Expressions of love

By Rachel Abbott – ABC School’s Academic Coordinator To celebrate Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be a nice idea to explore some popular expressions of love in English. Although English is not considered to be one of the Romance languages, we have had a collection of great writers within our history, who are often referred to as the ‘Romantics’. Some of the more well-known romance writers include William Blake (1757-1827), William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and Lord Byron (1788-1824). Many of their poems have inspired writers and lovers around the world and through their works they expressed the importance of expressing authentic personal feelings and used poetry to inform and inspire others. Learning some of the most widely used love expressions will definitely help you to improve your English as well as enhance your most valuable relationships. To fall head over heels in love This phrase ‘head over heels’ originated in the 14th century as ‘heels over head’, meaning to fall down in the literal sense, which isn’t unusual, because when a person falls over, there is the possibility for their feet, or heels, to go above their head. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the idea of love being involved became popular. Today, the phrase means to fall deeply in love with another person. She fell head over heels in love with her tennis coach. To be someone’s soul mate The phrase ‘soul mate’ was first recorded in English in 1822, when the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote in a letter, ‘to be happy in married life…you must have a soul-mate.’ The idea behind the expression is that we all have one other person with whom we have a strong connection, someone who is destined to be with us, who shares our values and who can support our purpose in life. The term usually refers to a romantic partner but can also be used for other relationships, such as a best friend or family member. For example: His wife and soul mate, she became his most influential adviser. Love is blind This expression was first found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Merchant’s Tale’ which was written in the early 1400’s. Chaucer was the very well- known writer of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ which is a collection of 24 stories all written about different fictional characters and the Merchant is one of the characters within the stories. The Merchant, who is an old man, falls in love with a young woman for her beauty and he cannot see that the ‘love’ he has is not real and is metaphorically speaking blind. Unsurprisingly, she falls in love with a much younger, handsome man. Shakespeare also used the expression within many of his stories and it became quite popular due to its use in several of his plays. The idea that love inhibits our ability to see reality is not just a myth. A research study in 2004 by University College London found that feelings of love suppressed the activity of the areas of the brain that control critical thought. To fancy someone ‘Fancy’ has been used for a long time to express a wish or desire for something, ‘What do you fancy for dinner tonight?’ The word originates from ‘fantasy’ and in the 1500’s was used in the same way as to fantasise (about) or imagine something happening. Today, it is a very informal way of saying that you find someone very attractive. I really fancy him/her. Here, we have examined just a handful of expressions used today to talk about love and deep feelings. There are so many expressions and it can be difficult to know which ones to use in which situations. The best thing to do is to learn as many phrases as you can to build up a wide range of vocabulary, and then use the language in the real world, if appropriate. If you listen out for native speakers using the expressions to see in which contexts they are used, this will help you to know how to use them correctly yourself. Remember to always check the meanings in a good dictionary first, or ask someone you trust to give you the correct definitions before you use them. Have fun!