falling flat like a Buddha statue being toppled
Describes a person falling heavily and dramatically, often with limbs splayed, as if a heavy statue were pushed over. Used in colloquial or humorous contexts.
I slipped on the stairs and fell flat like a toppled Buddha statue.
Compound of 仏 (hotoke, 'Buddha') and 倒し (taoshi, 'knocking down'), literally 'Buddha-toppling'. The exact origin is uncertain, but it evokes the image of a heavy statue falling over.