to shoot a line
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An R.A.F. phrase meaning to exaggerate, to tell a tall story.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to shoot a line” mean?
An R.A.F. phrase meaning to exaggerate, to tell a tall story.
Is “to shoot a line” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.