drop, v.¹ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

drop v.¹

1. to abandon a friendship or relationship; to snub; thus dropping n.

1606		Shakespeare Macbeth III i: Certaine friends that are both his and mine, Whose loves I may not drop.
1711		Spectator No. 89 n.p.: He verily believes she will drop him in his old age, if she can find her account in another [F&H].
1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 780: Many persons of consequence, who had dropped the acquaintance of Peregrine, in the beginning of his decline, now made open efforts to cultivate his friendship anew.
1762		Foote Lyar in Works (1799) I 294: My great reason for dropping him was, that my credit began to be a little suspected too.
1830		Lytton Paul Clifford I 72: Be a bob-cull, – drop the bullies, and you shall have the blunt!
1854		Thackeray Newcomes I 228: In the world people drop you and take you up every day.
1873		Sl. Dict. 151: To ‘drop an acquaintance,’ to relinquish a connexion, is very polite slang. dropping is distinguished from cutting by being done gradually and almost imperceptibly, whereas cutting has outward and visible signs which may be unpleasantly resented.
1880		E.J. Milliken ‘Cad’s Calendar’ in Punch Almanack n.p.: Women are sech sharks! If I don’t drop ’er, / Guess that I shall come a hawful cropper!
1898		Kipling ‘In Ambush’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 30: You’re a despondin’ brute, Beetle. Sometimes I think I shall have to drop you altogether.
1900		R.H. Savage Brought to Bay 181: He had dropped ‘Monsieur Leroy’ forever!
1914		Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Sl. 30: drop [...] ‘The tribe dropped a man in the day’s work,’ i. e., lost one by arrest... ‘We had to drop a stall for missing too many meets’.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 155: Member of the corporation too. Egging raw youths on to get in the know. All the time drawing secret service pay from the castle. Drop him like a hot potato.
1929		H.C. Witwer Yes Man’s Land 312: They dropped Aaron like a hot penny.
1945		R. Pagan Little Susan in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 26 (1945) 65: He clung to the belief that his friend [...] would not (as he would have put it) ‘drop him’.
c.1950		K. Howard Small Time Crooks 41: She was very different from the creamy-skinned baby-moll he was dropping.
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 42: A man oughta drop ya.
1961		T. Taylor Baron’s Court All Change (2011) 66: He’d got tired of her now and dropped her.
1962		R. Hauser Homosexual Society 33: A silly fellow I had seen a few times and then dropped tried to ring me up at home.
1979		Lette & Carey Puberty Blues 4: But in the end, I dropped Greg. He was a rotten surfer.
1986		Totally True Diaries of an Eighties Roller Queen 🌐 14 Feb. was there. I had a really serious talk with him. He said he doesn’t want to drop me (another lie) and then the conversation went on and he said he didn’t want to talk.
1993		M. Myers et al. Wayne’s World II [film script] She dropped me like a bad habit and left me for roadkill.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.
2012		M. Lacher On the Bro’d 98: [S]he’d dropped that dickhole busband, ditched the kid.

2. of an idea or train of thought, to overlook, to ignore, to give up on; of a habit, to give up.

