Well, it's obvious that I have far more experience in the vegetable
garden than I do on the road, isn't it!! ; ) I'm grateful that I never
had to hoe acres of corn or cotton or tobacco though.
I agree that "road to tow" might refer to a broken-down car. And...
"morphing" the expression to fit the new problems of cars makes sense.
But, inquiring minds want to know, so I googled... and got lots of hits
on the long history of the expression, "row to hoe", but the only
references to "road to tow" are modern!! "A long road to tow" was
referenced numerous times in relation to towing RVs, boats, etc. So,
I'll buy that.
And... I agree with Rosemary... the correct term is "towpath" on a canal.
Clay
Susan Reishus wrote:
Well, picking rock in those crop fields is harder, and I have hoed many a
garden. <S>
Road to Tow: Few are fortunate enough to have never had their car towed, or be
a horse (in those times) with a covered wagon, or pulled your little red wagon
with too many siblings or friends in it, etc. <G>
I never thought of towing the road, as we tend to leave words out of sayings,
so Road to Tow (on), etc. The "Song of the Volga Boatman" comes to mind.
(Yo, yo, heave, ho...and all of that) <S>
Interesting how we all process things. I have heard people mix the two up
sayings also...
On Arachne it would be "Pricking to Flow?"
Best,Susan Reishus
***
Before the industrial revolution, crops were planted, and if you wanted
them to do well, you had to manually keep them weeded and the soil
aerated. You did this by hoeing the soil. You'd start at one end, and
work to the other. It was backbreaking work, usually in the heat of the
sun, and often with no breaks. So when someone said, "that's a long row
to hoe", it meant a very unpleasant experience that had to be endured.
"A long road to tow" means absolutely nothing. Roads are stationary,
and aren't moved by towing. In any event, a colloquial expression is
always something that relates to the experiences of those who use it in
conversation, so since roads weren't towed, or toed, that expression is
clearly a bastardization of the original phrase.
Clay
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