27 February 2012

Head Over Heels?

Has anyone else thought about how weird it is that we would use "Head over heels" to mean completely over-the-moon in love, when your head is supposed to be over your heels in any kind of normal situation?

1 comment :

Karin said...

I think I've always pictured somersaulting when I've heard that phrase, accompanied with a visual throwback to "Jack and Jill went up the hill &tc." In that sense, your head is REALLY close to your feet if you're starting a somersault from a standing position, and therefore "over" it, I suppose.

But yes, it doesn't make much sense otherwise.
And then there's "over the moon"-- why do all these phrases that connote besotted-ness make me think of NURSERY RHYMES? geh!

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