1821–5		‘Bill Truck’ Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 19: You must drop that there shore way of talking.
1854		G.J. Whyte-Melville General Bounce (1891) 343: Were it not for the case-bottle they would ‘drop it’ even now.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 86/2: Now [...] doan’t be droppin’ on it [i.e. a criminal plan]; we’ll be a long tyme in this ‘crib,’ t’ way things ar goin’ on afore we’ll git a ‘pile’ o’ ‘soft’.
1874		M. Clarke Term of His Natural Life (1897) 274: I am always in a minority when I discuss the question, so we will drop it, if you please.
1883		‘Mark Twain’ Life on the Mississippi (1914) 85: Now drop that! When I say I’ll learn a man the river, I mean it.
1899		Kipling ‘The Flag of Their Country’ in Complete Stalky & Co. (1987) 209: They’ll learn their drill an’ then they’ll drop it like a shot.
1909		H. Lawson ‘The Land of Living Lies’ in Roderick (1967–9 II) 340: Here is Hush-It-Up and Drop-It, ’Tisn’t Safe, and Doesn’t-Pay.
1915		J. Buchan Thirty-Nine Steps (1930) 129: ‘Oh, damn,’ said the young man, ‘I thought you had droppped that rot.’.
1932		Seabury Report 40: Q. Well, did you do anything else towards getting this unexpired term of Surrogate Schulz? A. I did not. Q. You dropped it? A. I did. Q Did you drop it because you realized that without Mr. Murphy's support you could not get it? A. That is right.
1940		R. Chandler Farewell, My Lovely (1949) 238: ‘You killed a woman. [...] Jesse Florian. That was a bad idea.’ He thought. Then he nodded. ‘I’d drop that one.’.
1951		J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye (1958) 76: I let it drop. It was over her head, anyway.
1962		P. Crump Burn, Killer, Burn! 64: I don’t know where you got this stupid idea about quittin’ [...] ’cause you’re gonna drop it right now.
1976		N. Thornburg Cutter and Bone (2001) 30: No one here’s going to report anything. No chance. So drop it.
1986		H. Selby Jr Song of the Silent Snow (1988) 79: Im tellin ya Mike ta drop it. Just drop it, okay?
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 52: Not a word. Let’s just fuckin’ drop it.
2002		D. Shaw ‘Dead Beard’ at www.asstr.org 🌐 Drop the ham shank routine, you were born in Stockton Road, not the States.
2018		W. Kramer Hard Stuff 126: Normally this would have generated a strong-arm response, but I was so happy with our performance that I dropped it.
2023		A. Nette Orphan Road 73: ‘You going to have to drop that shit [i.e. nitrous oxide], mate, you want to hang with me’.

3. to quit, to turn aside, e.g. on a road.

1859, 1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1861		J. Hollingshead Ragged London 27: ‘He’s brought up a heavy family,’ said the old woman, ‘and never asked nobody for anything, until the frost bit him, and now he’s dropped from his eating.’.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1877		J. Diprose London Life 80: Oh, I drop the main toper (get out of the high road).
1953		W. Eyster Far from the Customary Skies 112: Oklahoma bet the limit, four chips. Might as well chase ’em out as have ’em drop on me. Think I’ll quit after this hand.

4. to evade.

1942		R. Chandler High Window 185: Eddie tailed you downtown to a street on Bunker Hill where you met a blond guy in a brown suit. [...] Eddie dropped you and tailed the guy.
1988		J. Healy Grass Arena (1990) 106: Two big male nurses tried to overpower me. I managed to drop one with a kick ... ran upstairs.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

drop-case (n.)

(US) a fool.

1972

D. Jenkins Semi-Tough 89: Every time I’m introduced to somebody who’s supposed to know all about television or politics or Wall Street, he’s a goddamn drop case.

drop cove (n.)

see under drop game n.

drop game (n.)

see separate entry.

drophead (n.)

(N.Z.) a fool.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

drop house (n.)

(US) an apartment used by Mexican people smugglers who install new arrivals there until all transportation debts are paid.

2004		Urban Dict. 2 Apr. 🌐 When coyotes smuggle illegal mexicans across the border, they cram about 50 of them into small 1-bedroom apartments, called drop houses.
2012		M. MacLean ‘Just Like Maria’ in ThugLit Oct. [ebook] ‘You’ll stay at a drop house. I won’t lock you up, and I won’t watch you all day long’.

drop-in (n.) [the image of a gullible victim who may sometimes drop in to a confidence game without having to be steered there first] (US)

1. something that is easy; easy money.

1938		D. Runyon ‘Lonely Heart’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 487: This is about as soft a drop-in as anybody can wish.
1940		D. Maurer Big Con 295: drop-in Something which is easy; easy money. So-called because a fat mark may sometimes ‘drop in’ to a confidence game without being steered.
1987		W.T. Vollmann You Bright and Risen Angels (1988) 314: This one’s a guaranteed drop-in.

2. a victim, a sucker.

1935

A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 34/1: Drop, in, a boob or easy mark vho participates in a gambling game.

drop-shoulder (n.) [the contorted form of Dr Frankenstein’s deformed assistant Igor]

(N.Z.) a fool.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 68: drop shoulder Idiot.

drop trick (n.)

1. (US Und.) a form of robbery whereby the thief enters a bank, distracts the attention of a customer who is counting their money by claiming they have dropped a bill, then grabs the pile that is being counted and runs off.

