TOE idioms (body idioms)

Contents

What is a toe?

A toe is one of the digits at the end of the foot. Each foot has a big toe, a little toe and three in between. The plural is ‘toes’.

Let’s look at some popular body idioms that contain the word ‘toe’.

dip one’s toe in the water
meaning – be cautious when starting something new
example – My brother loves painting. He’s just dipping his toe in the water at the moment.
from head to toe
meaning – all over one’s body
example – I’m going to the school prom dressed from head to toe in bling.
go toe to toe with someone
meaning – start a fight/argument with someone
example – The rookie boxer is going toe to toe with the reigning champion tonight.
keep someone on their toes
meaning – be alert, focused, concentrate or ready for anything to happen
example – The CEO is coming on Tuesday, you all need to be on your toes.
make one’s toes curl
meaning – feel very annoyed/ashamed/disgusted/embarrassed
example – It made my toes curl when Michelle ate that mouldy sandwich from the bin.
toe the line
meaning – follow the rules
example – You’ve got to start toeing the line or you’ll get kicked out of school.
tread on someone’s toes
meaning – offend someone by doing something that is their job.
example – I’d love to take my stepson to his first game, but I don’t want to tread on his father’s toes.

Here’s some real life picture examples.

You can download a table of ‘toe’ idioms and expressions below.

If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more body idioms by clicking on the links below.