fall over on it?

[sky753]

Hello Everyone,

What does " fall over on it" mean in the following sentence?

Quite how quickly the shift can occur was learnt by Pete Conrad, the third man to walk on the Moon (and the first to fall over on it).

Regards

Sky

[Ann1977]

Originally Posted by sky753

Hello Everyone,

What does " fall over on it" mean in the following sentence?

Quite how quickly the shift can occur was learnt by Pete Conrad, the third man to walk on the Moon (and the first to fall over on it).

Regards

Sky

It means "to fall down" in the sense of "topple over."

He didn't "slip" or "stumble" or any of the other ways to fall. He "toppled over, fell over."

[sky753]

Originally Posted by Ann1977

It means "to fall down" in the sense of "topple over."

He didn't "slip" or "stumble" or any of the other ways to fall. He "toppled over, fell over."

I can feel the difference with your explanaiton and the definition from the dictionary. But can't imagine the action of topple over? Better to see someone behaving or just watch the vedio!

And Could you tell me here how you know that he fell that way? Just from the sentence? Or from the vedio?

Thanks!

[Ann1977]

Originally Posted by sky753

I can feel the difference with your explanaiton and the definition from the dictionary. But can't imagine the action of topple over? Better to see someone behaving or just watch the vedio!

Thanks!

Here's a video of a forklift toppling over. Notice that the description by the one who posted it (found in the small box on the right) is "Watch this forklift fall over."
YouTube - Topple Over Forklift

This forklift didn't fall DOWN, it fell OVER (the same as "topple over.")

I tried to find a video of the astronaut toppling over on the moon, but I couldn't.

"Topple over" suggests a slower fall than "falling down," and it implies an overbalancing fall due to the over-leaning of the top.

[Ann1977]

Originally Posted by sky753

And Could you tell me here how you know that he fell that way? Just from the sentence? Or from the vedio?
Thanks!

I know it only from the sentence; I can't find a video.

"Fall down" is the most generic term.

"Fall out" is used jokingly (no one really falls) to pretend you fell over backwards (from astonishment) or "fell all over the place (from laughter.)
> When the teacher sees what a good job you did, she's going to fall out!
> When that forklift fell over, I fell out laughing!

"Fall over" means to topple over.

"Fall out" and "fall in" also have other meanings not related to losing one's balance.

There is no strict NECESSITY to think that the astronaut "toppled to the ground." Sometimes people write or say "fall over" to soften "fall down," because "fall down" has a strong implication of a childish, clumsy, or impaired accident.

It is more harsh to say an adult "fell down" than it is to say he "fell over."

[sky753]

Originally Posted by Ann1977

Here's a video of a forklift toppling over. Notice that the description by the one who posted it (found in the small box on the right) is "Watch this forklift fall over."
YouTube - Topple Over Forklift

This forklift didn't fall DOWN, it fell OVER (the same as "topple over.")

I tried to find a video of the astronaut toppling over on the moon, but I couldn't.

"Topple over" suggests a slower fall than "falling down," and it implies an overbalancing fall due to the over-leaning of the top.

Youtube is prohibited here in China. I can' t find the link! But thank you anyway! But I have found another link http://v.ku6.com/show/E5fNEIcKHg4y9KbC.html. Intresting enough! But I can't imagine an astronaut topples over on the moon!

[Ann1977]

Originally Posted by sky753

Youtube is prohibited here in China. I can' t find the link! But thank you anyway! But I have found another link Fork Lift Accident ÔÚÏß¹Û¿´ - ¿á6ÊÓƵ. Intresting enough! But I can't imagine an astronaut topples over on the moon!

Yes, that forklift almost toppled over backwards.

You would describe a little kid as "falling down," but you would probably say "fall over" or "topple to the ground" about a giraffe's fall.

In fact, the astronauts had a lot of trouble keeping their balance on the moon, and NASA felt a lot of anxiety about falling. For one thing, NASA didn't want them to damage or tear their space suits; in addition, it was not clear that they would be able to rise to their feet again once they were on the ground.

As it turned out, they did fall over more than once, but getting back up was not a problem.

What caused them to fall was a combination of their big awkward space suits, that bouncing walk they had to use, and trying to operate in one-sixth normal gravity (collecting rock samples and so on.)
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We say "fall off" to describe dropping to the ground from a height.
> "The workman fell off the roof of the building he was repairing."
> "The little boy fell off the jungle gym."

But we say "fell out (of)" for windows and trees:
> "A big spider fell out of the tree and landed on my shoulder."
> "The cat leaned so far to look at the bird that she fell out the window."