fall over one's feet

English

Etymology

From the phrase fall over one's feet, meaning stumble.

Verb

fall over one's feet (third-person singular simple present falls over one's feet, present participle falling over one's feet, simple past fell over one's feet, past participle fallen over one's feet)

1. To hasten.
   • a. 1998, Diana Wynne Jones, "The Master", in her own Unexpected Magic: Collected Stories, HarperCollins, →ISBN (2003), page 55,

     "Show me the rest of the house," I said, to distract him. He fell over his feet to oblige.

   • 2001, Elizabeth Peters, He Shall Thunder in the Sky, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 261:

     Supposing there is a scrap—wouldn't she wade right in, trying to help us, and wouldn't you fall over your own feet trying so get her out of it?

   • 2004, Michael Morris, A Place Called Wiregrass, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 69:

     "Luther fell over his feet trying to get away from there. He was so eat up with meanness the snakes wouldn't even touch him."