| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Lines. | | |
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The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. The part allotted to me and measured off by a measuring line. (Palms xvi. 6.) | 1 |
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Hard lines. Harsh restrictions. Here lines means an allotment measured out. | 2 |
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To read between the lines. To discern the secret meaning. One method of cryptography is to write in alternate lines; if read line by line, the meaning of the writer is reversed or wholly misunderstood. Thus lines 2, 4, 6 of the following cryptogram would convey the warning to Lord Monteagle of the Gunpowder Plot. | 3 |
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| “My lord, having just returned from Paris, |
| (2) stay away from the house to-night |
| and give me the pleasure of your company. |
| (4) for God and man have concurred to punish |
| those who pay not regard to their health, and |
| (6) the wickedness of the time |
| adds greatly to its wear and tear.” | |
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