Where did the phrase step on toes come from?

The idiom step on someone’s toes has been in use since at least the mid-1800s, and is found in Anthony Trollope’s novel The Belton Estate, published in 1866: “’But you mustn’t offend my father. ‘—’I won’t tread on his toes.

What does dont want to step on any toes mean?

to upset someone, esp. by getting involved in something that is that person’s responsibility: It’s a very competitive business – you can’t afford to step on too many toes.

What does the expression stepping on toes mean?

Definition of step on (someone’s) toes : to do something that upsets or offends (someone) You might step on some important people’s toes with this project.

What does right down to his toes mean?

If you say that someone or something keeps you on your toes, you mean that they cause you to remain alert and ready for anything that might happen. His fiery campaign rhetoric has kept opposition parties on their toes for months.

What does it mean to stick to ones guns?

Hold fast to a statement, opinion, or course of action, as in The witness stuck to her guns about the exact time she was there. This expression, originally put as stand to one’s guns, alluded to a gunner remaining by his post. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1800s.

What’s a word for on your toes?

What is another word for on your toes?

wide-awake	vigilant
alert	attentive
watchful	observant
awake	cautious
chary	careful

Where did the expression dressed to the nines originate?

The phrase is said to be Scots in origin. The earliest written example of the phrase is from the 1719 Epistle to Ramsay by the Scottish poet William Hamilton: The bonny Lines therein thou sent me, How to the nines they did content me.