Episode 317: Line in the Sand

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Line in the Sand". Bonus: Moral Dubiosity, Spanish Conquistadors, and Remembering the Alamo

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Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Episode 317: Line in the Sand
Record Date: April 20, 2026
Air Date: April 29, 2026

Intro

Shauna:
Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase. 

I’m Shauna Harrison

Dan:
And I’m Dan Pugh

Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used today.

Opening Hook
I think back to when I was a teenager, experiencing so many things in life for the first time. That’s a time of life to explore and to push boundaries. But we are all faced, at some point in that exploration, with hitting a boundary we are uncomfortable with. Maybe it’s a physical boundary you are not supposed to cross, or maybe it's a cultural or religious boundary. But in those situations, you have a choice to make. You have a line in the sand. 

Meaning
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a line in the sand means:

Quote
(to establish) a limit or boundary; (to specify) a level of tolerance or a point beyond which one will not go.
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/line_n2?tab=meaning_and_use#39222405

Regardless of which way you go with that, by crossing the line - like crossing the rubicon (episode 105) - you are taking action that demands attention. Though unlike crossing the rubicon, you might be able to come back from crossing this line, depending on the situation. And I want to mention up top that many of our examples of “line in the sand” come with morally dubious decisions. We are not going to attempt to litigate historical ethics. In my - Dan’s - experiences, many examples of proverbial lines drawn in the sand have moral ambiguity associated with them, that is the “right thing to do” is unclear. The ‘line in the sand’ is being used, in a way, to try to distill that ambiguity - that lack of clarity - into a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ strategy. I personally feel that is doing a disservice to the ethical quandary, the ethical issue at hand, in the first place. 

1777
We must also acknowledge that organic beings have likely been drawing lines in the dirt, sand, and mud since they evolved the ability to hold a stick. I saw one usage of the phrase that, at first, seemed to be simply a statement of fact and not meant to be a specific choice given to someone - though it did in fact turn out to be a choice. It was in the 1777 work The Modern Traveller, Volume 5. In it, Captain Cook and a group of naturalists landed in a small cove and they were quickly surrounded by nearly 400 indigenous people. Here is where we pick up the entry:

Quote
The Captain drew a line on the sand, telling them they were not to pass it. They presently sung their song of defiance, while a party tried to draw the boats on shore, and the line was broken on all sides. Upon this the Captain fired with small shot…
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Modern_Traveller/eCwYAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22line+on+the+sand%22&pg=PA10&printsec=frontcover 

So this was a literal line in the sand, but also represented a boundary by which the Captain felt it was appropriate to take deadly action should it be crossed. 

1799
The first usage I could find that clearly set off a figurative usage was in the re-telling of the life of Fransciso Pizarro, along with other Spanish conquistadors in a play. This was highlighted in the 1799 work The Spaniards in Peru; or, the death of Rolla. A tragedy, in five acts by Augustus von Kotzebue, translated from German to English by Anne Plumptre, also in 1799. Our phrase pops up early, in the opening scene of the first act. The character of Elvira, speaking of Pizarro, says:

Quote
But, afterwards, when, in the little island of Gallo, he with his sword marked a line in the sand, and magnanimously desired those of his followers who were discontented, and wishes to depart, to cross that line; -on which permission he was deserted by all but thirteen tried friends, who swore adherence to him, at all hazards…
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_die-spanier-in-peru-en_kotzebue-august-von_1799_1/page/4/mode/2up?q=%22line+in+the+sand%22 

Francisco Pizarro was a real person, a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire. So this play was based on a true story, though published over 250 years after his death. And we have no idea if Pizarro really did this.

1813
There is an 1813 work that references this account, in the work General biography; or, Lives, critical and historical, of the most eminent persons of all ages, countries, conditions, and professions, arranged according to alphabetical order edited by John Akin et al. Speaking of Pizarro:

Quote
That leader was resolved to persist in his design, notwithstanding all discouragements; but when, after employing his eloquence in persuading his followers to partake in his fortunes, he drew a line in the sand with his swords, and permitted those to cross it who wished to return, he found himself left with no more than thirteen.
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_general-biography-or-li_aikin-john_1799_8/page/n225/mode/2up?q=%22line+in+the+sand%22 

Which means the story, true or not, became well-known in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Which gave rise to the phrase's figurative use of a metaphorical boundary by which some action will be taken if it is crossed. 

