Modern Usage
In current times, it appears both in the context of partisan or factional politics, as in, "He's toeing the party line" and in the context of behavior where the miscreant is expected to "toe the line". The first published use in a political context was in March 1826, where Willie Mangum of the United State House of Representatives proposed that "every member might 'toe the mark'." The behavioral use also stems from around that time.
The term is still in literal use in the military, particularly the US Army. Some barracks have two solid lines, each approximately three inches wide and placed five feet apart, either taped or painted, running down the center of the entire length of their floor. The soldiers are ordered to "toe the line". At this command they cease their activities and line up with their toes on the line.
Read more about this topic: Toe The Line
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