Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“It’s un-American not to read between the lines and question everything. I love America, but if you want it to be a great nation, you have to be critical of it.”
- Author, talk show host, former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins on his frequent criticism of President George W. Bush. (HARP Magazine)
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
to find hidden meanings; to look past what is said to find truth
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
The origin of the phrase read between the lines is pretty simple. It refers to lines of words on a page, and how sometimes all the meaning in a document isn’t contained in the words. You have to infer the message. But people often have to read between the lines when talking to one another as well, especially in complicated social situations like dating and diplomacy.
Henry Rollins often expresses disagreement with United States foreign policy on his television show, The Henry Rollins Show. He believes that Americans ought to read between the lines and not necessarily believe that everything the government or the media says is the whole truth. In fact, he says it’s un-American not to read between the lines because the US was founded on questioning leaders.
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“She didn’t exactly say I had the job, but it was easy to read between the lines.”
“Sheri isn’t very direct with people. If you want to know if she likes you or not, you’ll have to read between the lines“