I think I've just "had a fall" at 31

[dramallamaforamama]

Where did this phrase even come from? It seems to be used to describe elderly people falling only... but it's also probably the best way to describe what just happened to me...

Ive been waiting for the estate agent to call about something for days and of course, finally just as I got into the shower they called. I hopped out and answered but the signal in my bathroom is pretty ropey so I moved out into the Hall dripping water as I went. As soon as the call finished I promptly slid and fell right on my hip.

I'm 31 and healthy so I will be perfectly fine and have a lovely big bruise for DH to laugh at. But when describing it to him all I could think to say was "I had a fall", which made me sound about 85!

Anyone else describe their own falls like this or do you usually reserve the phrase for the elderly?

Pam Ayres when I saw her live has an excellent sketch about the difference between “falling over” and “having a fall” and how you know you’ve become an old person when people start using the latter about you

I’d say you just fell over, both based on your age and that you slipped on a wet floor rather than collapsed because of being a bit infirm and unsteady.

I used this phrase when I fell down the stairs the other day. I'm 34.

It’s easy for someone of any age to have a fall like this. Happily when one is young the consequences aren’t generally so bad - my mum aged 82 sadly died after such a fall (broke her hip and didn’t survive the surgery - she was already in heart failure, so not a huge surprise).