# Why does "head over heels" mean something extraordinary? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930 "2010-04-04T18:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/1 "2010-04-04T18:25:31Z")
My head is over my heels **most** of the time, except when I’m sleeping. ---
**Author:** ![Doody\_Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@Doody\_Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doody_Pants)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/2 "2010-04-04T18:27:14Z")
I don’t have an answer, but I have always wondered that myself. My head is usually over my heels as well. And I just don’t get ‘ass over teakettle’ either. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/3 "2010-04-04T18:31:48Z")
I think it’s just in the wrong order, it means “heels over head” more or less. Think of Jack and Jill tumbling down the hill - somersaulting. “Ass over teakettle” makes me think of the person tumbling over. Perhaps the teakettle is the head. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/4 "2010-04-04T18:32:01Z")
For no very good reason, I have always visualized somebody doing cartwheels or one of those “roll up into a ball” (like the hedgehogs in _Alice in Wonderland_’s croquet game) thingies and tumble along the ground or floor. It is a stupid expression! ---
**Author:** ![Add99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Add99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Add99)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/5 "2010-04-04T20:39:10Z")
I’m a little teakettle, Short and stout. Fill me with water, It pours out my spout. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/6 "2010-04-04T20:46:05Z")
I wonder if it used to be “heels over head”. Then one day someone slipped up and said “head over heels”, and all of her friends started saying “head over heels” to tease her about it. Somehow it caught on and replaced “heels over head”. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/7 "2010-04-04T21:51:53Z")
[Michael Quinion](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hea3.htm) will tell you all you need to know. Short answer–yes, it got inverted over 100 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/8 "2010-04-04T22:05:45Z")
Round here we would say, Teapot over kettle, or Arse ovver tip ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/9 "2010-04-04T22:09:41Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > [Michael Quinion](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hea3.htm) will tell you all you need to know. > > Short answer–yes, it got inverted over 100 years ago. Correction: [Cecil Adams](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/746/shouldnt-the-expression-head-over-heels-be-heels-over-head) will tell you all you need to know. Heretic. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/10 "2010-04-04T22:54:49Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > [Michael Quinion](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hea3.htm) will tell you all you need to know. > > Short answer–yes, it got inverted over 100 years ago. > [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > Correction: [Cecil Adams](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/746/shouldnt-the-expression-head-over-heels-be-heels-over-head) will tell you all you need to know. Heretic. Damn! I only hope Cece isn’t reading this thread. :o ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/11 "2010-04-05T00:38:02Z")
“Arse over breakfast time” is what I’ve heard. I don’t know what it means either, it just makes me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/12 "2010-04-05T00:45:53Z")
> [@Doody\_Pants](#): > > I don’t have an answer, but I have always wondered that myself. My head is usually over my heels as well. And I just don’t get ‘ass over teakettle’ either. My grandmother said ass over tea_cup_. That paints a picture. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/13 "2010-04-05T01:12:33Z")
Head over heals meaning you are FLIPPING. It means you flip backwards. Your head is falling back and is OVER your heals. If you were going heals over head than you’d be flipping forward. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/14 "2010-04-05T01:49:19Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Head over heals meaning you are FLIPPING. > > It means you flip backwards. Your head is falling back and is OVER your heals. > > If you were going heals over head than you’d be flipping forward. That’s similar to what I always thought. Heels over head would just be flipping half way. Head over heals would be doing a complete 360[sup]o[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/15 "2010-04-05T02:09:05Z")
> [@Add99](#): > > I’m a little teakettle, > Short and stout. > Fill me with water, > It pours out my spout. Hijack, sorry. That’s an interesting version, where did you grow up? I love hearing different versions of childhood poems and songs. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/16 "2010-04-05T08:22:12Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > “Arse over breakfast time” is what I’ve heard. I don’t know what it means either, it just makes me laugh. Now that’s something to set your watch to. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/17 "2010-04-05T09:22:47Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > I wonder if it used to be “heels over head”. Then one day someone slipped up and said “head over heels”, and all of her friends started saying “head over heels” to tease her about it. Somehow it caught on and replaced “heels over head”. “Head over heels” does have a much nicer rhythm to it. ---
**Author:** ![Neverender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neverender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverender)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/18 "2010-04-05T11:44:31Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Round here we would say, > > Teapot over kettle, > > or Arse ovver tip That’s more likely to be Arse over tit than tip, no? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/19 "2010-04-05T12:43:59Z")
Yeah! And why is it “born and bred?” Bred comes before born. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/20 "2010-04-05T12:49:50Z")
Because the words are meant simultaneously, not in chronological order. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930.md?page=2)