mx banned
Out of context: Reply #106
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- paraselene0
yup, kelpie:
It’s often written as “tow the line”, but this is incorrect. It is easy to understand where the confusion came from, particularly when the phrase is combined with an entity, as in “toe the company line” or “toe the party line”. It is easy to visualize a poor wretch toiling with the company rope over his shoulder.
The phrase is clearly "toe", however, and the origin is straightforward. It refers to stepping up and putting your toe on a starting line. It's related to another phrase, "up to scratch."
"Toe the line" has become corrupted from its original meaning. Now, when you hear of someone "toeing the line", you tend to think of someone brought to heel, of someone staying within prescribed behaviour, rather than the original meaning of someone stepping up to a challenge. This original sense is still maintained in the phrase "toe the mark", a more British saying, which retains the feeling of someone preparing for a contest (at least to my ear, it does.)