Dictionary entry
shoot a line
verb
吹牛
In use
He’s always shooting a line about his expensive holidays.
Don’t shoot a line to me; I know the truth.
She shot a line about knowing the president, but nobody believed her.
shoot a line about sth
He always shoots a line about his wealth.
他总是吹嘘自己的财富。
shoot a line that clause
She shot a line that she knew the president.
她吹牛说自己认识总统。
Common mistakes
He shot line about his wealth.He shot a line about his wealth.
短语 'shoot a line' 是固定搭配，必须包含不定冠词 'a'。中文学习者受母语没有冠词的影响，常省略冠词。
He shot a line his new job.He shot a line about his new job.
英语中，'shoot a line' 后需用介词 'about' 引出吹牛的具体内容，而中文 '吹牛' 可直接接宾语，导致介词遗漏。
Connections
Confusing words
- shoot the breeze
- 闲聊 · shoot a line 指吹牛、说大话；shoot the breeze 指轻松闲聊，无夸耀之意。
- shoot off one's mouth
- 夸口，说漏嘴 · shoot a line 强调虚构或夸大事实；shoot off one's mouth 指轻率地说大话或泄漏秘密，可能带有贬义。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT.