Prescribe or proscribe

Grandmaofone

Elegran

I have seen "tow the line" used (on the net). Someone must have heard it, not seen it written down. i wonder what their mento image is of someone "towing the line", it is probably quite different from an athlete toeing the starting line, not crossing it until the whistle blows.

Elegran - ‘towing the line’ is from the time when canal barges were towed by draught horses, also the origin of ‘tow path’ alongside canals or rivers

I think that the use of ‘tow’ instead of ‘toe’ has gained traction because of ignorance and poor spelling skills and the barge towline explanation has no validity whatsoever, it’s just a face saver. It hasn’t any relationship at all to the meaning of the phrase, which is to obey orders.

What on earth could towing a line possibly be a metaphor for?

I think that the use of ‘tow’ instead of ‘toe’ has gained traction because of ignorance and poor spelling skills and the barge towline explanation has no validity whatsoever, it’s just a face saver. It hasn’t any relationship at all to the meaning of the phrase, which is to obey orders

Some common sense at last.
I can’t believe this old chestnut has been going the rounds for so long.

And why ask about “prescribe” or “proscribe “ ?
Look them up. Different words, different meanings- no great mystery.

Think there is a mixed metaphor here...

Toeing the line is a naval term where, as Not Spaghetti infers, sailors filed to attention putting their toes against a line in the deck planking. Common practice in the Georgian navy.

Toeing a line - i.e. toeing a policy line - in this sense is a deviation from the original meaning...

Yes, or not stepping out of line.

The older naval meaning, and the lined-up-to-start-a-race one are literal, with the actual toes behind the actual line, while the conforming-to-standard-policy meaning is metaphorical, with the toes being imaginary and the line not drawn visibly.

"What on earth could towing a line possibly be a metaphor for?" Pulling your weight? which itself is a metaphor for doing your share of the work.

Metaphors are such useful things, they imply a lot more in the pictures they paint (there's another metaphor) than their actual words say.

Something that annoys me is when people say things like "I literally died laughing" No, they didn't, or they wouldn't be there telling us they did. they mean it metaphorically, not literally.

"pulling your weight"
... born directly from organized, competitive racing.
Apparently.

Sports have a lot of influence on language.