Where Did The "Over The Hill" Saying Come From?

We’ve all heard an older person being called “Over the Hill.” What does this saying mean and where did it come from?

The saying has been in use since the early 1900s and seems to have originated in England. The idea behind this idiom is that a person is advancing up the hill of life in the first forty hears and once turning forty, starts to descend that hill. All the rest is “downhill” after that. The expression is used to convey that someone is past their prime, is old beyond usefulness, or is no longer able to perform the way they used to. While it is used in a jovial but taunting manner for well-wishers at a party for someone turning a milestone age, it is not considered good form to seriously refer to someone as “Over the Hill.”

Over The Hill parties are a fun, tongue-in-cheek way to throw a celebration for an aging friend. Whether they are turning 30, 40, 50 or older, it’s appropriate to organize a party that centers on the Over The Hill theme.

Today, with people living such active lifestyles, a person is no longer considered old at 40. So, poking fun at that milestone birthday can be a nice idea if you do it right.

Traditionally, Over The Hill celebrations feature either a cemetery/grave type theme or a “maladies of old age” theme. But there are plenty of other over the hill birthday party supplies out there.

You can decorate all in black and have a “morbid” theme. Ask everyone to come in black attire.

Have a cake in the shape of a tombstone. Do it up with black napkins and black crepe paper.

You can read a eulogy about the birthday boy and even have someone wear a grim reaper costume from a Halloween shop.

If done in a light-hearted spirit, it can be extremely funny.

The other version of the Over The Hill theme brings in props that refer to the illnesses and infirmities of old age. You can have walkers, canes, adult potty chairs, and any other items from a medical supply store. You can give gag over the hill gifts like adult diapers, denture cream, laxatives, and arthritis cream. You can have soft foods like mashed potatoes and peas. You can have wheelchair races and other elderly-themed activities.

There are a number of sites online that sell really cute over-the-hill gag gifts for the birthday girl or boy. Everything from a “constipation emergency kit” to a giant pink rubber “age eraser” and anti-balding kit are available. Add in some Over The Hill parking signs and wake-up horns and you’ll really get the theme across. Another favorite is the birthday candle extinguisher kit which is actually a mini fire extinguisher (designed to mock the fact that the elderly are short of breath.)  This sort of party can also be a really hysterical good time if done right.

Whichever way you decide to celebrate an Over The Hill birthday, make sure to do it in good taste. If you have a very serious birthday girl who doesn’t want anyone to know how old she is, perhaps this theme isn’t the best choice. But if you have a fun-loving jokester in the family who just happens to be turning 50, go for it. The wackier the better.