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"My problem in developing enduring relationships has had more to with whether they are in fact "Gay", and far less do with their quite possibly being "Straight". I've always had round heels whence it came to a man of limited or no homosexual expertise, and if truth be told rather prefer it to be so; but, then again what works for me, likely would work for very few others, if any at all."
... Anthony you asked, so I'll answer; but here, rather than hijack and, potentially as a consequence, detract from the importance of our newcomer Dave's welcome.
I simply have no idea of the origin of the expression "round heels" when used in the context of expressing that someone is "a push over". On the other hand, we are all a product of our formative years, and the environment in which those years occurred.
That is my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.
IN that context, frankly, I had always sort of thought that it was a regional expression, somewhat unique to the lower mainland and the islands of British Columbia where I spent much of my youth; where my father learned his trade relative to the family enterprise (as mentioned elsewhere recently); and where to this day I continue to maintain my parent's home in the Queen Charlotte Islands which is currently occupied by my youngest son Paul, and who will likely soon be joined by my ward Ryan.
Traditionally, as British Columbia, and in particular the city of Victoria, have always seemed to Canadians traveling to the Province from anywhere else in the country as being more "British than Britain", it would be fair for me to assume that the expression probably has it's origins somewhere in the British Isles.
Colloquial use of language has always fascinated me, and British Columbians (or Native Sons, as they choose to be called) have their fair share of them, many of which to this day creep into my conversation. I give you a couple of examples:
"Top Drawer" - something that is strictly "first-class"
"X (substitute any outrageous number you fancy) axe-handles across" - used when describing "width", usually a person's girth
"Speeder" - a diesel motorized multi-wheeled and -axeled suspended wooden platform, most often without guard-rails, and only a joy-stick for maneuverability, that careen up and down the railways of the interior moving people and goods servicing the tracks. Trust me when I tell you that you've never lived until you've been hanging on for dear life to the uneven slatted floor of one of these beasts as it hurtles at 60 or 70 miles and hour, or more, across a mile long curved wooden trestle bridge where looking through the slats you see nothing but the river-valley floor some seven hundred, or more, feet below you. Has for generations been colloquially applied to someone who behaves as though they are as "high-as-a-kite", because you'd have to be that way to intentionally ever get on one of those contraptions in the first place.
Perhaps others here will contribute a few of their own from wherever they, or their families may have lived, and to this day find still creep into their conversation from time to time.
Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada
"... comme recherché qu'un délice callipygian"
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I like it. And I guess I've been a pushover for (some) straight men too. At least I've fallen in love with one and tried to get close to others.
'Top drawer' (or out of the t d) for something first class I thought of as universal. I'd expect it to be used and understood in ordinary conversation. 'High as a kite' too.
I'd never heard of a 'speeder' either. It sounds scarier than crossing the Pontcysyllte aqueduct where the water is six or seven inches below a 2 inch wide edge of cast iron and the river Dee is a long way down below.
Somehow when I want to think of amusing metaphors my head doesn't work.
Love,
Anthony
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Warren,
I've heard or seen references to "Miss Roundheels" occasionally in adulthood. These could have been while living in the US Midwest or Mid-Atlantic, but I think it more likely that I came across them while reading Dorothy Parker, James Thurber, or some other social cynic. In any case, I'm sure the phrase isn't just from your neck of the woods.
Brit
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A metaphor by any other name ... 
