draw a line between (two things)
To clearly separate or create boundaries for two things. If you're going to work closely with your wife, you really need to draw a line between your professional life and your personal life. You really ought to draw a line between money for spending and money for savings. Good luck drawing a line between your work as a serious journalist and as a romance novelist.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
draw a line between
draw the line between something and something else Fig. to separate two things; to distinguish or differentiate between two things. (Also with the.) I draw a line between just bumping into people and actually striking them. It's very hard to draw a line between slamming a door and just closing it loudly.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
draw a line between
Also,
draw the line between. Define a limit between two groups, courses of action, or the like. For example,
Legally it's important to draw a line between private and public enterprises, or
We'll have to draw the line between our department's different jurisdictions. This metaphoric idiom was first recorded in 1793. Also see
draw the line at.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.