Toe the Line

So, I've definitely had a discussion about "toeing the line" with one or two of you before. The question at hand: just what exactly does it mean? A few people argued that it was "tow the line," and that it meant pulling one's weight. I believed it was "toe the line," but I thought it meant being on the edge of an issue...or coming very close to something. Turns out that while I was right in spelling, I was also wrong in definition. Apparently "toe the line" means to conform, and is often used in reference to party politics. So you learn something new everyday. Here is the Wikipedia entry should anyone have interest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_the_line