fall heir to

fall heir to (something)

To inherit something. Thank you! I fell heir to this pearl necklace when my grandmother died. I think she fell heir to all of that money when her parents died. Believe me, I wouldn't own a house at 25 if I hadn't fallen heir to this one.

See also: fall, heir, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

fall heir to something

 

1. Lit. to inherit something; to end up with certain possessions of someone who has died. I fell heir to all my grandmother's old photographs.

2. Fig. to end up with having to take care of something that no one else wants; to be placed in charge of something unexpectedly. Bob fell heir to the Wilson project and has to complete what Jane failed to do.

See also: fall, heir, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.