Idiom / PhraseSayings & Idioms

Arse Over Kettle

[ahrs oh-ver ket-l]

Pan-Diaspora· Traditional Anglo-Indian colloquial variation of "head over heels" or "arse over tip"

Also spelled: head over heels, taking a spill

Community Definitions1

Definition #1

Tumbling headlong or falling down clumsily in a sudden, undignified heap.

“He slipped on the wet veranda tiles after the rain and went arse over kettle right into the potted ferns.”

Contributed by Pepperwater

Oct 18, 2026

A pious, habitual caveat appended to any statement about future travel, appointments, or gatherings, acknowledging providence.

Speaking at tremendous speed, animatedly, and without pause, especially when exchanging neighborhood news or family gossip.

Dragging out a conversation unnecessarily, exaggerating every detail, or blabbing endlessly when a quick concise answer is wanted.