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 |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun 1; Verb 1, intransitive & transitive 2 Plural for the noun: toes Third person present verb: toes |
Abbreviation 1; Noun 2, 3; Verb, transitive 3
Plural for the noun: tows Third person present verb: tows |
| 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: Verb, transitive: [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: A rope of line used to tow a vehicle or boat 3 An act of towing 3 Verb, transitive: [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: That man makes my toes curl. We only just found out that Marilyn toes in. Verb, transitive: If he isn’t going to toe the line, he’ll be fired. |
Abbreviation: Launch the TOW! Noun: This is my second tow this week! Call George for a tow. Verb, transitive: 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: | |
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Old English (verb):
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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!
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Resources for Toe versus Tow
Apple Dictionary.com
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.
Revised as of 21 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie