on (one's) toes
(redirected from on my toes)on (one's) toes
Active, alert, and focused. Having two kids under age five sure keeps me on my toes! This attorney is known for using really deceptive and underhanded tactics, so be on your toes.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
*on one's toes
Fig. alert. (*Typically: be ~; keep ~; keep one ~; stay ~.) You have to be on your toes if you want to be in this business. I have to stay on my toes to keep from getting fired.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
on one's toes
Alert, ready to act, as in Orchestra players must be on their toes all the time, so as not to miss an entrance. This metaphoric expression probably alludes to boxers or runners who must be on their toes in order to move or start quickly. It gained currency with Richard Rodgers' and Lorenz Hart's extremely popular musical, On Your Toes (1936). [Early 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
on your toes
ready for any eventuality. 1921 John Dos Passos Three Soldiers If he just watched out and kept on his toes, he'd be sure to get it.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
on your ˈtoes
ready to deal with anything that might happen: We were all on our toes, waiting for the game to begin.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
on (one's) toes
Ready to act; alert.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.