line
all (the way) along (or down) the line at every point or stage.
the bottom line the final reality; the important conclusion.
☞ Literally, the bottom line is the final total in an account or balance sheet.
1991Sun The bottom line is that we would rather have Venables and Sugar than Gazza, Maxwell and Scholar.
come down to the line (of a race) be closely fought right until the end.
come (or bring someone or something) into line conform (or cause someone or something to conform).
cut in line jump the queue. US
do a line with someone have a regular romantic or sexual relationship with someone. Irish & New Zealand informal
draw the (or a) line at set a limit of what you are willing to do or accept, beyond which you will not go.
2013Daily Telegraph The school, which had a Muslim headmistress … had gone to great pains to devise a sensibly modest option for Muslim girls, but drew the line at the jilbab.
drop someone a line: seedrop.
the end of the line: see the end of the roadatend.
fall in (or into) line conform with others or with accepted behaviour.
☞ This phrase originally referred to soldiers arranging themselves into military formation.
in the firing line: seefiring.
get a line on learn something about. informal
1939Raymond ChandlerThe Big Sleep I was trying to get a line on you, sure.
hard lines: seehard.
hold the line
1 not yield to the pressure of a difficult situation.
2 maintain a telephone connection during a break in the conversation. dated
☞ Sense 1 is a military metaphor, from the idea of a line of soldiers withstanding an attack without moving from their positions.
❶ 1980 Shirley HazzardThe Transit of Venus But if we made one exception we would naturally be in no position to hold the line on similar cases.
hook, line, and sinker: seehook.
in line for likely to receive.
lay (or put) it on the line speak frankly.
(draw) a line in the sand (state that you have reached) a point beyond which you will not go.
line of country: seecountry.
the line of least resistance: seeresistance.
line your pocket (or pockets) make money, usually by dishonest means.
out of line behaving in a way that breaks the rules or is considered disreputable or inappropriate.
read between the lines: seeread.
shoot a line: seeshoot.
toe the line: seetoe.