fall for something/someone, to
fall for someone
Fig. to fall in love with someone. I fell for her in a big way. She's gorgeous! Ted fell for Alice and they decided to get married.
See also: fall
fall for something
Fig. to believe something without reservation. Surely, you don't expect me to fall for that! She fell for the excuse I gave her about getting stuck in traffic.
See also: fall
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
fall for
1. Become attracted to, as in I was sure he'd fall for her. [Slang; early 1900s]
2. Be deceived or swindled by, as in He fell for the con artist's scheme and lost a great deal of money. [Slang; early 1900s]
See also: fall
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
fall for
v.
1. To feel love for someone; be in love with someone: I fell for you the first time I saw you in the park. They immediately fell for each other.
2. To be deceived or swindled by something: The gullible dupe fell for the con artist's scheme and lost $200,000.
See also: fall
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
fall for something/someone, to
To be taken in or deceived; or to be captivated by or enamored of. Originating in American slang in the late nineteenth century, the expression was adopted on both sides of the Atlantic. The two meanings are differentiated by the context. The first sense is meant in “The mayor fell for it” (R. L. McCardell, Conversations with a Chorus Girl, 1903), and the second in “I fell for her the first time I seen her” (Saturday Evening Post, 1914).
See also: fall, something
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- fall in(to) the drink
- fell
- fall on
- fall (up)on (someone or something)
- drop across
- drop across (someone or something)
- fall by the wayside
- fall by the wayside, to
- fall to pieces
- fall in on