Reader question: Why is a movie star marrying for a second time is described as “has been swept off his feet again”? My comments: Again, because it is happening for one more time. The actor being swept off his feet, that is. In other words, the movie star is falling in love again. The question, still, is, why “falling in love” is the same as being “swept off one’s feet”. Imagine that love is a broom, that the actor is tiny piece of broken paper. The broom comes along and sweeps up the piece of paper along with dusts on the floor. Swoosh! Gone. In front of the broom with its overpowering force, the paper has no chance. In other words, the helpless actor is swept off his feet and carried off without resistance. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to liken the power of love to a big broom or if it’s appropriate to imagine a man can be as powerless as a piece of paper in front of love but metaphorically speaking I think you’ll get the point. At any rate when one is swept off one’s feet, one loses balance and is likely to fall, hence the analogy to one FALLING for their partner. In other words, a man (or woman) in love will fall like a soldier. From that point on, no resistance whatsoever. Got it? All right, here are media examples of people being swept off their feet, either by love or some other overpowering force of nature or emotion: |