{"id":10403,"date":"2022-11-16T22:54:28","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10403"},"modified":"2022-11-16T22:55:35","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:55:35","slug":"bee-line-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/bee-line-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Bee Line \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you seen the phrase 'bee line' <\/strong>somewhere and would like to know more about the saying itself, or why someone might have said it? 'Bee line' <\/strong>is a common figurative phrase used in English, though it can be confusing if you have never heard it before. This post unpacks its meaning and common use.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The phrase 'bee line' <\/strong>is a common figurative saying in the English language<\/u> that can be used to indicate direction as a straight line ahead.<\/u><\/p>\n

'Bee line' <\/strong>is an informal saying that refers to the apparent direction that bees appear to travel in when they move from one thing to the next.<\/u><\/p>\n

While butterflies and other flying insects don't always do this, bees seem to follow a completely straight line.<\/u><\/p>\n

A 'bee line' <\/strong>is a saying that is used to indicate that something or someone is following (or should look in) a straight line from where they are.<\/p>\n

Saying the phrase 'bee line'<\/strong> can also indicate that someone is going to go straight to do something, without any other stops or distractions along the way.<\/u><\/p>\n

Sometimes the saying can be spelled as 'bee-line' <\/strong>and it is still considered valid use of the saying.<\/p>\n

While the reverse 'not a bee line' <\/strong>is not common use, it is possible and valid use.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cI'm going to make a beeline right for the Starbucks, or none of us are going to get through tomorrow's term paper.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don't make a beeline straight for the office, you're going to get lost and go to the coffee station instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon't fall for the temptation if you ever go to that part of town. Just make a beeline to the pawn shop and make sure you don't get lost at one of the other restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better make a beeline right for the house, or I'm going to know that you stopped at the bar for three beers after work again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

According to online language resources (including Etymonline), the phrase 'beeline' has been in popular use since at least the mid-1800s when beekeeping became a common pastime and when instructional books for the home were very popular in almost every household.<\/p>\n

The phrase comes from 'to line bees' which is a term used in beekeeping to refer to the rehoming of bees.<\/p>\n

When someone makes a 'beeline', they are assumed to be going in a straight direction.<\/p>\n

Figurative use of the saying 'beeline' has been in popular use since the 1800s, and its use has continued well into modern times.<\/p>\n

The website Urban Dictionary first lists the phrase from the year 2018, even though earlier use of the saying is apparent.<\/p>\n

Phrases Similar to Bee Line<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Straight line<\/li>\n
  • 12 o'clock<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Phrases Opposite to Bee Line<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Crooked line<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • N\/a<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Ways People May Say Bee Line Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        There are several ways in which someone can misuse or misunderstand the saying 'bee line'.<\/p>\n

        The phrase is used to mean 'in a straight direction', though can be misunderstood by anyone who does not understand the context of the phrase.<\/p>\n

        The phrase 'bee line' is most common in English, and might not translate well as a direct phrase into other languages.<\/p>\n

        The phrase is commonly misused as 'b-line', which it is not.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Phrase Bee Line<\/h2>\n

        The correct way to use the phrases 'bee line' or 'bee line' is to use them to refer to anything that takes a straight direction, or anything that implies someone is going 'to go straight' somewhere without any stops or distractions.<\/p>\n

        It is also considered acceptable to say that someone is 'moving in a bee line', or that they 'moved in a bee line' depending on the required form of the sentence.<\/p>\n

        The phrase is not common as the opposite ('not following a bee line'), although this would theoretically still give a valid phrase with the opposite meaning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Have you seen the phrase 'bee line' somewhere and would like to know more about the saying itself, or why someone might have said it? 'Bee line' is a common figurative phrase used in English, though it can be confusing if you have never heard it before. This post unpacks its meaning and common use. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10403"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10403"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10405,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10403\/revisions\/10405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}