With all in toll
- Thread starter Maybo
- Start date
- Views : 575
- Status
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2009
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- UK
- Current Location
- UK
It's a typo (or the writer doesn't actually know the real phrase). It should say "with all in tow". They're referring to the fact that this year a couple of people missed it (Papa and Isabella) so they're hoping that next year everyone will make it. We use "in tow" to mean "with us". Considering the writer barely used any punctuation, messed up the ellipsis, wrote "too" instead of "to", and omitted the apostrophe from "year's", it wouldn't surprise me if they simply don't know how to say/write the correct phrase.
I'm coming to your party but be warned I'll have my cousin in tow.
When she goes to the supermarket, she has eight kids in tow. It's chaos.
The doctor is doing his rounds with four medical students in tow. They're going to learn a lot.
I'm coming to your party but be warned I'll have my cousin in tow.
When she goes to the supermarket, she has eight kids in tow. It's chaos.
The doctor is doing his rounds with four medical students in tow. They're going to learn a lot.
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2010
- Member Type
- Retired English Teacher
- Native Language
- British English
- Home Country
- England
- Current Location
- England
Maybo
Key Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2017
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- Hong Kong
- Current Location
- Hong Kong
Yes. I thought “with all in toll” was an idiom.
- Joined
- May 11, 2015
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
I've always considered 'in tow' to have at least a slightly negative connotation - it suggests extra effort to lug around some extra (proverbial) baggage.
Depending on context, it can be quite negative, but it always suggests at least some extra effort. At the very least, it suggests the burden of leadership or responsibility.
Sometimes that sense of effort is used for humorous intent. Presumably that's what yogachung was attempting. At least that's how I'd have read it if used correctly.
Depending on context, it can be quite negative, but it always suggests at least some extra effort. At the very least, it suggests the burden of leadership or responsibility.
Sometimes that sense of effort is used for humorous intent. Presumably that's what yogachung was attempting. At least that's how I'd have read it if used correctly.
- Status
