Safe Speed Forums

I've often seen the expression with that spelling, tow instead of toe, but I can honestly say I've never actually known anyone to use it in the context you just did! I'd always just thought of it as one of those expressions that people mis-spell, like being on 'tenderhooks' instead of 'tenterhooks'.

"Toe the Line," NOT "Tow the Line"

Sometimes this phrase is written "tow the line", likely by people who have heard but not seen it written. This misspelling changes the meaning of the phrase slightly, rather than implying conformance with a rule, "tow" suggests contribution to a cause, e.g. "the pundit is towing the administration's line" alluding to a metaphorical act of pulling something with a line, cord or rope. However, this variant is grammatically suspect

it's only a sign of ignorance. "Toe the line" means to place your feet as prescribed. To tow a line would mean to drag it and doesn't call up any relevant image.

Toe the line
The space between each pair of deck planks in a wooden ship was filled with a packing material called "oakum" and then sealed with a mixture of pitch and tar. The result, from afar, was a series of parallel lines a half-foot or so apart, running the length of the deck. Once a week, as a rule, usually on Sunday, a warship's crew was ordered to fall in at quarters -- that is, each group of men into which the crew was divided would line up in formation in a given area of the deck. To insure a neat alignment of each row, the Sailors were directed to stand with their toes just touching a particular seam. Another use for these seams was punitive. The youngsters in a ship, be they ship's boys or student officers, might be required to stand with their toes just touching a designated seam for a length of time as punishment for some minor infraction of discipline, such as talking or fidgeting at the wrong time. A tough captain might require the miscreant to stand there, not talking to anyone, in fair weather or foul, for hours at a time. Hopefully, he would learn it was easier and more pleasant to conduct himself in the required manner rather than suffer the punishment. From these two uses of deck seams comes our cautionary word to obstreperous youngsters to "toe the line."

I'm not pedantic, I'm precise - and equally proud.

Tow the line sounds like a good punishment
but I like Tow the line where one is to follow the political whip

If someone was to use a metaphor involving pygmies and sacks of squirrels then noone could jump up and tell them it was wrong!

There a total of 8 posts, 5 of these from the site owner.
It has been over a month since the last post.

Perhaps there would have been more activity if he had let people register

It's not one of these roads where locals think its dangerous to exceed 30mph when the speed limit was once a safe 40mph with an 85th percentile speed of 44mph or something?

Whilst 44mph might seem acceptable to a competent driver, or a fit pedestrian, it might not seem acceptable to someone of advanced years with severe arthritis who is trying to cross the road.

Whilst 44mph might seem acceptable to a competent driver, or a fit pedestrian, it might not seem acceptable to someone of advanced years with severe arthritis who is trying to cross the road.

In that case, why not campaign for installation of appropriate street furniture instead of calling for a restriction that needlessly brings everyone down to the level of the lowest common denominator?

This is the sort of comment that doesn't really do this campaign any credit at all Smeg.
Yes, if people are having difficulty in crossing the road then some sort of facility could be introduced to assist them. But if one of the reasons for their difficulty is the speed of the traffic then a good place to start is to encourage the drivers to be a bit more altruistic and slow down.