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"Falling" in Love

Posted by ESC on February 28, 2003

In Reply to: "Falling" in Love posted by S. on February 28, 2003

: Why "falling"? It strikes me as such an ugly way to describe the phenomenon. Surely there must be a more pleasant way--any ideas?

I have heard the expression "falling" to mean a woman has become pregnant. But I'm guessing that "falling in love" has to do with this expression:

FALL HEAD OVER HEELS - "To be won over or enter an activity so thoroughly as to be almost helpless. The head is normally over the heels, so the term would seem to make more sense as 'heels over head,' and indeed that is what it was. As early as the 14th century it appeared as 'hele ouer hed' in a poem (quoted much later in 'Early English Alliterative Poems). The 'Oxford English Dictionary' says the modern version is 'a corruption of heels over head.'." From The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).

I feel an Elvis song coming on...

Can't Help Falling In Love

Wise men say only fools rush in
but I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay
would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
some things are meant to be
take my hand, take my whole life too
for I can't help falling in love with you

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
some things are meant to be
take my hand, take my whole life too
for I can't help falling in love with you
for I can't help falling in love with you

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