fall all over (oneself)
To expend an inordinate amount of energy or effort to do something, especially as a means of gaining attention or approval. John is such a brownnoser, falling all over himself to impress the teacher. My parents fell all over themselves trying to seem cool to me and my friends. It was pretty embarrassing, to be honest. You can stop falling all over yourselves to impress me now—I've decided who is going to get the promotion.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
fall all over oneself
Also, fall over backwards. Make an inordinate effort to do something, try very hard or eagerly. For example, They fell all over themselves to be helpful, but only got in the way, or She fell over backwards trying to please her boss, but it got her nowhere. The first of these hyperbolic expressions dates from the late 1800s, the second from the mid-1900s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.