cross the line vs nail

cross the line

verb
  • To achieve completion of something. 

  • To finish a race. 

  • To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable. 

  • To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea. 

  • To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction. 

nail

verb
  • To accomplish (a task) completely and successfully. 

  • To stud or boss with nails, or as if with nails. 

  • To expose as a sham. 

  • To catch. 

  • Of a male, to engage in sexual intercourse with. 

  • To spike, as a cannon. 

  • To hit (a target) effectively with some weapon. 

  • To fix (an object) to another object using a nail. 

  • To drive a nail. 

  • To nail down: to make certain, or confirm. 

noun
  • A spike-shaped metal fastener used for joining wood or similar materials. The nail is generally driven through two or more layers of material by means of impacts from a hammer or other device. It is then held in place by friction. 

  • The terminal horny plate on the beak of ducks, and other allied birds. 

  • The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain hemiptera. 

  • A round pedestal on which merchants once carried out their business, such as the four nails outside The Exchange, Bristol. 

  • An archaic English unit of length equivalent to ¹⁄₂₀ of an ell or ¹⁄₁₆ of a yard (2+¹⁄₄ inches or 5.715 cm). 

  • The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals. 

  • The claw of a bird or other animal. 

How often have the words cross the line and nail occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )