Meaning & use
on your tod
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseinformalBritishslang
Alone, with no one else present or helping you.
Grammar: Used after the verb be or after a verb of action: I was on my tod; she went on her tod.
Patterns
- be on your tod
- go somewhere on your tod
- do something on your tod
He spent the whole weekend on his tod because his flatmates were away.
I don't mind being on my tod for a few hours; it's peaceful.
She turned up on her tod, which surprised everyone at the party.
phrasefixed phraseinformalBritishslang
Without help or support from anyone else.
Grammar: Often used to stress that no one assisted: you did it on your tod.
Patterns
- do something on your tod
- manage on your tod
- cope on your tod
He fixed the whole engine on his tod, without calling a mechanic.
Can you manage on your tod until I get back?
She organized the entire event on her tod and it went perfectly.
Common combinations
- be on your tod
- I was on my tod all evening, so I watched a film.
- go out on your tod
- He doesn't like going out on his tod, so he usually invites a friend.
- on your tod again
- Looks like it's just me on my tod again tonight.
- all on your tod
- She moved to a new city and was all on her tod for the first month.
- spend the day on your tod
- I spent the day on my tod, reading and cooking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- alone
- The neutral, standard word; use it in any situation, while 'on your tod' is slang and mainly British.
- by yourself
- Very close in meaning and more common in everyday speech; it works in both British and American English.
- solo
- Often suggests doing an activity without a partner, as in 'a solo trip', rather than simply being alone.
- single-handed
- Focuses on doing a task with no help, not on being physically alone.
Opposites
Commonly confused: on your tod or on your toes? on your tod or on the dot?
on your tod vs on your toes
This means ready and alert, not alone. 'Stay on your toes' means be prepared for anything.
on your tod vs on the dot
This means exactly on time, e.g. 'at nine on the dot'. It sounds similar but has a completely different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'on your tod' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'On her tod' matches the subject 'she' and means she came alone. Option 1 uses the wrong possessive for 'he'; option 2 uses 'their' with 'they', which is possible in some dialects but not the standard form here; option 3 confuses the phrase with 'on the dot', which is about time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “on your tod”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.