In this story about Howard Dean attacking Mitt Romney (that's got to be good news for Romney), the reporter writes "Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean accused Republican governors of towing the party line..."

A spell checker won't catch that one. The word "towing" is spelled correctly. The problem is, it's the wrong word.

I like "towing" better. Makes more sense.

It only makes more sense of you are ignorant of history.

I think the link may also have it a little wrong. I though "toe the line" originally came from bare-knuckle boxing, where a line was drawn, and both pugilists had to keep at least one foot in contact with the line or lose the bout.

Did you even read Rand's provided link?

So one who "toes the line" is one who does not allow his foot to stray over the line. In other words, one who does not stray beyond a rigidly defined boundary.

IOW, Dean accuses Romney of doing exactly what his party bosses say, which struck me as funny because I always through Romney was pretty much a RINO. (I could be wrong--I left the state about the time he became governor, maybe even before, but what I've seen in the press doesn't make me think he's a slavish follower of the party line.)

I'm surprised Dean didn't bash Romney over the head with his Mormonism. They must be saving that for later.

I'm surprised Dean didn't bash Romney over the head with his Mormonism. They must be saving that for later.

Nah.

Jerry Falwell will carry that torch soon enough. Or maybe let's ask Dr. Dobson whether Mormons can be "saved" - - besides Democrats "heart" Mormons, at least the Harry Reid variety.

"It only makes more sense of you are ignorant of history."

No. Language is dynamic. It changes. Spelling too. Does anybody write about getting thrown in "gaol" anymore? (Only people at Rennaissance Faires, I know...)

So I like "towing the line" better. It implies that somebody is hauling the heavy freight for somebody else.

Yeah, it's wrong. But so what? I stated a preference; this is not Basic Writing 101.

Entire generations are growing up illiterate in their native language because of current teaching techniques. "Communications" majors who don't understand the English idioms they use, never having actually seen them in print, write down what "sounds right". Thus we get "could of", "towing the line", and other verbal atrocities I've mercifully forgotten at the moment. Our schools are truely the goolog of our times.

Since Mitt Romney is likely to be courted as a presidential candidate, Dean is wise to attack him. The problem with this is that Dean is attacking. It's like being challenged by your crazy uncle Joe. There are lots of fancy words and he seems real serious about it, but what the heck is he saying anyway?

So I like "towing the line" better. It implies that somebody is hauling the heavy freight for somebody else.

Sure, and that's fine, if you don't mind implying the wrong thing. As I said somewhere else, say what you mean. "Toe the line" means you're following the script handed out by someone else. Doing someone else's heavy lifting isn't a meaningful description of the activity we're talking about.

Yeah? So what? I expressed a preference. If you want to practice your writing skills, get a job as a teacher and torment fifth graders. I don't give a $#it.

Yes. How dare you impugn someone's "preference." Don't you realize that all preferences are equally valid, and if there is any misunderstanding, it's the listener's fault, not the inarticulate person who's trying to communicate?** And don't you realize that good grammar and "writing skills" are a plot by dead white Eurocentric males to keep the aggressively ignorant from being able to express themselves and it keeps them in subjugation?

** Unless, of course, you are G.W.Bush, in which case being inarticulate is a sign that you are stupid and a target for easy ridicule.

Yeah? So what? I expressed a preference.

Sounds a lot like "Yeah, I don't do math!" to me.

If you like to say stuff that's meaningless, I'm certainly not going to stop you. But you're still wrong.