The idiom is toe the line, not tow the line. The phrase derives from track-and-field events in which athletes are required to place a foot on a starting line and wait for the signal to go. Race officials used to shout “Toe the line!” where now they shout “On your marks!” Since entering the language, the idiom has developed to mean do what is expected or act according to someone else’s rules or expectations.
When using this phrase, writers occasionally substitute toe with its homophone tow. These writers make this mistake:
With Saturn in your sign for the long haul, the need to tow the line resulting in a stronger resolve and belief in self is emerging. [The Outer Banks Voice]
The haters will be back to say how little an award does, and they’ll have another nine months to tow the line of their rationalization. [Las Vegas Weekly]
And these writers use toe the line correctly:
These days, he suggested, you’ve either got to toe the line or get out. [Newsweek]
It is this sort of hubris, the thinking that we can ignore world superpowers who don’t toe the line, that will be dangerous to our nation in years to come. [The Bradenton Times]
Michaud thinks the U.S. should threaten to impose tarriffs on Chinese imports if Beijing doesn’t toe the line. [MPBN News]
A surprisingly large number of writers, especially on the web, mistakenly use toe the line when they mean something like straddle the line—for example:
Catwoman will no doubt toe the line between Batman and Bane for most of the film until she ultimately sides with Bruce … [Moviehole]
Murrysville chief administrator James Morrison said the committee worked to toe the line between being open to change and keeping the best interests of the community in mind. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
This is probably not a serious error, but it is out of step with toe the line‘s conventional meaning.
