fall all over oneself
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Also, fall over backwards. Make an inordinate effort to do something, try very hard or eagerly. For example, They fell all over themselves to be helpful, but only got in the way, or She fell over backwards trying to please her boss, but it got her nowhere. The first of these hyperbolic expressions dates from the late 1800s, the second from the mid-1900s.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."
Question 1 of 7
IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
Words nearby fall all over oneself
fallacy, fallacy of composition, fallacy of division, fallacy of many questions, fallal, fall all over oneself, fall among, fall apart, fall asleep, fall away, fallback
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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