walk the line
English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Verb
[edit]walk the line (third-person singular simple present walks the line, present participle walking the line, simple past and past participle walked the line)
- (idiomatic) To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc.
- 1914, Julian Hawthorne, chapter 13, in The Subterranean Brotherhood:
- I sat at dinner, but satisfied myself with nibbling bread crusts, and witnessing the forlorn and perilous efforts of my friends to walk the line between starvation and acute indigestion.
- 27 January 1992, “It's Twyla Time Again”, in Newsweek[1]:
- I began to walk the line between work and play.
- (idiomatic) To act in a non-destructive or damaging manner, whether physically or mentally to those you hold dear and/or respect; to exercise self-control.
- 1956, Johnny Cash (lyrics and music), “I Walk the Line”, Sun Records:
- I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line.
- To mark or secure a boundary by walking along it.
- 1914, Robert Frost, Mending Wall:
- And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
- (idiomatic, US, education) To participate in the procession at a graduation ceremony; to graduate.
- 2002 May 7, Gary Kubota, “Maui girl wins right to forget the dress”, in Honolulu Star-Bulletin[2], archived from the original on 9 April 2006:
- A Baldwin High School student will be able to wear slacks to her graduation ceremony, under an order from the Maui School District. . . . "I'm very glad she'll be able to walk the line with her graduating class," Rosaga said.
- 13 May 2006, “Graduation 2006: Valedictorian seeks better life for her family”, in Valencia County News-Bulletin.com[3], archived from the original on 16 August 2007:
- Montano's family, including her parents, sons and fiance, Thomas Gallegos, planned to be on hand to see her walk the line and be honored by the UNM-VC Advisory Board, faculty and staff and her fellow associate degree graduates.