1819
Here’s a good example from this in 1819. This is from a statement attributed to Mr. William Dundas speaking on Burgh Reform. It was published in The British Press out of London on May 7, 1819.

Quote
The inhabitants of Scotland were not easily excited - they were temperate, determined, and firm - they were not easily roused, but here would call on Gentlemen to beware of them - he would say to Gentlemen, beware of drawing a line on the sand, lest the rising wave should not be still.
End Quote
https://newspaperarchive.com/british-press-may-07-1819-p-3/

The concept here is clear: do not draw a line in the sand and force them, the Scots, to take a side.

1850
This next one comes to us from Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky during the Compromise of 1850. It is listed in The Congressional Globe for the first session of the 31st Congress. This is volume 22, part 2. 

Quote
If, therefore, I am right in these opinions which I have expressed, to run a line at 35 degrees or 36 degrees 30 minutes through California, without declaring what the effect of that line shall be, either south or north of it, would, I repeat, be running a line in the sand - a line without motive, without purpose, without accomplishing any end whatever. 
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Congressional_Globe/A97MiBsNRCMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22line+in+the+sand%22&pg=PA1411&printsec=frontcover 

Senator Clay was an instrumental figure during the Compromise of 1850, which quelled the growing unrest for over a decade until the United States’ first Civil War broke out. 

1873
For this next one, I’m going to read from a modern article written by Ryan Badger in his role as the Curator of Collections for the Briscoe Western Art Museum. This highlights how a phrase attributed to the 1836 falling of the Alamo wasn’t published until 1873. The article clearly has some inaccuracies with the origins of the phrase, but I think it does a good job of explaining how the Alamo fits into the history of the phrase.

Quote
Have you ever heard the expression “I’m drawing a line in the sand!”?  Have you ever wondered where that expression comes from?  Look no further than the Alamo!  That’s right, when William Barrett Travis scratched a line in the courtyard grounds of the Alamo fortress and invited his men to join him on one side to commit their lives to the fight against Santa Anna’s army or to stay on the other and attempt escape, he set an idiomatic precedent that is still in use today.  Remarkably, this line-in-the-sand story, probably one of the best-known anecdotes in the history of the Texas Revolution, was first published more than forty years after the battle took place and may have been a fabrication. 

Supposedly, William Zuber originally heard the story from his parents who had taken in a disheveled man named Moses Rose shortly after the Alamo fell, and published it in 1873.  Rose, had told the Zubers about how Travis had drawn the line in the sand and how he alone had refused to cross and slipped away in the night, making his way east until he came to the Zuber homestead. 

Could it have happened? There was undoubtedly a man named Rose at the garrison, and later accounts by Susanna Dickinson mention a man named “Ross” fleeing the Alamo just before the battle. Still, other accounts record all adult men (with the exception of Joe) dying in battle. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure, but whether the story is true or not, the image of a resolute Travis, drawing his line in the sand (either figurative or literal), will be one of the reasons people continue to remember the Alamo.
End Quote
https://briscoemuseum.org/a-line-in-the-sand/ 

We’ll talk more about some other myths and legends surrounding the Alamo, including how over 20 people including Travis’ personal slave Joe survived, in our behind the scenes video, available every Friday on our Patreon. That’s patreon.com/bunnytrailspod

1896
Now we’ll move to New York with a July 9, 1896 edition of The Journal. In an article called “Convention Stories of Great Men” - such called because it was noting who was at the Republican Convention and a little about them. And thus we find Mr. Beriah Wilkins, publisher of the Washington Post in attendance. The article speaks of Wilkins’ war record, presumably during the Civil War. He has a sixty day enlistment along with many men of Ohio. They dug a redoubt that was, according to his account, “impregnable”. And when the sixty days were up, a Colonel came a-calling to ask the men to re-enlist. After no one spoke for a time, Mr. Wilkins, then a young man, stepped up. 

