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Wrong entry in LEO?

to keep so. on their toes - jmdn. auf (auch: in) Trab halten

Wrong entry		to keep so. on their toes - jmdn. auf (auch: in) Trab halten
Correction		to keep so. on their toes - ?
Examples/ definitions with source references		Leo also has: to keep so. on the go- jmdn. ständig auf (auch: in) Trab halten on one's toes ready for any eventuality; alert: he carries out random spot checks to keep everyone on their toes http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/toe?... on one's toes alert and ready for action. http://www.chambersharrap.co.uk/chambers/feat... 4 keep somebody on their toes to make sure that someone is ready for anything that might happen: They do random checks to keep workers on their toes. http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/toe_1 keep (someone) on their toes informal : to cause someone to be alert and prepared to deal with problems ▪ Taking care of three kids really keeps me on my toes. ▪ The boss made regular inspections in order to keep employees on their toes. http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/toe jmdn. in T. halten (ugs.; jmdn. nicht zur Ruhe kommen lassen): Sie glauben ja nicht, wie einen so ein Haus und so ein Garten in T. halten © 2000 Dudenverlag
Comment		This is the only translation for 'keep so. on their toes' and the German doesn't seem to fit: auf Trab halten seems to mean that something keeps you active and busy, so you have no time to rest - but 'on your toes' means you are kept alert and ready: you don't lose concentration. I'm not sure what other German phrase to suggest, though. Am Ball halten??
Author		CM2DD (236324)	27 Mar 12, 16:23

#1	Author	Selima (107)	27 Mar 12, 16:45
Context/ examples		It can be either way. Sometimes a person (for example, a boss) consciously tries to keep someone on their toes. Other times, events -- driving during a snowstorm, for example -- force people to be on their toes. His wife keeps him on his toes; he's always cooking and cleaning and putting shelves up. She'd call him a lazybones if he didn't! My new boss keeps us on our toes; we hardly even have time for a coffee break. That teacher will keep you on your toes; she won't tolerate sloppy work, so make sure you check your spelling and grammar before you hand any work in to her. His wife keeps him on his toes; he's always cooking and cleaning and putting shelves up. She'd call him a lazybones if he didn't! http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php... jemanden / etwas nicht zur Ruhe kommen lassen / in Bewegung halten / antreiben; jemandem ständig neue Arbeit aufbürden http://www.redensarten-index.de/suche.php?suc... 4) von dieser bedeutung, die seit dem vorigen jahrhundert in der technischen sprache ganz ausgestorben, ist die redensart auf der hut sein, in freier verwendung noch übrig, früher auch auf seiner hut stehen, securitati suae prospicere. http://woerterbuchnetz.de/DWB/?lemid=GH13823
Comment		Vielleicht paßt 'auf Trab halten' doch in manchen Fällen (siehe das fett unterlegte Beispiel oben). In manchen Fällen mag auch 'auf der Hut sein' passen.

#2	Author	frami_s (835229)	27 Mar 12, 18:51
Comment		Oftmals passt meiner Meinung die Redewendung 'jemanden auf Zack halten'. Allerdings ist diese bei weitem nicht so gebräuchlich wie z.B. 'auf Zack sein' oder 'jemanden auf Zack bringen'.

#3	Author	hm -- us (236141)	28 Mar 12, 07:19
Context/ examples		w and laalaa: auf Trab halten (2006) related discussion: to keep so. on one's toes related discussion: keep oneself on oneself's toes jet66: am Ball bleiben, nicht in der Leistung nachlassen RobNYNY: flink und aufmerksam ?: am laufen halten Carly: auf Zack halten (2007) related discussion: keep sb. on his/her toes dude: auf Draht halten (2008) related discussion: just keeping you on your toes Pons-Collins: toe - ... to keep sb on his toes (fig) - jdn auf Zack halten (inf)
Comment		Just in case we don't get enough other suggestions here, a rather scanty selection from the archive. CM2DD: >>auf Trab halten seems to mean that something keeps you active and busy, so you have no time to rest - but 'on your toes' means you are kept alert and ready: you don't lose concentration. I can support that description of the English expression, though I'm not sure I could swear that it can never mean keeping you busy. The problem seems to be again that the entry might not be misleading as one of several choices, but it is misleading as the only option listed. Can you indeed say 'am Ball halten'? Selima #1: >>In manchen Fällen mag auch 'auf der Hut sein' passen. Can you say 'auf der Hut halten'? And how do those compare to 'auf Zack halten,' 'auf Draht halten,' or any other ideas?

#4	Author	Selima (107)	28 Mar 12, 08:20
Context/ examples		His wife keeps him on his toes; he's always cooking and cleaning and putting shelves up. She'd call him a lazybones if he didn't! My new boss keeps us on our toes; we hardly even have time for a coffee break. That teacher will keep you on your toes; she won't tolerate sloppy work, so make sure you check your spelling and grammar before you hand any work in to her. His wife keeps him on his toes; he's always cooking and cleaning and putting shelves up. She'd call him a lazybones if he didn't!
Comment		Ich glaube, das Grundproblem ist, daß man es im Deutschen anders herum formulieren würde: Bei dem Chef mußt Du ständig auf der Hut sein, daß er Dich nicht beim Kaffeetrinken erwischt. Bei der Lehrerin mußt Du immer auf Zack sein. Schlampige Hausaufgaben läßt sie Dir nicht durchgehen. Also schau bei Deinen Hausaufgaben immer nochmal genau auf Schreib- und Grammatikfehler durch, bevor Du Dein Heft abgibst. Auf der Hut halten - kann man auf deutsch eher nicht sagen.

#5	Author	hm -- us (236141)	28 Mar 12, 19:34
Comment		So would it be better just to delete the entry with 'keep' and offer several choices for '(be) on one's toes'?

#6	Author	enigma_ (459970)	02 Dec 15, 21:04
Context/ examples		The film director leafed through a pile of notes. "We'll need to be on our toes for this scene. Though it's a low-budget production, we do want to get it right the first time, don't we?"
Comment		@hm--us MILES better!! Because I've found yet another match for your "to be on o.'s toes". It's about not losing concentration to get the scene done perfectly the first time ("im Kasten" in German movie makers' slang :)). Time's money! Too many retakes will cost a fortune, and this is not a Hollywood movie with a million-dollar budget.

#7	Author	hm -- us (236141)	04 Dec 15, 17:12
Comment		I can't see what that example has to do with the unfinished discussion about German options, but whatever. >>im Kasten" in German movie makers' slang Would that by any chance be 'in the can' (from the cans once used for a reel of film)?

#8	Author	Jurist (US) (804041)	04 Dec 15, 23:32
Comment		I agree with the OP and #5, not with Selima's examples that have a different meaning.

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