael Heseltine has criticised government economic policy , warning that investment incentives are inadequate . But he backed the Cabinet line in condemning wage increases which are , what he called wildly out of line , and risked a surge in unemployment . Mr Heseltine who 's MP for Henley , walked out of Mrs Thatcher 's Cabinet as Defence Secretary over the Westland helicopters affair in January nineteen eighty six . He was speaking today at a Tory Reform Group fringe meeting in Bournemouth .
Idiom: rank and file (used idiomatically: yes)
From her research , Eva Rosenfeld had identified two distinct social strata which are clearly recognized by members . The upper stratum is made up of ‘ leader - managers’ , who are elected by members of the kibbutz and are responsible for the day - to - day running of the community . The lower stratum consists of the ‘ rank and file’ , the agricultural labourers and machine operatives . Authority and prestige are not equally distributed . The right to organize and direct the activities of others is built into the role of leader - manager .
Idiom: keep the peace (used idiomatically: yes)
The Christian emperor and king was seen as a man born or elected to duties and obligations towards God and his subjects , as well as a man with rights and privileges . He had power , but he had to be responsible in the exercise of it . The most solemn of his duties were to keep the peace , to spread Christianity and to declare the law . The sacring of emperors , kings and bishops signified an acceptance that as Christian rulers they governed subject to eternal or divine laws . The crown , the mitre , the sword of justice , the ring , the sceptre , the rod and the bishop 's staff symbolized pastoral and judicial powers .
Idiom: do someone proud (used idiomatically: yes)
With these scratches , he was out of the rest of the war . Bloody shame . He hoped the rest of the lads would do him proud . There 'd be free drinks for him for years in the Wise Serpent in Micklethwaite Road , Fulham . The burning building behind him settled , and a triangular slice of wall slid out of place .
Idiom: in light of (used idiomatically: yes)
There 's an amazing variety of wild flowers , insects , birds and other wildlife . Rabbits and foxes are common enough to be regarded as a nuisance ; there are also hedgehogs , voles , mice and other rodents . Most of the animals that live along the hedgerows unfortunately only come out at night and the best way to see them is in the light of a car 's headlamp . My favourite of these creatures is the badger . I spend many evenings with a spotlight just roaming the fields and observing what they and the other animals are doing , and I thoroughly enjoy myself .
Idiom: grin and bear it (used idiomatically: yes)
And the Liverpool Student Homes organisation is considering a plan to tell landlords that , unless they conduct annual checks on gas appliances , they will not be able to register with them as providers of approved accommodation . Turn to Page Two From Page One Grin and bear it ! Nice to meet you … 10-month - old Eleanor Kilroy makes friends with Winnie and her unnamed pal at the annual teddy bears ' picnic organised by Crosby and District branch of the National Childbirth Trust at Blundellsands Key Park on Saturday when several teddies and their owners joined in the fun and frolics . Picture : EDDIE BARFORD
Idiom: off the hook (used idiomatically: yes)
What is , what is happening at the moment is although they ca n't afford the money for the full , for the full treatment they are making an allocation of money to improve matters round , round that area , which will be er , cos I , I told them that some of the pensioners were , w walking round by the bankment , it 's pouring of rain , which is perfectly true and that er the engineer should go round and see for himself and plus the fact how many of these people ever travel by bus , or do they always go by car , no , and also I brought up about bus shelters and all those sort of things , but any way , there will be some improvements for the bus station in the future . Right , am I let off the hook now ? Yeah , your off the hook . Thank you very much , thank you Chris .. I 'm sure the , I 'm sure they 'll all go away very when you , before you came .
Idiom: rough and ready (used idiomatically: yes)
It is part of the ‘ modernizing’ sector rather than of traditional maritime activities . The rest of the industry , and particularly the catching sector , could be described as having been ‘ underdeveloped’ . Fishing was always pretty rough and ready but for most of the post - war years the core was a modern sector with employed and unionized labour working for large capitalist enterprises . North Shields fishing could now be described as a peasant activity . This is almost a classic illustration of under development in the autonomist sense .
Idiom: silent as the grave (used idiomatically: yes)
The bees were humming among the leaves around me ; all else was silent as the grave ; not a human ~ being was to be seen on the mountains , and below me on the peaceful meadows the cows were resting in the high grass .
Idiom: turn the corner (used idiomatically: yes)
But he did n't want to get clear away . He had to spend those five minutes here . His own car was a few yards ahead , and he could be in and started before they turned the corner — but not out of sight . And once they saw him , they 'd have him . Even if the cars were evenly matched , he knew he could n't out - drive the police .
Idiom: come to think of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Dora traced an abstract pattern with her finger on the table - cloth , as if she felt it would help the process of recall . ‘ Oh , yes , I thought perhaps I 'd try to intercept Erdle on his way back . I hung around for a while … now I come to think of it , I walked a short way along the path , looking for him.’ ‘ But you did n't see him?’ ‘ No , I came to the conclusion that he must have gone the other way , along the track leading to the road.’
Idiom: on the spur of the moment (used idiomatically: yes)
But no , even as he thought this , he realized the hopelessness of the task ahead of him . Killing Elinor was the kind of thing you would need years of study to accomplish . You could n't just walk into it casually , as he had done , drop home from the office and decide to eradicate her on the spur of the moment . As her mother was fond of saying — it had taken a lot of trouble to get her this far , and this last little step was going to take a deal of organizing as well . On the doorstep of number 54 , Henry stood for a moment in the gloom , flexing his fingers .
