The Bottom Line

Idiom: The Bottom line

Example 1:

Tammy: I'm so excited about starting my new business! I've always dreamed of selling
clothing. Now, I'm decorating my store and setting up fashion displays.

Selma: That's great! I'm sure it's a lot of fun getting everything ready and fixing up the store; however, the bottom line is that you need to get a lot of customers to stay open.

Tammy: Yes, I know and I've been adverstising my grand opening in the local media. I hope it
works.

Selma: Good luck with everything!

Example 2:

Sammy formed a band this year called "The Black Cats" with his friends Jimmy and Frank. They like to play popular songs and often perform at different places during the weekends. Each member of the band has a regular job during the week. Sammy and Jimmy are lawyers, and Frank teaches ESL at LSI. The bottom line is that they all love music and want to play it. They don't care if they make a lot of money.

Meaning:
The Bottom Line means the most important fact or point of something. In the first example, Tammy has opened a new business and is talking about decorating her store. However, the most important fact for Tammy is that she brings in customers to buy what she is selling. In the second example, three guys form a band and play at different places on the weekend. It's not enough to make a living, but the most important thing for these guys is that they are doing what
they love, playing music.

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook
Reading Transitions. This book is used at LSI schools in the level
Reading/Vocabulary classes. For more information, please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/