Read between the lines

Example 1:

Will: Mary won’t return my calls.  I’m not sure if she’s sad or sick.

Heather: Did anything happen? 

Will: I told her I liked her as a girlfriend, and she just disappeared.  I’m not sure why she won’t return my phone calls.

Heather: You have to read between the lines Will.  I don’t think she likes you the same way, and she’s trying to show you by staying away.

Example 2:

Mark: I can’t understand what the point of this statement is.  I can understand the words and content, but not the main idea.

Alice: Sometimes you have to read between the lines to understand what someone is trying to tell you.

Mark: What do you mean?

Alice: Well, sometimes things have a hidden meaning or implied meaning.  Look for clues.

Explanation:

  

Read between the lines means to look for a the meaning of something hidden in a statement.

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