| 'Over the hill' is a colloquial phrase used for the very | | | | the hill has more to do with a person's mental abilities |
| simple term, 'old'. Where did this idiom come from | | | | than their age. I know some 80 year olds who still |
| though? It cannot be known for sure, but the phrase | | | | have it together where it counts, and some 40 year |
| perhaps c a me from the fact that cemeteries in the | | | | olds who are pretty senile already!" |
| past were often built on hills overlooking lower | | | | |
| areas of towns and villages. Therefore, someone who | | | | A neighbour told me that 'It took me [him] 50 years to |
| had passed away would be buried somewhere over | | | | look this good!' - I guess he doesn't believe that he's |
| this hill. This idiom 'over the hill' has been | | | | over the hill yet. |
| adapted and now has common us age in | | | | |
| the english language. Another possibility could be that | | | | I carried out a survey, part-takers had to decide |
| the first part of one's life is going uphill, because you're | | | | whether in their opinion they counted the |
| young and have plenty of time to experience life, | | | | following birthdays as being over the hill. |
| explore the world and everything in it, but once you've | | | | |
| done all of this and you're at the top, it's all then | | | | Birthday - Over the hill? |
| downhill, suggesting you are 'over the hill'. | | | | |
| | | | | Research shows that in today's society men are |
| I think the age that one feels or becomes 'over the hill' | | | | living upto the age of 76 and women to the age of 81, |
| differs for each individual. I'm 21 and upto my 18th | | | | as opposed to 66 and 71 respectively during the |
| birthday, I was sure that by my 30th birthday I would | | | | 1950's. This is a dramatic increase in the length of the |
| be old; over the hill, and my parents, who were 41 | | | | average life, it's a huge 10 years extra in just 60 years |
| years and 44 years old at the time, were definately | | | | or so, thanks to the development of medicine and |
| past it. Now that I'm slowly getting closer to thirty, the | | | | technology. So in theory, being 40 years old is only |
| goalpost for me is changing with anything past 40 | | | | half-way through ones life today, instead of two thirds |
| years of age now being classed as 'over the hill'. | | | | through one's life 60 years ago. To conclude: people |
| You see 40th birthday, 50th birthday and | | | | used to have shorter lifespans 60 years or so ago, |
| 60th birthday cards in greeting card shops littered | | | | living on average to the age of 66 (males) and 71 |
| with jokes about being 'over the hill' and 'past it'. Do | | | | (females). The age one would feel or be classed as |
| these jovial remarks mean that after the age of | | | | old in that time would consequently be younger than |
| thirty nine, you can no longer make the most out of | | | | in today's society where people are living upto the |
| life? | | | | ages of 76 (males) and 81 (females). When then, is |
| | | | | one officially over the hill? From asking people and |
| I asked friends and family what they thought: | | | | taking into account my own opinion, I think that it's all |
| | | | | about perception, you are over the hill when you feel |
| "60th or 65th birthday - Just because it's the normal | | | | and think you're too old to live life to the fullest. |
| age of retirement. Really though, I think being over | | | | |