Quote
Like Pizzaro (sic), on a similar occasion, when settling all things Peruvian, Mr. Wilkins drew his shovel and marked a line in the sand. “Comrades,” shouted Mr. Wilkins, while his eye flashed like a falchion, “on this side of the line lie Ohio, three meals a day and safety. On this,” and here the intrepid young hero pointed southward with his keen shovel, “on this lie privation, sow-belly and a soldier’s grave. Which will we embrace? I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me the safe, Ohio, sure thing end of it. My mind’s made up. Nothing can swerve me now.” With these words Mr. Wilkins crossed over to the Ohio side of the line and broke his shovel against a tree, saying: “So end all my battles; all my dreams of glory.” Carried away by his example, the entire regiment followed Mr. Wilkins. They returned to Ohio as one man.
End Quote
https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84031792/1896-07-09/ed-1/?sp=5&q=line+in+the+sand&r=0.527,0.185,0.271,0.103,0

The author draws on Francisco Pizarro’s experience here. It was only 30 years following the battle at the Alamo, so it seems the Alamo might have been a better example had it been widely known. But instead he references a Spanish conquistador who had been dead over 350 years. Which makes me feel like the “line in the sand” popularity from the Alamo story may be more modern-myth-making than anything else. Regardless of the origin, I do think this story coming from the Alamo has helped re-popularize an old phrase. Especially since, according to Google’s Ngram, the phrase “line in the sand” didn’t really start to make much of a comeback until 1986 when it began popping up in Congressional Records and public vernacular alike. 
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=line+in+the+sand&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3
What happened in 1986? Why, the sesquicentennial of the Battle of the Alamo. The 150 year anniversary. I may still have a commemorative tin from the celebrations. It was a big deal. And the story of Travis’ “line in the sand”, - true or not, but certainly not well known in its own time - was too good a political story to pass up. 

And thus, the phrase that had been associated with a Spanish conquistador in Peru traveled 3,000 miles, and several centuries, northward to be reimagined for the Alamo. 

Up next we have several modern uses to cover and we’ll get to those, right after we say thank you to our sponsors.

A Quick Thank You
Shauna:
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Modern Uses

1997
We’ll start our modern uses with Lines in the Sand, a 1997 rock song by Dream Theater
Here’s the last line and the final chorus:

Quote
Sometimes
In the wreckage of our wake
There's a bitterness we harbor
And hate for hatred's sake
Sometime
We dig an early grave
And crucify our instincts
For the hope we couldn't save
Sometimes
A view from sinless eyes
Centers our perspective
And pacifies our cries
Sometimes
The anguish we survive
And the mysteries we nurture
Are the fabrics of our lives

Swept away with the tide
Through the holes in my hands
Crown of thorns at my side
Drawing lines in the sand
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9j-v9EbBBM 

1998
This next one is a play on the phrase. Line in the Dust is a song by Bruce Hornsby off his 1998 album Spirit Trail. It’s about a person meeting up with an old childhood friend and realizing they hold opinions that are problematic in the singer's eyes. Here are some of the lyrics:

Quote
Between us, I can see
Things are not what they used to be
My old friend changed
Or maybe it was me

Things get so complicated
Jokes made, friendships dissipated
Long silence but I speak
Now so belated

I say, hey, wait a minute
What's that you said?
Not so sure that I heard you right
Whoa, oh, hey, wait a minute
Oh, say that again
You're in the dust
Drawing a long straight line
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuJtEsD7t8o 

1999/2000
We’ll start our books with a novel called, A Line in the Sand by Gerald Seymour. Here is the synopsis from the publisher:

Quote
Just when he was beginning to feel safe, Frank Perry's past has surfaced with a vengeance. Ten years ago, Perry made powerful enemies by spying for the British government on Iranian chemical and biological weapons installations. His information served to cripple Iran's killing capacity for years. Now, Iran is exacting its revenge -- and dispatching its most deadly assassin to do the job. Code-named the Anvil, the assassin moves with stealth toward Perry's asylum on the coast of Suffolk. As elaborate preparations are made to ensure Perry's safety, an unexpected new threat arises in the form of the local citizenry. Fearing for their lives, the community closes ranks against him, and Perry is left to fend for himself against a remorseless, faceless adversary.
End quote
https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Line_in_the_Sand.html?id=kp0PAAAACAAJ

