EXCLUSIVE: Linguists Confirm ‘I Had a Fall’ Now Officially Marks Entry into a New Life Stage.

Sienna Rivers | Lifestyle & Trends Editor | Sutherland Shire Gazette

8 December 2025

A new linguistic study has confirmed a phenomenon sweeping across the Shire: at some mysterious point in midlife, residents stop saying “I fell over” and begin solemnly announcing “I had a fall.”

The phrase change, once thought to be harmless semantics, is now recognised as a generational threshold - the point at which Shire locals quietly transition from “weekend warriors” to “fall-risk categories.”

“It’s a rite of passage,” said language researcher Dr. Miriam Phrasewell from The Gymea TAFE Unit for Applied Conversation Studies. “One day you’re playing touch footy at Greenhills, the next you’re recounting your descent near the clothesline in slow motion - using medical terminology.”

The shift rarely happens gradually. Experts say it coincides with two other symptoms: discussing procedures in plural (“I’ve got a few day surgeries coming up”) and developing sudden respect for bowel prep instructions.

Social scientists call it The Great Midlife Pivot - the moment when brunch conversations begin with “My fall” instead of “My plans.” “It’s a Shire-wide phenomenon,” Dr. Phrasewell explained. “At first, friends laugh. Then they start comparing x-rays.”

Locals say the transition is oddly bonding. “It’s replaced weather chat entirely,” said Sharon, 54, from Gymea. “We used to ask about the surf. Now it’s how the meniscus is holding up.”

Pharmacists across the Shire report a spike in ankle supports, glucosamine, and mild existential reflection. Even local GPs admit to hearing the phrase daily. “It’s rarely the first fall,” said one doctor. “It’s the first time they admit it.”

Sociologists believe the phenomenon reflects a wider truth: once you’ve said “I had a fall,” there’s no going back - you’ve officially joined a demographic that measures time not by birthdays, but by procedures pending.

As Dr. Phrasewell summarised, “It’s the most reliable indicator of ageing in the Shire - forget wrinkles.

You’ll know you’ve crossed over when your group chat goes from concert tickets to colonoscopies.”