drop by

D

drop by
also, drop in on and drop over

Meaning | Synonyms

  • an informal visit
  • an unexpected visit
  • call on
  • go see
  • come round
  • pop round
  • drop in
  • drop over

Example Sentences

  1. I hope to finish the dress before Saturday. If you want to see what it looks like you should drop by over the weekend.
  2. I will drop by to pick up my glasses that I left there, last weekend.
  3. My parents drop by at least twice a week for supper.
  4. You don’t have to phone before you come. We are home the whole day, you can just drop by.
  5. I am going to drop by his office to take him lunch.

Origin

There are a few variations on the phrase. It is often changed to “drop in” or “drop over.” They all have the same meaning but originated at different times. The term drop by was first recorded in the early 20th century.

The original phrase seems to have been drop in as it can be traced back to the 1600s. The phrase drop over originated in the 1800s.

It is not clear how the phrase came to be. It is possibly related to the fact that water will drop unexpectedly from the sky, or a hole in the roof without any warning. Even this could be just a wild guess.

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