Interestingly, the novel was so popular it was adapted into a two-part mini-series for the British station ITV. It was set to air in 2001, but given the plot line and the recent attacks in the United States, the project did not air until 2004. 
https://www.memorabletv.com/uk-tv/a-line-in-the-sand-itv1-2004-with-ross-kemp-and-saskia-reeves/ 

2002
Next up is the 2002 work A Line in the Sand: The Alamo in Blood and Memory by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson. Here is the synopsis from the publisher:

Quote
In late February and early March of 1836, the Mexican Army under the command of General Antonio L0pez de Santa Anna besieged a small force of Anglo and Tejano rebels at a mission known as the Alamo. The defenders of the Alamo were in an impossible situation. They knew very little of the events taking place outside the mission walls. They did not have much of an understanding of Santa Anna or of his government in Mexico City. They sent out contradictory messages, they received contradictory communications, they moved blindly and planned in the dark. And in the dark early morning of March 6, they died. In that brief, confusing, and deadly encounter, one of America's most potent symbols was born. The story of the last stand at the Alamo grew from a Texas rallying cry, to a national slogan, to a phenomenon of popular culture and presidential politics. Yet it has been a hotly contested symbol from the first. Questions remain about what really happened: Did William Travis really draw a line in the sand? Did Davy Crockett die fighting, surrounded by the bodies of two dozen of the enemy? And what of the participants' motives and purposes? Were the Texans justified in their rebellion? Were they sincere patriots making a last stand for freedom and liberty, or were they a ragtag collection of greedy men-on-the-make, washed-up politicians, and backwoods bullies, Americans bent on extending American slavery into a foreign land? The full story of the Alamo -- from the weeks and months that led up to the fateful encounter to the movies and speeches that continue to remember it today -- is a quintessential story of America's past and a fascinating window into our collective memory. In A Line in the Sand, acclaimed historians Randy Roberts and James Olson use a wealth of archival sources, including the diary of Jos Enrique de la Pena, along with important and little-used Mexican documents, to retell the story of the Alamo for a new generation of Americans. They explain what happened from the perspective of all parties, not just Anglo and Mexican soldiers, but also Tejano allies and bystanders. They delve anew into the mysteries of Crockett's final hours and Travis's famous rhetoric. Finally, they show how preservationists, television and movie producers, historians, and politicians have become the Alamo's major interpreters. Walt Disney, John Wayne, and scores of journalists and cultural critics have used the Alamo to contest the very meaning of America, and thereby helped us all to "remember the Alamo."
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Line_in_the_Sand/69VSEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0  


2021
Here’s another book, this one 2021’s A Red Line in the Sand Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen by David A. Andelman. A seemingly prescient title given that since this book's publication more than one superpower has invaded other, smaller countries sparking fears of World War III. Anyway, here is the synopsis from the publisher: 

Quote
A longtime CNN columnist astutely combines history and global politics to help us better understanding the exploding number of military, political, and diplomatic crises around the globe.

The riveting and illuminating behind-the-scenes stories of the world's most intense “red lines," from diplomatic and military challenges at particular turning points in history to the ones that set the tone of geopolitics today. Whether it was the red line in Munich that led to the start of the Second World War, to the red lines in the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, Syria and the Middle East.

As we traverse the globe, Andelman uses original documentary research, previously classified material, and interviews with key players, to help us understand the growth, the successes and frequent failures that have shaped our world today.

Andelman provides not just vivid historical context, but a political anatomy of these red lines. How might their failures be prevented going forward? When and how can such lines in the sand help preserve peace rather than tempt conflict?

A Red Line in the Sand is a vital examination of our present and the future—where does diplomacy end and war begin? It is an object lesson of tantamount importance to every leader, diplomat, citizen, and voter. As America establishes more red lines than it has pledged to defend, every American should understand the volatile atmosphere and the existential stakes of the red web that encompasses the globe.
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Red_Line_in_the_Sand/xPvtDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 

This title is interesting because it combines the concept of a red line - which the OED notes means:
Quote
A notional boundary that should not or will not be crossed; a limit or point beyond which specified actions will not be tolerated, or concessions will not be made.
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/red-line_n?tab=meaning_and_use#26386430

- with our phrase, a line in the sand. 

