fall

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | 612 words | Copyright

fall fall by the wayside fail to persist in an endeavour or undertaking; with biblical allusion to the parable of the sower, in which some of the seed ‘fell by the way side’ and was eaten by birds.
fall on stony ground of words or a suggestion be ignored or badly received; with biblical allusion to the parable of the sower, in which some seed ‘fell upon stony places’ and withered away.

see also the apple never falls far from the tree, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, the bread never falls but on its buttered side, if the sky falls we shall catch larks, as a tree falls.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "fall." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "fall." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-fall.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "fall." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-fall.html