english idioms in use inter unit 56

in line for something

1. ​likely to get something

   • She is _ promotion.

step/be/get out of line

to behave in a way that is unacceptable or not expected:

• _ one more time, Peters, and you're fired!

• It was made quite clear to me that if I _ again I'd be out of a job.

along the lines of something

similar in type:

• I was thinking of doing a meal _ that dinner I did for Annie and Dave.

• They're campaigning for the electoral system to be reformed _ (= so that it becomes similar to) the one in Germany.

line of work

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

synonyms: business, job, line, occupation

• You might think that unskilled jobs would be a snap for someone who holds a Ph.D. and whose normal _ requires learning entirely new things every couple of weeks.

be on the right lines

If you are ~, you are doing something in a way that will bring good results:

Do you think we're _ with this project?

along the same lines

similar:

My sister works in publishing, and I’m hoping to do something _.

draw the line

to never do something because you think it is wrong:

I swear a lot, but even I _ at saying certain words.

draw a line under something

to decide to stop thinking or talking about something, or to stop something from continuing, and consider it finished:

• There comes a time to _ your failures and move on.

• It was as if they wanted to _ the past.

a fine line

If you say that there is a ~ between one thing and another, you mean that they are very similar. You often say this when one thing is acceptable and the other is not:

As a parent, I knew that there was a _ between panic and caution.

drop someone a line

to write someone a letter, especially a short informal one:

• Just _ when you decide on a date.

• I hadn't heard from John in ages so I thought I'd _.

read between the lines

to try to understand someone's real feelings or intentions from what they say or write:

_, I'd say he isn't happy with the situation.

sign on the dotted line

to agree to do something, especially by signing an agreement:

If you want to join the gym, all you have to do is _.

the bottom line

the most important fact in a situation:

_ is that we need another ten thousand dollars to complete the project.