An idiom meaning to fall deeply and completely in love, or to tumble forward in a somersault motion.
Originally recorded in the 14th century as 'heels over head,' which logically described a forward tumble. The phrase mysteriously flipped to 'head over heels' by the 18th century, even though this describes normal upright posture rather than tumbling.
This phrase is delightfully illogical! 'Head over heels' actually describes how we normally stand, not how we tumble. The original 'heels over head' made perfect sense, but somehow English speakers preferred the backwards version - perhaps because the chaos of the mixed-up phrase better captures the disorientation of falling in love!
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