feed someone a line

feed someone a line idiom
  1. Also, feed someone lines. Cue an actor with his or her next line (or lines), or tell someone what to say, as in Some contestants become tongue-tied, so someone has to feed them a line, or Eric still has trouble learning a part; he needs someone to feed him his lines.
  2. Also, hand someone a line. Lead someone on, deceive with glib or exaggerated talk. For example, He really fed them a line about his important new position, or Don't hand me a line—I know exactly how much you paid for it. [Early 1900s]

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.

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