color inside the lines

English

Etymology

A reference to children's coloring books, which contain line drawings to be colored in.

Verb

color inside the lines (third-person singular simple present colors inside the lines, present participle coloring inside the lines, simple past and past participle colored inside the lines)

1. (intransitive) To behave conventionally, to follow the rules.
   • 2008, Craig Detweiler, A Purple State of Mind, →ISBN, page 55:

     Too many don'ts had crimped their creativity and blocked out the wealth of dos. I admire the high standards embraced by my Christian students, but my heart also aches for those who have been raised to simply color inside the lines.

   • 2006, Jane Johnson, Every Kick Ain't Down II, →ISBN, page 171:

     You see, she had already learned to color inside the lines, that is, be as quiet as she could and try to become invisible to simply blend into the wall until it was safe to come out.

   • 2009, Susan Meissner, White Picket Fences: A Novel, →ISBN, page 107:

     They told us to stay on the trail, but of course Bart never liked to color inside the lines.

Translations

To behave conventionally, to follow the rules.

• Dutch: binnen de lijntjes kleuren