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Glite Dictionary
on one's tod

on one's tod

9.9
Alone without other people
  • idiom
  • /ɒn wʌnz tɒd/
  • UK
translation icon : solo
  • Sometimes I enjoy walking through the park on my tod.

Examples

  • She went to the cinema on her tod because she didn't mind being alone.

  • After his friends left, he finished the meal on his tod.

  • I prefer to be on my tod.

  • Don't worry, I can manage on my tod!

  • After his friends left, he decided to watch the movie on his tod.

  • She felt confident going grocery shopping on her tod without anyone to accompany her.

  • Sometimes I find peace in reading a book on my tod in a quiet café.

Synonyms

alone
vson one's tod
∞ 1.0

By yourself with no other people present

is the British informal phrase stressing lack of company and help
solo
vson one's tod
60 2.9

Without any other people present

focuses more on being without company or assistance than on action
single-handedly
vson one's tod
57 4.1

Without help from other people

centres on the state of lacking company or outside assistance
left to one's own devices
vson one's tod
1 7.1

Alone without help or someone watching, a person must take care of themselves

simply denotes lack of company or assistance without implying abandonment
on your tod
vson one's tod
  • UK
1 9.9

Alone with no one to help you

is the same meaning but is the alternative informal variant
solitarily
vson one's tod
6.8

By oneself without other people

uses more informal everyday language to express lack of company or help

Antonyms

together
∞ 1.0

In the same place or group with other people

accompanied
3.7

With other people present, not alone

How Alone

isolated
56 3.8
on one's tod
  • UK
9.9

Surface Forms

on one's tod positive

Morphology

on + one + tod

The constituent 'tod' is not a transparent lexical item (dictionary entry missing) so a learner who only knows 'on' and 'one' cannot derive the meaning 'alone' from the parts. This is a regional, informal idiom (British) roughly equivalent to 'on one's own' but lexicalized and unpredictable, making it opaque to B1 learners.

Etymology

On one's tod may come from an old word tod meaning 'toes' or 'feet'. Picture someone standing on their own feet, without help, and that image explains why the phrase means 'alone' or 'by oneself'.