The phrase "dropped by" is spelled exactly as it sounds. The letter "d" is pronounced as the voiced dental plosive [d], followed by the letter "r" pronounced as the voiced alveolar trill [r]. The letter "o" is pronounced as the mid-back rounded vowel [ɒ], followed by the voiceless bilabial plosive [p]. The letter "p" is followed by the letter "e" pronounced as the mid-front unrounded vowel [ɛ]. Finally, the letter "d" is pronounced again as the voiced dental plosive [d].
Dropped by is a colloquial expression that typically refers to making a brief, unplanned visit to a place or person. This phrase is commonly used in informal contexts and often implies a casual, unexpected nature of the visit. When someone says that they "dropped by," it suggests that they stopped in without prior notice or an invitation.
The act of dropping by usually involves briefly visiting a friend, acquaintance, or establishment without a specific agenda or plan in mind. The purpose of the visit can vary, ranging from simply wanting to say hello, catch up with the person, or satisfy curiosity about a particular place. Dropped by often implies informality and lack of formality or structure; it emphasizes the spontaneous and impromptu nature of the visit.
In most cases, dropping by does not involve a significant amount of time. It is often a short and casual visit, typically lasting only a few minutes or hours. This expression is often used to describe situations where the person making the visit does not intend to stay for an extended period. Therefore, it is not uncommon for someone to drop by briefly during a break, on their way to another destination, or simply when they happen to be in the vicinity of the person or place they intend to visit.
The phrase "dropped by" does not have a specific etymology as it is a combination of two separate words: "dropped" and "by".
The word "drop" is derived from the Old English word "droppian" and can be traced back to Proto-Germanic origins. It originally referred to the action of falling in small amounts or of letting something fall from a higher position to a lower one.
The word "by" has a different background. It comes from the Old English word "bi" which had the meaning of "near" or "beside". This Old English term has cognates in various other Germanic languages as well.
When the words "drop" and "by" are combined, it forms the phrasal verb "dropped by", which means to visit or stop by informally and briefly.