have a fall

English

Verb

have a fall (third-person singular simple present has a fall, present participle having a fall, simple past and past participle had a fall)

  1. (intransitive, typically of elderly or infirm people) To fall over.

Usage notes

  • The phrase have a fall, as opposed to fall over or fall down, is typically reserved for older people for whom a fall is more likely to be a medical emergency. However, it may be considered patronizing.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ Williams, Zoe (14 June 2022), “The young fall over, older people ‘have a fall’ – and my stepmother is none too happy about it”, in The Guardian
  2. ^ Harayada, Janice (12 November 2023), “Are We Talking About Falls The Wrong Way?”, in Crow's Feet
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