LINE IDIOMS

It seems to me that I have to draw the line at my laziness when it comes to blogging! Well... Maybe it wasn't just laziness, because those who know me in person know that I'm kind of a busy bee... And everything I do has always been in line with that. It's just that sometimes you have to toe the line whether you want to or not. You had problems understanding the sentences before? Then let's start the ball rolling and explain LINE IDIOMS and EXPRESSIONS this time!

I said that I have to draw the line at my laziness which means that I will not accept it anymore or won't allow that to happen. We can DRAW THE LINE AT SOMETHING OR AT DOING SOMETHING:

I don't mind watching some TV in the evening, but I draw the line at watching it all day long. (= I do not accept watching TV all day long)

I swear a lot but even I draw the line at certain words. (= even I do not accept certain words)

In Polish that would be more or less 'NIE AKCEPTOWAĆ' or 'WYZNACZAĆ GRANICĘ'

So I won't accept my laziness when it comes to blogging... ;)

Then I said that everything I do has always been in line with the fact that I'm a busy bee. I meant that all my activities have always been similar to my personality and character - I'm rather a busy person and a doer, so I usually do a lot of things, very often simultaneously. If something IS IN LINE WITH SOMETHING ELSE it means that it AGREES WITH IT or that IT IS SIMILAR TO IT:

Pensions will grow in line with public expectations.

Christians should live in line with their calling.

My clients' expectations are not always in line with what I can offer.

This is not in line with what I told you.

In Polish that would be either 'ZGADZAĆ SIĘ Z CZYMŚ' or 'ODPOWIADAĆ CZEMUŚ'

Finally, I said that sometimes you have to toe the line whether you want to or not... What I meant was that sometimes you need to do what you are expected to do, what others tell you you should do although sometimes you don't agree with that:

At first I had to toe the line and pocket my pride in the workplace, but now I think I will have to tell the boss what I think about the way work is being organised here. (= I had to do what I was expected to do whether I like it or not)

You have to toe the line in the army. (= you have to do what they say you should do)

In Polish that would be 'PODPORZĄDKOWAĆ SIĘ'

Some other IDIOMS or EXPRESSIONS with LINE include the following:

READ BETWEEN THE LINES

 - to understand things that are not said or explicit/'czytać pomiędzy wierszami'

Reading between the lines, I could tell that Zoe had something to hide.

CROSS THE LINE or STEP OUT OF LINE

- to do sth. unacceptable, usually socially unacceptable/'przekroczyć granicę' 'przesadzić' 'wyłamywać się'

This time you really crossed the line!

Step out of line once again and you're fired!

A FINE/THIN LINE (BETWEEN STH)

- if there's a fine line between two things it means that they are very similar and very often one of those is good while the other isn't/'cienka granica pomiędzy'

As a parent I know that there is a fine line between caution and panic.

There’s a fine line between bravery and recklessness.

ALL ALONG THE LINE

- ever since the beginning of something/'od samego początku'

We had financial problems all along the line.

Tom and Sue have been arguing all along the line.

BE ON THE LINE

- be at risk/'wisieć na włosku'

Our business was on the line when Max said he resigned.

PUT/LAY STH ON THE LINE

- put something at risk/'ryzykować coś'

You can't put my career on the line just like that!

BE OUT OF LINE WITH STH

- be different from something/'być sprzecznym z czymś' 'nie zgadzać się z czymś'

Our expectations were out of line with what we got.

LINE YOUR POCKETS

- to earn money in a dishonest or illegal way/'wzbogacić się na czymś'

Staff at the bank have apparently been lining their pockets with money from investors' accounts.

BE IN THE FRONT LINE

- be in an important position where you have influence, but where you are likely to be criticized or attacked/'na pierwszej linii'

Many social workers are in the front line of racial tension.

IN/ON THE FIRING LINE/IN THE LINE OF FIRE

- likely to be criticized, attacked, or got rid of/'na lini ognia'

He found himself in the firing line for his sexist remarks.

THE END OF THE LINE

- the point at which it is no longer possible to continue with a process or activity/'kres' 'koniec'

When the bank refused to lend us any more money we realized we'd reached the end of the road.

PUT YOUR NECK ON THE LINE

- to do something that you know might fail and spoil other people's opinion of you or cause you to lose money/'nadstawić karku'

There's a lot of money at stake here and none of the partners wants to put his neck on the line.

TAKE A HARD LINE ON SOMEBODY OR SOMETHING

- to be very severe in the way that you deal with someone or something/'zająć twarde stanowisko wobec kokoś, czegoś'

The government is taking a hard line over tax avoidance.

A video in which you will hear one of the idioms above being used a few times:

A monologue of a Swede speaking English who uses a lot of idiomatic expresssions and nice vocabulary ;)

A TED-TALK on 'Listening' between the lines - American English quite easy to follow:

And something on Quentin - for the ones who are into him :))) About Poetry between the lines (CLICK BELOW):

Quentin Tarantino and the Poetry Between The Lines

TEST YOURSELF at Learning Apps where you'll find a quiz on the above expressions! Click on the link below:

Quiz on LINE IDIOMS and EXPRESSIONS