what's the origin of the saying 'down the line' e.g. 2 years down the line.........?

Answer 1

I believe the phrase comes from the times the Napleonic Wars, when semaphore was used to transmit messages over a distance. The British fleet was made up of "Ships of the Line" and thus a message from most senior ship would be passed "down the line" to all the others in the fleet.

When the Army started using telegraph towers, they were originally manned by navy personnel, who carried their nautical slang with them

Answer 2

I do not believe "down the line" has anything at all to do with the abstract idea of a "time line".

Rather "line" here is used in the sense of "route, road" (compare "(rail)line").

The clue is the fact that we can use "down the ROAD" in exactly the same way (compare also "the end of the line" and "the end of the road").

Of course traveling down a road (route, etc) is a common metaphor for one's LIFE. So "down the road (or line)" in the meaning of "in the future" is simply drawing on the picture of moving further along the "path of your life".

Answer 3

Albert Heigel was an 17th Century historian who developed the concept of time as a linear event, he showed historical events on a "time line," a device which enabled him to make comparisons between historical patterns, hence the phrase "down the line."

Answer 4

it's a reference to linear time, if "now" is where you currently are on the time line (depiction of linear time), then 2 years later from now will be 2 "year units" further along or "down" the (time) line

Answer 5

it means this is how far in life you are (e.g year8 ths 2 years down the line)

Answer 6

As per Bernoulli, Liquids flow from top to bottom - the same way life goes from top to bottom. When we travel, we always say that travelling down. So "down the line" is same as above. I dont know if i am right or wrong.. please excuse me if im wrong. :-)

Answer 7

dunno friend...but you know what?'dis is my favourite phrase!sounds mystifyin:)