A dated British slang expression for bad luck or misfortune — similar in feel to 'hard cheese' or 'tough luck.' Used sympathetically to acknowledge that someone has had a rough deal. The phrase suggests fate has dealt a harsh line rather than a lucky one. Largely obsolete but still recognisable in older British fiction.
Hard lines that you missed the train — next one's not for two hours.
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(slang, dated) ; misfortune.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.