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To: LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget

It's uh, "toe the leftist line"


3 posted on 08/09/2006 7:12:11 AM PDT by Porterville (Hispanic Republican American Bush Supporter)
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To: Porterville
It's uh, "toe the leftist line"

Interesting, I always thought it was "tow." Here is an explanation of the origin and meaning.

The phrase "toe the line" is equivalent to "toe the mark," both of which mean to conform to a rule or a standard. The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2002; ed. by Glynnis Chantrell) says, "The idiom toe the line from an athletics analogy originated in the early 19th century" (514).

The specific sport referred to is foot-racing, where the competitors must keep their feet behind a "line" or on a "mark" at the start of the race--as in "On your mark, get set, go!"

So one who "toes the line" is one who does not allow his foot to stray over the line. In other words, one who does not stray beyond a rigidly defined boundary.

25 posted on 08/09/2006 7:19:33 AM PDT by IamConservative (Humility is not thinking less of oneself; humility is thinking about oneself less.)
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