"out of line" ?

[billy]

hi,
I heard the conversation below on a TV show :

A: you've talked too much . it's boring .
B: Am I out of line ?


so, what exactly does out of line mean?


appreciate you helping me .

 

[RonBee]

If somebody is out of line that means he is doing something inappropriate, something he shouldn't be doing.

 

[Casiopea]

In the Army, soldiers stand at attention in line. If one of the soldiers is standing out(side) of the line, s/he, to quote RonBee, "is doing something inappropriate, something [s/]he shouldn't be doing."

 

[billy]

as far as I understand , does that mean " the speaker (B) was not talking about what they were supposed to talk about ? Like off the track

right?


look forward to your reply

 

[Tdol]

Yes, but in a different way from 'off the track'.. 'Out of line' means they aren't following rules, instructions, etc. A politician may speak out of line by saying something their party doesn't approve of. 'Off the track' means that the coversation is wandering away from the subject. ;-)

 

[billy]

thank you so much for your explanation!

I've learned much more from here.

 

[Tdol]

You're welcome. ;-)