Idiom: do the right thing (used idiomatically: yes)
‘ Where 'd you spring from , Jack ? Out of the grave?’ Stone said nothing for a moment , staring at the CI5 man , perhaps still not sure of whether or not he was doing the right thing . He sipped his scotch , then said , ‘ All over the place . Here and there … everywhere.’
Idiom: tie the knot (used idiomatically: yes)
SECOND VALET . Your Majesty wished to remind yourself of something when it pleased Your Majesty to tie this knot in your handkerchief .
Idiom: play games (used idiomatically: yes)
' What could be worse than that ? ' ' This was , ' said Jackson . He hesitated for a moment , then he said , ' I wonder if any of you have ever played a game called ' Smee ' . It 's much better than hide and seek . The name comes from ' It 's me ' , of course .
Idiom: tongue in cheek (used idiomatically: yes)
I 'd just like to add er , that I did n't take offence at the question , I think it was a perfectly qu fair question , it was the , the inference of , of rigging salaries . Er right , could we go on to perhaps a less emotive issue . Could I make a constructive suggestion in this context of board salaries or remunerations or compensation packages or bonuses I 'm saying that in a slightly tongue in cheek way because I believe that the majority of shareholders do n't understand the differences between these concepts , as you gentlemen evidently do . Most ordinary shareholders have never had a total remuneration package and have never been part of a performance - related bonus scheme . Would you be prepared , er chairman and gentlemen to consider Pearson giving a lead in spelling out , in the next annual report the precise relationship between the bonus element and some parameter which I gather from your earlier remarks is probably earnings per share .
Idiom: on and off (used idiomatically: yes)
Also , some cells , like the mammalian red blood cell , have no DNA at all , the nucleus being expelled during differentiation . GENE SWITCHES The switching on and off of genes in different cells is fundamental to the programme of development . It underlies and initiates the changes seen in development . It is also among our deeply held convictions that gene switching is the basis of both cell memory and change .
Idiom: with open arms (used idiomatically: yes)
At a recent meeting with members of the Shadow Cabinet and trade union leaders , one high profile Shadow Cabinet member argued for , one member , one vote . When asked how he would fund the Labour Party he said , oh , we would still expect you to pay . It seems to me that the trade unions are welcomed with open arms whenever money is needed and yet some do n't want us to participate . Comrades , instead of severing our links , we should be strengthening them . Remember why the Labour Party was formed .
Idiom: high and mighty (used idiomatically: no)
That 's the one thing missing . ' But despite his £ 500,000 windfall , Christie revealed yesterday he had refused to pay £ 55 for a special visa to race in Australia with Colin Jackson . Christie , who has already signed money - spinning deals with Lucozade and clothing firm High and Mighty since Barcelona , said : ' We did n't see why we should pay for a visa when we were prepared to take part in races for nothing . It was the principle of the thing . But it does n't bother me .
Idiom: and then some (used idiomatically: no)
Graham and Miss Gibson had been living at his house on the Riddings Estate in Scunthorpe but split up after a row on Monday night . After the shootings in Somerby Road , just 200 yards from Graham 's home , neighbours rushed into the house to find Mr Norris lying in agony on the landing . Pamela Meikle , 50 , said : ‘ I heard a loud bang and then some more . Then all hell broke loose . Phil came running in to the street saying : ‘ He shot my granddad’ .
Idiom: on the rocks (used idiomatically: yes)
Picking up the story thirty years on , Peter Bogdanovich 's eagerly anticipated sequel to THE LAST PICTURE SHOW substitutes elegiac lament with a wry comedy of the trials and absurdities of disillusioned middle - age . It 's 1984 , and falling prices are wreaking havoc in the oil business . Duane Jackson ( Jeff Bridges ) has survived rocky adolescence and service in Korea to earn big money in the 70s boom , but as Anarene prepares for centennial celebrations , with a replica of ‘ Old Texasville’ in the town square , he 's saddled with debts of $ 12 million , a marriage on the rocks and a tearaway elder son with a liking for older women . Sonny ( Timothy Botoms , focus of the earlier film ) is afflicted with dementia and Duane 's banker is facing indictment for malpractice . And Jacy Farrow ( Cybil Shepherd ) is back in town , as alluring and distant as ever as she recovers from marital tragedy and a failed movie career .
Idiom: on the face of it (used idiomatically: yes)
Yet in a recent OECD report , Universities under Scrutiny , William Taylor remarks that ' Curriculum is often the missing chapter ' in studies of universities ( Taylor 1987 , p. 42 ) . This book is an attempt to supply that chapter and stimulate that debate , not only in terms of universities , but of all forms of higher education in the UK . On the face of it , the absence of such studies is surprising . If education is about anything , it is surely about what is taught : the curriculum . It would seem as if people were ready to write about every aspect of higher education — its aims , policies , governance , finance , organization , staff , students — except the one thing that gives all these their raison d'être .
Idiom: crystal clear (used idiomatically: yes)
We should encourage a growing body of Community practice that builds upon the excellent subsidiarity article 3b in the Maastricht treaty . That is critical and I am delighted that it has found its way into the treaty with powerful German support . At a future review conference — such conferences will occur every few years in the Community — it might be desirable to go even further and press for a clause in the Community body of law that makes it crystal clear that all powers that are not specifically allocated to the Community should remain as of right with the member states , as is the case in the American constitution . My right hon . Friend the Chancellor and his counterparts ably negotiated amendments in the documents on economic and monetary union . I should like to see Her Majesty 's Government using all their influence in an attempt to ensure that article 104A is implemented to the letter .