toe the line

== English == === Alternative forms === (nonstandard) tow the line === Etymology === Unknown, with multiple competing etymologies and some theorizing the phrasing originated from the United States and others the United Kingdom. === Pronunciation === === Verb === toe the line (third-person singular simple present toes the line, present participle toeing the line, simple past and past participle toed the line) (idiomatic) To abide by the rules or conventions; (politics, in particular) to follow the party line. Synonym: walk the line Antonym: cross the line 1831, Captain Basil Hall RN, Fragments of Voyages and Travels, reprinted from the London Literary Gazette in The Atheneum, 4th series, volume 1, page 188: The matter, therefore, necessarily became rather serious; and the whole gang of us being sent for on the quarter deck, we were ranged in a line, each with his toes at the edge of a plank, according to the orthodox fashion of these gregarious scoldings, technically called ‘toe-the-line matches.’ (idiomatic) To stand at one's mark before a footrace. (idiomatic, followed by between) To be on a boundary or in a grey area between two states. (nonstandard) To push boundaries imposed by an authority; to push the envelope; to flirt with crossing the line. Synonym: sail close to the wind Coordinate terms: walk the line; cross the line ==== Synonyms ==== ==== Coordinate terms ==== fall in line draw a line ==== Translations ==== === See also === up to scratch === References === === Further reading === toe the line on Wikipedia.Wikipedia