Professional Documents
Culture Documents
minute.
Like the rest of our feet, they spend all day stuck
inside socks and shoes. This can’t be good for
them. So, let’s take them out of our shoes, give
them a chance to stretch, and talk about how we
use them in every-day speech.
While listening to this program, you need to stay on your toes. We will
give one example after another. So, you'll need to listen closely or you
might miss one.
Staying or keeping on your toes not only means to pay close attention.
It also means to be ready to act. For example, when trying something
dangerous, you need to keep on your toes. You want to be ready for
anything that may happen.
This expression comes from the fact that when you actually lift your
heels and shift your weight to the balls of your feet and your toes, you
are ready to jump into action!
As we said, when you are on your toes, you are prepared to take action.
But when standing on your tiptoes, you are not very balanced. You are
either trying to make yourself taller to reach something or you are
trying to walk very quietly.
“At the community meeting, city officials tiptoed around the issue of
violence in schools for too long. Parents came to the meeting to hear
solutions and not evasive language.”
Now, toes are important when we walk. They help us keep our balance.
But they are good at something else.
Imagine a person running up to a lake or the ocean to take a swim.
Some brave people might just jump right in. They don’t care how cold
the water is. Others may want to test the water temperature first. So,
they put a toe in the water before jumping in.
There are other situations where you should put your toes in the water
before jumping right in.
Before moving to a new city or perhaps starting a new job, you need to
do some serious thinking. When some people start a job, they may
want to jump right in. But others move more slowly so as to avoid any
unnecessary risk. Unsure about how their abilities measure up in the
workplace, they tiptoe around co-workers. Or they are careful to avoid
politically divisive or touchy subjects.
Working in this way, new employees won't make anyone angry. They
won't step on anyone's toes.
Now, when you actually step on someone’s toes, most people simply
apologize and that will be that. But stepping on someone’s toes in the
idiomatic sense is more serious. It means you have done something on
purpose to offend someone else.
But stepping on a co-worker's toes is not the worst thing you can do. If
you go toe-to-toe with someone – that can be much worse!
The company might fire one or both workers! At the very least going-
toe-to-toe can create a difficult work environment. So, sometimes it's a
good idea to toe the line when you start working a new job. Just follow
the rules and do your best not to step on anyone's toes.
Some native English speakers think this expression starts with the verb
“tow,” meaning to pull. It's not hard to understand why. We often tow
things with a line of rope. But in this expression, the word "toe" is
spelled t-o-e -- not t-o-w.
However, the one story that connects most closely with following the
rules is from boating.
Some people say that in the 19th century, sailors faced punishment if
they did not obey shipping rules. To prepare, crew members would
stand in a line with their toes on a crack, or line, between the wooden
boards that make up the deck of the ship.
Glossary:
Esta expresión proviene del hecho de que cuando levantas los talones y
cambias tu peso a las puntas de tus pies y tus dedos, ¡estás listo para
saltar a la acción!
Hay otras situaciones en las que debes poner tus dedos en el agua
antes de saltar.