A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

by order of someone • under the orders of someone
by order of someone —according to directions given by a
proper authority: By order of the Minister a special operation
of police is being carried out.
under the orders of someone —
1
. (Military) commanded by a
person; being smb.’s subordinate: At the battle of Waterloo
he was under the orders of Marshal Grouchy. 2. = by order of
someone: In some cases it may be possible to release the prisoner
on probation, but this is permitted only under the orders of
the Provincial Government.
by rule • by rule and line
by rule —according to law, custom, or regulations: They
speak by rule and by book, though they judge and determine
by common-sense.
by rule and line —(dated) with methodical accuracy (also: by
rule and measure): Life isn’t cast in a mould — not cut out by
rule and line, and that sort of thing.
by succession • in succession
by succession —according to the legal principle by which one
person succeeds another in an inheritance, office, etc.: It seems
they did not like a king by deputation but desired one by suc-
cession.
in succession —one after another in regular sequence: If one
African country pulls out of the Commonwealth then there is
a very real possibility the others will go out in succession like
dominoes.
by the authority of someone • on the authority of
someone
by the authority of someone —by reason of authority granted
by the person named: The weapons were placed in the church
by the authority of the governor in response to a threat the
church received.
on the authority of someone —having the person named as
the authority for what one says: I have it on the authority of
a Councilor that the rates are likely to go up in the near future.