give someone line | Idiomator

Meaning: (fishing)To unreel more fishing line so that a hooked fish has more freedom to tire itself out.1862, Cyril Thornton,Conyers Lea:Give him LINE, boy (as the trout rushed down into the shallows); into the water, boy! the line's nearly run out; it's nowhere up to your knees. Watch him! draw the line up; gently!give him line;give him line—thought so! —I feared so, ' as the line, becoming entangled from drawing it up, snapped, and the fish dashed on blindly into the shallows and stranded.; (idiomatic,dated)To allow a person more or lesslibertyuntil it isconvenientto stop or check him/her.

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