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Reader question: Please explain “toe-to-toe” in this headline: Man Goes Toe-To-Toe With A Kangaroo To Save Dog. My comments: Clearly this story belongs to the “man-bites-dog” category, in that it is a rare occurrence. Which is why makes the news. If a dog bites a man it’s not news. If a man bites a dog, it is news. We all know this journalistic golden rule, don’t we? Anyways, in our story, a man has to engage in a fist fight to save his dog from the clutches of a kangaroo. Why in the Down Under world does a kangaroo want to hurt a man’s pet dog? Never mind that, since the whole thing sounds bizarre and incredible. At any rate, it is not something that happens every day, like a traffic accident. Well, anyhow, our man has to confront the kangaroo directly to rescue his dog. That’s what “toe-to-toe” means, a direct fight or confrontation. Originally, you see, toe-to-toe is a boxing term, describing the initial standing position of the two boxers getting ready to fight each other, face to face and punch for punch. Next time you watch a boxing match, take a closer look. At the moment just before the referee gives the signal for the fight to begin, the fighters each leans forward, with both hands raised in the air at levels just below the eyes and above the shoulders. If they are right handed, you’ll notice each fighter puts his (or her) left foot forward, the big toe first and foremost in position. In this posture, you’ll see the two fighters are almost face-touching-face, toe-touching-toe. | 
