What is the meaning of the phrase ‘fatal attraction’?
When what causes an attraction to someone also causes the end of the relationship. (Usually marked by an intense or obsessive infatuation with the person in question.)
What is the origin of the phrase ‘fatal attraction’?
The term ‘fatal attraction’ has been used to describe romantic and/or sexual relationships since the 1900s, making it a fairly recent phrase.
People predominantly use the phrase to describe romantic and sexual relationships where there is an intense infatuation on at least one side, but this has devastating consequences for at least one of the parties.
In addition to its use to describe relationships between humans, there is speculation that the phrase is derived from its use in observations of animal life. The reason for this is that there are some species who exhibit sexual cannibalism. Sexual cannibalism typically occurs after the female of the species attracts and mate and obtains his seed before killing and eating him.
Examples of who exhibit sexual cannibalism include scorpions, tarantulas, black widow spiders, the preying mantis, jumping spiders, green anacondas, the octopus, sagebrush crickets, sea slugs, bees, and chameleons.
But while the term ‘fatal attraction’ may be derived from the animal kingdom, it wasn’t until 1987 that the term was truly popularised. The phrase came into English vernacular with the release of the film Fatal Attraction, starring Glen Close and Michael Douglas.
Fatal Attraction is a romantic horror film in which a married male character, played by Michael Douglas has a weekend extra-marital affair. The object of this affair, played by Glen Close, becomes increasingly obsessed with the man and tries to manipulate him and takes drastic measures to ruin his life and that of his wife. An adaptation of this film was taken to the live stage in 2014.
What are some notable uses of the phrase ‘fatal attraction’?
There have been several novels titled ‘Fatal Attraction’ and two relatively recent TV series of the same title. There have also been two songs released called ‘Fatal Attraction, one by Roxette in 1987, and one by Billy Ocean in 1989.