Don't Cross the Line! Unless It's the Finish Line.

 

Now, it’s time for the VOA Learning¹ English program, Words and Their Stories. On this show, we talk about common, expressions in American English.

Today, we will talk about the word “line.” Line is a simple, four-letter word, but it has many meanings, making a simple word complex.

We will begin with an easy expression – in line. Now, you can simply stand in line at a store, bus stop or at a theater. Not many people like standing² in a line. But you can also be in line for something important like a job or a job promotion³. Being in line for a better job is something most people would like!

Let’s say a friend of yours, Simone, is an accountant. She has a good job and is in line for a promotion at work. Simone doesn’t make much money. So, you hope she gets the high-level, better paying position.

But, Simone doesn’t feel the same way. She has dreams of becoming a professional singer. She takes voice lessons every night and joins a singing group on the weekends. These activities change her lifestyle. She stays out late at night and comes in late to work. And she often sings at her desk! This behavior puts the likelihood⁴ of her promotion on the line.

Something “on the line” is at a critical point or is at risk. Sometimes when using this expression, a person says simply there is a lot on the line or too much on the line, meaning that much can be lost.

But let’s get back to Simone.

You begin to feel worried about her double life as a singer. You just don’t think it is realistic. You want to tell Simone to fall in line, to follow the rules of her office. You remind your friend that her office has a hard line when it comes to showing up on time for work.

A “hard line” means a severe, uncompromising way of acting⁵. A hard-liner is someone who sticks to some policy or rule. So, her boss is a hard-liner when it comes to showing up for work on time. He also doesn’t like the accountants singing in front of the clients⁶.

But Simone doesn’t listen. In fact, things get worse. She often leaves town for weeks at a time, touring around the country with her singing group. Now, her job is really on the line.

You walk the line between warning her about landing⁷ on the unemployment line and respecting her privacy⁸. The expression “walk the line” has two meanings. One is to hold a position, usually on middle ground, between two very different choices.

The other meaning of walk the line is the one Johnny Cash sings about. In his song, he sings about behaving well with the love of his life.

“I find it very, very easy to be true.

I find myself alone when each day is through.

Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you.

Because you're mine, I walk the line.”

There is a fine line between wanting to help someone and interfering⁹. A “fine line” means a very small difference.

After thinking about it, you decide to lay it on the line! To lay it on the line means to talk very openly with someone. Often it is something that the person may not want to hear.

So, you pull Simone aside and say privately¹⁰, “Look. I’m going to lay it on the line for you. You need to take your job more seriously. Your whole career is on the line!” Or something along those lines. “Along those lines” means “something like that.”

At first, she seems thankful that you care so much. Then she tells you not to worry. A music producer, she says, offered her singing group a record deal! You don’t believe her. You say, “Don’t give me that line!” When you give, hand or even feed someone a line, you are not telling that person the truth.

But be careful. “Giving a line” to someone” is much different from giving or getting a line on someone. When you give or get a line on someone or something you have given or gotten information on that person or that thing. For example, if I say “the librarian gave me a line on some great books” it means she gave me some information on some great books.

So, the preposition¹¹ “on” is very important in this expression. And you didn’t use “on” when you talked to Simone. So, she shouts back, “I’m not giving you a line. And how dare you accuse me of lying! You have crossed the line!”

When you “cross the line,” you have gone too far in either your comments or in your behavior.

Now, you tell her that watching a friend ruin her career is where you draw the line. That is your limit! This is similar to drawing a line in the sand. Again, it is a point you are not willing to go beyond.

The bottom line is that you care about Simone and are worried about her. Here, the “bottom line” means the most important thing.

After this fight, Simone treats you differently. She doesn’t answer your calls and doesn’t ride to work with you anymore. When you ask what is wrong, she simply says, “Nothing.”

But you can read between the lines. You know there is something wrong even if she won’t tell you directly. “Reading between the lines” means you to try to understand something that is not openly communicated.

After thinking about it, you realize that your comments were out of line. They were hurtful and unacceptable. Perhaps down the line she will forgive you. But not right away – maybe sometime in the future.

Simone’s silence goes on for months. Then somewhere along the line -- you’re not sure when -- she seems to disappear from your life completely. You accept the fact that your friendship with Simone has reached the end of the line. It’s the end of the friendship.

Then one day, she drops you a line! She writes you a letter, saying she forgives you. Included with the letter is a package and a set of tickets. Simone sent you her singing group’s new CD and two front row seats to their concert!

Now, we are at the end of the line for this Words and Their Stories. Drop us a line and let us know when you thought of this program.

Words in This Story

uncompromising – adj. not willing to change a decision, opinion, method, etc. : not willing to make or accept a compromise

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

4 likelihood   

n.可能，可能性

参考例句：

• We must try our best to reduce the likelihood of war.我们必须尽最大努力减少战争的可能性。
• I don't think there is any likelihood of his agreeing to it.我认为不会有他同意那件事情的可能。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 clients   

n.顾客( client的名词复数 )；当事人；诉讼委托人；[计算机]客户端

参考例句：

• a lawyer with many famous clients 拥有许多著名委托人的律师
• She understood the importance of establishing a close rapport with clients. 她懂得与客户建立密切和谐的关系的重要性。

7 landing   

n.登陆；着陆；楼梯平台

参考例句：

• Owing to engine trouble,the plane had to make a forced landing.由于发动机出了毛病，飞机不得不进行迫降。
• When are we landing?我们什么时候着陆？

8 privacy   

n.私人权利，个人自由，隐私权

参考例句：

• In such matters,privacy is impossible.在这类事情中，保密是不可能的。
• She wept in the privacy of her own room.她在自己房内暗暗落泪。

9 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

10 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

11 preposition   

n.介词

参考例句：

• You should cancel this preposition in the sentence.你应该删去句子中的这个介词。
• We use different preposition to talk about time,days,months and seasons.我们用不动的介词来谈论时间，日，月和季节等。