Expressions used in Everyday Spoken English in Social and Professional contexts
To line one's pockets means to obtain or make a large amount of money in a dishonest, immoral or illegal way, usually by exploiting others or leaving other people worse off or at a disadvantage. This is an idiom used in social and professional contexts. On the surface, this expression could seem similar to 'earn/make a fortune,' or 'make a killing,' as they also denote obtaining a large amount of money. However, the use of 'line one's pockets' implies that the money was either obtained through dishonest or illegal means, or in a greedy way that prioritized financial reward over something more admirable.