# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/21 "2010-04-05T13:42:57Z")
O.K., then, why is traffic which is congested called “stop and go”? Shouldn’t it logically be “go and stop”? I don’t mind being in a traffic situation where I get to go right after I have stopped. What I hate is when I have to stop again immediately after I get to go. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/22 "2010-04-07T23:54:12Z")
> [@Neverender](#): > > That’s more likely to be Arse over tit than tip, no? No, people say do “arse over tip”. That is what I was going to post but **Casdave** got there first. No, it doesn’t make much sense either, but that’s just how it is. 🙂 I thought of sitting down and putting my leg up high, just so that I could be posting with “heels over head”, but, nah, too much bother. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/23 "2010-04-08T00:26:22Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Because the words are meant simultaneously, not in chronological order. > [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > O.K., then, why is traffic which is congested called “stop and go”? Shouldn’t it logically be “go and stop”? I don’t mind being in a traffic situation where I get to go right after I have stopped. What I hate is when I have to stop again immediately after I get to go. see the post from **Chuck** above yours. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/24 "2010-04-08T13:05:49Z")
It means falling, like falling in love. Head first. A\*\* over tea kettle is more like falling down the stairs. ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/25 "2010-04-08T13:22:03Z")
> [@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. Damn, Sam. Isn’t worshiping a false God grounds for excommunication? ---
**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 8, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/26 "2010-04-08T14:08:56Z")
This seems like a good excuse to post this [music video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0TYun-Nq1Q). ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930/27 "2010-04-08T14:32:25Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Yeah! And why is it “born and bred?” Bred comes before born. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Because the words are meant simultaneously, not in chronological order. I’m late to this, but I always assumed that “bred” in the saying meant “raised” - I’ve heard “born and raised” used as a synonym. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-head-over-heels-mean-something-extraordinary/534930.md?page=1)