toes up
dead, killed
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The old computer finally went toes up this morning.”
“The car went toes up in the middle of the highway, leaving us stranded for hours.”
“After the engine sputtered and went toes up during the storm, the captain realized they were drifting toward the rocks.”
From the compound of toes and up, recorded in reference to a corpse lying on its back. The term emerged from the visual alignment of the feet in a recumbent, deceased position.
- 01
cock one's toes
To die.
- 02
dip a toe into
Alternative form of dip one's toe in.
- 03
dip one's toe in
To explore or begin; to enter or get involved in tentatively and for the first time.
- 04
head to toe
Entirely; completely; over one's full body.
- 05
keep someone on their toes
To keep someone attentive, active, busy or alert.
- 06
step on someone's toes
To cause someone offense, especially by trying to control something that is under their authority, or interfering in their private affairs.
- 07
toe the line
To abide by the rules or conventions; (politics, in particular) to follow the party line.
- 08
tread on someone's toes
To offend someone.
Last updated August 10, 2026