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Gamboler Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary
Below the deadline
"Below the deadline" is the title of two USA movies, one of them released in 1936 and the other one in 1946.
It's the first time I found this expression, so I would like to know its meaning.
Is "below the deadline" the same as "under the deadline" (that I think means "under pressure")?
If not, what does it mean?
Both films are crime-noir movies, dealing with rackets of gangsters that control casinos, clubs, politicians, etc.
It's the first time I found this expression, so I would like to know its meaning.
Is "below the deadline" the same as "under the deadline" (that I think means "under pressure")?
If not, what does it mean?
Both films are crime-noir movies, dealing with rackets of gangsters that control casinos, clubs, politicians, etc.
Top answer
gamboler two USA movies, two American movies
- gamboler two USA movies, two American movies
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5 Answers
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There are actually more than 2 movies with this title. There's a third one released in 1929. And there were apparently several before this, in the silent film era. This makes me think that "below the deadline" was a well-established idiom in the early 20th century. But after the 1940's, it fell out of use, and it is no longer understood today - I'm a native English speaker in the US and it do
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Out of use, anonymous? I don't think so.
Please, visit these recent links:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/12/10/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints
Please, visit these recent links:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-balan/2014/12/10/nbc-abc-tout-democrats-anger-budget-bill-omit-gop-complaints
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Only the first link shows anything related to this phrase and this is a misprint or grammatical error, "it may all fall apart just below the deadline", should be: "it may all fall apart just before the deadline."
But getting back to the meaning of the phrase. 70 years removed for the use of the phrase, I'm guessing, but my interpretation of it, given the context in which it appears - cr
But getting back to the meaning of the phrase. 70 years removed for the use of the phrase, I'm guessing, but my interpretation of it, given the context in which it appears - cr
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This phrase might have its origin in a simple, yet hard-hitting metaphor. Draw a horizontal line on a sheet of paper, and label it "the deadline" (note the play on words here). Then the world's population can arbitrarily be divided into two groups: those in no danger are above the line, those in danger are below the line.
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