Bend over backwards

How people use it

People usually say someone bent over backwards to help, to make room for someone or to keep someone happy: "The hotel staff bent over backwards to find us a room." It suggests a lot of effort and sometimes inconvenience to yourself. The tone is informal and usually positive, though it can hint that someone is trying too hard to please. American English often uses "backward" without the s; both forms are correct. A close match is "go out of your way."

Also said: bend over backward, lean over backwards.

Examples

• The bakery bent over backwards to make a gluten-free cake for my daughter.
• Our neighbors bend over backwards to help whenever someone on the street is sick.
• You don't need to bend over backward for a customer who is being rude.

Where it comes from

The image is a backbend, an awkward and difficult movement that takes real effort. The phrase is recorded in American English in the early 1900s, and a related form, "lean over backward," meant trying hard to avoid being unfair. Over time the idea shifted to making a great effort for someone else.

Check yourself

Similar idioms

• Pull out all the stops

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