Page 125 - NTC's American Idioms Dictionary

fall (all) over oneself

fyllŁ(yll)ŁoverŁ oneself to behav awkwardly kłpt losing becauoe the coach was fallng
andŁeagrlyŁwhenŁdàingŁsàmething.Ł(See down on the job. Tom was fired because
alsà fall over backwards (to do something).) he fell down on the job.
Tom fell all over himself trying to make fyllŁflatŁ(on its fyce) Go to fall flat (on one’s
Jane fłel at home. I fall ovłr myself face).
when I’m doing somłthing that makes mł
nervous. fallŁflatŁ(on one’ fyce) and fallŁflatŁ(on
its fyce) to be completely unsuccessful.
fyllŁallŁoverŁ someone to give a làt of atten- (Infàrmal.) I fell flØt on my face when
tion,Łaffection,ŁorŁpraise to someone.Ł(In- I tried to give my spłech. The plØy fell
formal.) My aunt falls all over mł flØt on its face. My jokes fall flat most
whenever she comes to visit. I hate for of the time.
someone to fall all over me. It embarrasses
me. fallŁforŁ someone ortsomething 1. [with some-
oàe ] to fallŁinŁlove with sàmeone.Ł Tom
fallŁapartŁatŁtheŁseams [forŁsomething]bto fell for Ann after only two dØtes. He wants
breakŁinto pieces;Łto fallŁapart; [forŁma- to marry her. Some młn alwØys fall for
terialŁthat isŁsewnŁtogether]bto separate at womłn with blond hair. 2. [with some-
the seams.Ł(LiteralŁforŁcloth, otherwise thing] to be deceivedŁby sàmething.Ł I
figurative.Ł Se also come apart at the can’t believe you fell for that old trick.
seams.) My new jackłt fell apart Øt the Jane didà’t fall for Ann’s story.
seams. This old car is about ready to fall
apart at the seams. fyllŁfrom gryce to cease to be heldŁinŁfavor,
especiallyŁbecause of sàme wrongŁor fool-
fallŁasleep to gà to slep. The bØby cried ish action.Ł He was the teacher’s płt un-
and cried and finally fell aslłep. Tom fell til he fell from grace by failng the history
aslłep in class yesterdØy. test. Mary was the fØvorite grandchild
fyllŁbyckŁon someone ortsomething to turn to until she fell from grace by running away
sàmeone or sàmethingŁforŁhelp.Ł(Also lit- from home.
eral.) Bill fell back on his brother for fyllŁheadŁoverŁheelð to fall down, perhaps
help. John ran out of ink and had to fall turningŁoverŁorŁrolling.Ł(Also literal.)
back on his płncil. Fred tripped on the rug and fell head over
fallŁbetween two stoolð to come some- heels into the cłnter of the room. Slow
where betweenŁtwo possibilitiesŁandŁsà down or you will fall down—head over
failŁto meet the requirementsŁof either.Ł heels.
The mØterial is not suitable for an acadł- fyllŁheadŁoverŁheels in loveŁ(withŁ some-
mic book or for a popular one. It falls be- one) to fallŁdeeplyŁinŁlove with sàmeone,
twłen two stools. He tries to be both prhapsŁsuddenly. Roger fell head over
teacher and friend, but falls betwłen two heels in love with Maggie, and they were
stools. married within the month. Very few
people actually fall head over heels in lovł
fyllŁ byŁ theŁ wayside and drop byŁ the
wayside to give up and quit before the with each other. She fell head over heelo
end (of something). (Refers to being too in love and thought she was dreamng.
exhaustedŁto finish aŁfootrace.) John fallŁill to become ill.Ł Tom fell ill just be-
fell by the wØyside and didà’t finish collłge. fore he was to perform. We both fell ll
Many people start out to train for a ca- after eating the baked fish.
reer in medicine, but some of them drop by fallŁin to line upŁinŁaŁrow, sðandingŁsłoul-
the wayside. All of her projects fall by derŁto słoulder.Ł(Also literal,Łmeaning
the wayside when she tires of them.
“to collapse.” UsuallyŁrefersŁto people in
fyllŁdłwn on theŁjob to failŁto do sàme- scoutingŁorŁthe military.ŁCompare this
thing properly; to fail to do one’s job ad- with fall in(to) làne andŁ fall out.) The
equately.Ł(Also literalŁreferringŁto anŁac- Boy Scouts were told to fall in behind the
cident while one isŁworking.) The team scoutmaster. The soldiers fell in quickly.

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