head over heels

English

Etymology

Emerged in the 14^th century as "heels over head", which is literally accurate, as "head over heels" is the standard state of being. "Heels over head" evolved into "head over heels" in common use, departing its literal meaning, probably for reasons of phrasal elegance.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Adverb

head over heels (comparative more head over heels, superlative most head over heels)

1. Tumbling upside down; somersaulting.

   She tripped and rolled head over heels down the hill.

   Synonyms: arse over tit, ass over teakettle, base over apex

2. At top speed; frantically.

   Hearing the noise in the dark, the children ran head over heels back home.

   Synonyms: full tilt, full throttle, like mad

3. Hopelessly smitten.

   He was head over heels in love with the girl next door.

Translations

tumbling upside down

• Bulgarian: през глава (prez glava)
• Finnish: päistikkaa, suin päin (fi)
• French: jambes par-dessus tête (fr)
• German: purzelnd (de), überschlagend (de), kopfüber (de)
• Italian: gambe all'aria
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hodestups

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: do góry nogami (pl)
• Portuguese: cabeça pra baixo, ponta-cabeça (pt)
• Russian: вверх нога́ми (vverx nogámi), вверх торма́шками (ru) (vverx tormáškami), ку́барем (ru) (kúbarem)
• Slovak: hore nohami
• Spanish: cabeza abajo, patas arriba (es)
• Swedish: stå på öronen
• Ukrainian: догори дриґом (dohory drygom)

at top speed; frantically

• Finnish: pää kolmantena jalkana
• German: Hals über Kopf (de), wie verrückt, wie wahnsinnig
• Hungarian: hanyatt-homlok (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: a gambe levate
• Russian: сломя́ го́лову (ru) (slomjá gólovu), очертя́ го́лову (ru) (očertjá gólovu), стремгла́в (ru) (stremgláv), опроме́тью (ru) (oprométʹju)
• Slovak: nohy na plecia
• Swedish: hals över huvud (sv)
• Ukrainian: стрімголов (strimholov)

hopelessly smitten

• Finnish: korviaan myöten, suin päin (fi)
• French: fou amoureux
• German: kopflos (de), wahnsinnig (de)
• Hungarian: fülig szerelmes
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: follemente (it), perdutamente (it), fuori di testa
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hodestups

• Russian: по́ у́ши (ru) (pó úši, literally “up to the ears”)
• Slovak: zaľúbený po uši m, beznádejne zaľúbený m
• Swedish: uppöver öronen
• Ukrainian: по (самі) вуха (po (sami) vuxa)