What is the deal with getting “knocked head over heels.” I usualy have my head oriented over my heels without having to be knocked that way, and this hasn’t caused problem yet.
Once someone told me he was “knocked asshole over elbows.” That seem like a more acurate description of a forceful blow.
[Insert Clever Quote Here]
Cecil says it’s just “heels over head” corrupted. Eventually it became the popular form for some reason.
Because the English language ain’t logical. Phrases become popular for all sorts of odd reasons – none related to the logic of the situation.
Consider the lyrics:
I have spurs that jingle jangle jingle
As I go riding merrily along.
And those spurs sing “Ain’t you glad you’re single”
And that song ain’t so very far from wrong.
The song was quite popular in the 40s, everyone thinks that last line means “that song is right,” but careful reading shows just the opposite.
“Ass over teakettle” never made much sense, either. What, some dope is carrying his tea service around with him? Or do they mean they hold yer ass over boiling water?
“Assholes and elbows,” to me, means one or more very busy people. When it’s more than one, however, I usually like to comment they “look like X monkeys trying to fuck a football.”
I’ve also heard “ass over tip.” Maybe the tip transformed into “tea kettle.” They both start with T and tip is what you do with the tea kettle.
“Asses and elbows” was a favorite expression used while training rookie landscape laborers in my youth. The proper way to hold a grading rake (and to avoid back strain although the position is counterintuitive to what is expected) is to hold the rake across the body like a quarterstaff and bend over as far as possible to drag the dirt in short strokes. Viewed from behind or alongside, a line of graders will show the viewer nothing but asses and elbows.
Tom~