2025
Beyond Salvation 3: A Line in the Sand is an ink on paper drawing by Roger Adamson of the United Kingdom. It was completed in 2025. Here is the description of the work from Saatchi Art:

Quote
A huge explosion rocks a nearby ship but the wire carriers running out the lines barely look up. Gas cutters rely on lines being purged of anything flammable, but when they cut them what’s left inside frequently ignites, together with the gas tanks they carry. The consequences are deadly. On 7th September 2024 six men died when the MT Suvarna Swarajya
exploded, despite being certified gas-free for man entry and hot work by the Bangladeshi government, in a yard certified by Japan’s Class Society under the Hong Kong Convention that was meant to represent a line in the sand.
End Quote
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Drawing-Beyond-Salvation-3-A-Line-in-the-Sand/2628751/13184915/view 


It’s a pretty powerful work between the art itself and knowing the background of its origin. 

Wrap Up
As I said at the top, I am not a fan of drawing metaphorical lines in the sand because it tries to reduce complex moral or ethical dilemmas into simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decisions. And while that might be acceptable in a time of crisis where seconds matter, it isn’t acceptable in most other situations. As the Brothers Green say, ‘truth resists simplicity’. In most situations, we are better off to deliberate and discuss these moral choices at length rather than forcing a decision with a ‘line in the sand’. 


Dan:
That’s about all we have for today. If you have any thoughts on the show, or pop culture references we should have included, 
reach out to us on Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod or comment on our website bunnytrailspod.com

Shauna:
It’s poll time!

Recently we asked our Patrons, when you listen to podcasts, do you finish every episode or do you skip around?

The two most popular answers were “I am willing to skip around if it doesn't grab me” and “Finish every time”.

Mary said:
Quote
I do it all. I like to binge Bunny Trails on longer drives because I mostly listen to podcasts in my car and I want to hear the whole  episode at once. With political podcasts like MeidasTouch or Brian Tyler Cohen, I pick and choose based on the topic and guest.  I always listen when they have Jamie Raskin or Janine Crocket. I never miss John Oliver, although, that’s really not a podcast. I dabble in many others with comedy, watercolor, healthcare, and history as their focus. I am a podcast junkie. 
End Quote

Dustin noted:
Quote
I like to hear the whole thing, sometimes multiple times if it is really dense. The History of English is one I have to listen to multiple times
End Quote

Cheryl said:
Quote
I listen to so many podcasts and I'm always behind so I can't take the time to listen to ones that aren't of interest.
End Quote

Dan:
Heather said:
Quote
If I'm following a podcast, I generally listen to it all. The exception is review podcasts, if I'm not interested in the media they talk about on specific episodes. 
End Quote

JGP noted:
Quote
It depends very much on the podcast for me. There are many that are more of the kind where the subject changes each episode depending on who the host is interviewing or what they'd researched for that episode and life is just too short to listen to interviews or topics I am uninterested in or find unpleasant.
End Quote

Like most of you, my answer really depends on the podcast. I have some, like My Brother, My Brother, and Me that I listen to every normal episode, but I skip the live shows and when they have guests. And some, like Sandman Stories Presents, that I listen to from start to finish no matter what. And then others, like This Day in History with the Retrospectors, where I listen if the topic is appealing. It really just depends. But as many of you have said, there are so many podcasts and so little time that everyone should feel empowered to listen in whatever way makes the most sense for them!

Shauna:
If I like the  podcast, I’m an every episode type… and usually from the beginning. But there are some that I’ll just hop on and listen, particularly if they are interview style or if episodes have varying topics. 

If you want to take part in our silly polls, head over to the Patreon. We’d love to hear your take on our weekly poll questions! And it’s free at patreon.com/bunnytrailspod 

Outro 

Shauna:
Thanks for joining us. We’ll talk to you again next week. Until then remember, 

Together:
Words belong to their users.