English Idioms with words line, long

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
all along / right down the line	at every point / stage, in every way / aspect	Chris needs our support. You can tell him that we are with him all along the line.
be next in line for something	be the next person due for something	Who's next in line for promotion in your company?
be in one's line	be to someone's taste, what someone likes doing	I'm sorry, but rap music isn't exactly in my line.
be off / on line	(a machine) be out of operation / in operation	Attention! Printer not on line!
be / get / step out of line	act in a way that is offensive to others	Chris, you are way out of line! I think you owe me an apology.
the bottom line	the essential result / outcome / conclusion of a matter	Could you please give me the bottom line? How much did we lose on the deal?
bring someone / something into line	persuade someone to conform, make something fit, match, suit	At first she didn't agree with me, but fortunately I managed to bring her into line.
choose / follow / take the line of least resistance	choose the easiest, least unpleasant way of achieving something	After the scandal, he took the line of least resistance and left the company.
come / fall into line with someone / something	agree with someone	I'm sure he will fall into line with us when he finds out the details.
drop someone a line	write an informal letter or note to someone	Drop me a line when you arrive in Leeds.
get a line on someone / something	find out information about someone / something	Could you get a line on his whereabouts? I've a message for him but I can't reach him.
in the line of fire	in a position between two opposing sides, groups etc.	He was right in the line of fire when his wife and mother-in-law had an argument.
somewhere along the line	at some stage / point in the process or development	The negotiations are very tough. There's always a hitch somewhere along the line.
take a firm / hard / strong line with someone on something	deal firmly and decisively	The performance of the department is not good. I think the management will take a firm line with the staff in future.
read between the lines	understand more than the actual words say	He didn't tell me directly, but reading between the lines I think he is going to move to Island.

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
at long last	finally, after a long wait	I’ve been expecting a parcel to arrive from Canada for over three weeks. At long last it has arrived.
be as broad as it’s long	the result / situation is the same whatever one decides to do	It’s as broad as it's long. Taking your car to Spain is just as expensive as flying and renting a car when you’re there.
go a long way	be successful, make a career for oneself	The new assistant manager seems to be a very bright young man. He should go a long way.
in the long run	over a long period of time	We’ve decided to put a lot of work into the improvements on the house, but we’re hoping that it will pay off in the long run.
in the long term	in planning for the distant future	Make sure that you fulfill the contract. It’s important for our credibility in the long term.
long drawn out	(talks, negotiations) taking too much time, too slow or lengthy	What did you think of the CEO’s speech? "Not bad, but too long drawn out."
a long shot	a hopeful guess, an attempt that will probably fail because of lack of information	Mary’s disappeared. I know it’s a long shot but could she have gone to visit her cousin in Brighton?
the long and the short of it	the essential facts of a matter/event/situation	He's offered us the reasons why we shouldn’t transfer him, but the long and the short of it is that he just doesn’t want to go.
go a long way towards	be a great help	They money we won will go a long way towards paying for the new car.
have come a long way	have matured in one's views and outlook, have learnt a lot about life	He has come a long way since his divorce. He used to be timid and reserved, but now he's confident and resolute.