toe the line

rentrer dans le rang, se conformer

Respecter les règles ou faire ce qu’un groupe ou un responsable attend de nous.

En anglais simple : To follow rules or do what a group or person in charge expects.

• Everyone here must toe the line.
• She lost her job for refusing to toe the line.
• The party expects its members to toe the line.

Synonymes : obey, conform, comply

Contraires : rebel, disobey

Expressions courantes : toe the line, toe the party line

être à la limite, être à la frontière

Se trouver tout près de la limite entre deux qualités ou deux états différents.

En anglais simple : To be very close to the boundary between two different qualities or states.

• Her stories toe the line between fact and fiction.
• The advertisement toed the line between honesty and deception.
• Does this behaviour toe the line between legal and illegal?

Comment l'utiliser : toe the line between A and B (His jokes toe the line between funny and cruel.)

Synonymes : straddle the boundary, walk the line

Expressions courantes : toe the line, toe the line between

se placer sur la ligne de départ

Prendre sa place sur la ligne de départ avant une course à pied.

En anglais simple : To take your place at the starting line before a running race.

• The runners toed the line.
• She will toe the line at her first marathon tomorrow.
• He was nervous as he toed the line before the final.

Comment l'utiliser : toe the line at a race (Hundreds of runners toed the line at the city marathon.)

Synonymes : take one's starting position

Expressions courantes : toe the line, toe the line again