Word Confusion: Toe versus Tow

Posted July 25, 2013 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
13 July 2023

Ya know, I don’t really have a problem with tow the line. I mean, sure, people enjoy skimming across the water on thin boards, and it’s a bit far to reach the boat with your arms when you’re standing up, so obviously someone is gonna have to throw you a line and then tow that line. Then there’s the car breakdown. Don’t cha just hate that one? Obviously, again, someone is gonna have to tow that line with either a tow truck or a kindly friend with a long rope . . .

But, if you’re expecting someone to accept what you want . . . it just ain’t gonna work — unless they toe the line.

I reckon you could probably pull or drag someone physically into your corner. That would definitely qualify as towing the line, especially if you had them lassoed, and while the original meaning is “stand with the tips of the toes exactly touching a line”, its usage today is more metaphysical than truly physical.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Toe Tow

Edward Snowden is courtesy of Laura Poitras / Praxis Films is under the CC BY 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

Edward Snowden certainly didn’t toe the line . . .

Towing A Person with a Vessel Legally is courtesy of the State of Washington, <http://www.boat-ed.com/washington/studyGuide/Towing-a-Person-With-a-Vessel-Legally/10105001_700060871>.

Legally towing a person . . . ahem . . . please note this is one interpretation of what is meant by someone towing another.

Part of Grammar:
Noun 1;
Verb 1, intransitive & transitive 2

Plural for the noun: toes
Gerund: toeing

Third person present verb: toes
Past tense or past participle: toed
Present participle: toeing

Abbreviation 1; Noun 2, 3; Verb, transitive 3

Plural for the noun: tows
Gerund: towing

Third person present verb: tows
Past tense or past participle: towed
Present participle: towing

Noun:
Any of the digits at the end of the human, a quadruped, or a bird foot 1

Lower end, tip, or point of something such as the tip of the head of a golf club

Foot or base of a cliff, slope, or embankment

Part of footwear — shoe, sock, etc. — that covers a person’s toes

Verb, intransitive:
Toe in/out is to walk with the toes pointed or a pair of wheels converge/diverge at the front 1

Verb, transitive:
Push, touch, or kick something with one’s toe 1

[toe the line; toe the mark] To accept the authority, principles, or policies of another, especially under pressure 2

Abbreviation:
Tube-launched, optically guided, wire-guided missile 1

Noun:
Coarse and broken part of flax or hemp prepared for spinning 2

A rope of line used to tow a vehicle or boat 3

An act of towing 3

Verb, transitive:
[Of a motor vehicle or boat] Pull another vehicle or boat along with a rope, chain, or tow bar 3

[Of a person] Pull someone or something along behind one

Examples:
Noun:
Stick your toe in the water.

Hmmm, the toes on your shoes are getting pretty scuffed.

Try and keep everyone on their toes, ready for anything.

I’ve got another hole in the toe of my pink socks.

Verb, intransitive:
He toes out when he walks.

That man makes my toes curl.

We only just found out that Marilyn toes in.

Verb, transitive:
You’d better toe the line, buster.

If he isn’t going to toe the line, he’ll be fired.

Abbreviation:
Launch the TOW!

Noun:
Do you need a tow?

This is my second tow this week!

Call George for a tow.

Verb, transitive:
He towed Joe’s car to the garage.

He arrived towing his girlfriend.

I need a tow out of the River Tick.

Derivatives:
Adjective: toed, toeless, toelike Adjective: towable, towy
History of the Word:
  1. Old English is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch tee and the German Zeh, Zehe.

    Current senses of the verb date from the mid-19th century.

  2. The first noted use of toe the line is in 1841 and reached a high in 1947 to this day.
Old English (verb):

  1. 1970
  2. Old English of Germanic origin and recorded in towcræft meaning spinning.
  3. Early 17th century of Germanic origin from togian, meaning draw, drag. It’s related to tug.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Toe versus Tow

Apple Dictionary.com

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

I took some Photoshopping liberties with MOHAI – Lincoln Toe Truck by Joe Mabel under the GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons and stretched it out a bit.

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