1885		Richmond Dispatch (VA) 10 Jan. 4/3: The old game of the bank robbery ‘drop trick’ was operated successfully here today [...] A young man tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘Excuse me, but you dropped a bill.’ Wright stooped to pick up a two-dollar bill [and] the young man grabbed the $794 and darted out of the bank.
1895		Stark Co. Democrat 25 Apr. 6/2: Joe tries the drop trick with him [...] ‘Beg pardon,’ says Joe, ’but you’ve dropped some money.’ [...] Of course the man stoops to get it. When he straightens up the $4,000 he’d been counting is gone.

2. see drop game n. (1)

In phrases

drop... (v.)

see also under relevant n.

drop a hand in (v.)

see drop hand

drop a net on (v.) (also drop the net on)

(US) to commit to a psychiatric institution.

1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 62/2: Drop the net on. (P) (Usually in grim humor) To commit to an institution for criminally insane or mentally defective delinquents; to place in an observation cell.
2000		M. Applewater Finding My Way Ch. 2 🌐 ‘I wonder if this is the first sign of insanity.’ I said aloud. ‘Maybe. Yes. No. Stop it! Get dressed Stephanie before those nice men in white coats come and drop a net on you.’.
2009		W.C. Allen Half Asleep in the Buddha Hall 111: When you notice yourself tightening, say (to yourself, so they don't drop a net on you...) ‘Caught tail!’ .

drop a spanner (v.)

(S.Afr. gay) to indicate that one is a lesbian.

2003

K. Cage Gayle 67/2: drop a spanner v. give a subtle signal that one is a lesbian [Western Cape, 1950s].

drop away (v.)

to give, lose or part with something, usu. money.

1658		Mennis & Smith ‘The Same to the Same’ Wit Restor’d (1817) 124: When my Bettie dropp’s away (That fourteen yeares hath been my Toy) Some one Il’e marrie that’s thy Neece / And Livings have with Bellie-peece.
1676		Wycherley Plain-Dealer III i: After a tedious fretting and wrangling, they drop away all their money on both sides.

drop blue lights (v.)

to swear, to use obscenities.

1966

B. Reckord Skyvers I ii: cragge: What’s swearin’ got to do with football? brook: The old boy can’t play a bloke who’ll go into decent people’s pavilion’s droppin’ blue lights can he?

drop-dead

see separate entries.

drop down on (v.)

to visit.

1885

‘High School Sl.’ in N.Y. Dispatch 31 May 7: Say can’t you drop down on me to-night up at the house?

drop down on oneself (v.)

see under down adv.¹

drop ’em (v.) [’em are her knickers]

of a woman, to have sexual intercourse.

1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 54: Get them to drop theirs first.
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 344/1: since mid-C.20.

drop foot (v.)

(W.I., Jam.) to dance energetically.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

drop hairpins (v.)

see separate entry.

drop hand (v.) (also drop a hand in)

(W.I.) to hit with the clenched fist.

1996

Allsopp Dict. Carib. Eng. Usage.

drop into (v.) [the whip or fist is dropped into the victim]

1. to beat, to thrash.

1853		Dickens Bleak House (1991) 353: He’s welcome to drop into me, right and left, if he likes.
1863		T. Taylor Ticket-Of-Leave Man Act IV: I had an awful go in of it last night at the balls, and dropped into a lot of ’em like a three-year-old.
1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1877		J. Greenwood Dick Temple III 5: It would been worth half the money [...] to have dropped into one or two of ’em.
1884		Punch 10 May 217 col. 2: If I ever drop into tune, I deserve to be dropped into by the critics afterwards.

2. of a man, to have sexual intercourse.

1909

G.R. Bacchus Maudie 66: Some Spanish Armada prisoner who had dropped his lovestick in a Northumberland wench.

drop it (v.)

1. (W.I.) to display street style.

1995

Francis-Jackson Official Dancehall Dict. 16: Drop-it to affect a street attitude in clothes, mannerisms, walk, and speech etc., those who have perfected this style are said to ‘drop-it’: u. de yout’ a drop it.

2. see drop one’s load under load n.

drop it across (v.)

to reject someone.

1916

T. Burke Limehouse Nights 106: Fancy thinking I’d take him on! [...] I pretty quick dropped it across him, you bet.

drop it down (v.)

(US black) to conduct an adulterous relationship; to have sex outside one’s marriage.

1942

‘Digg Mee’ ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 24 Jan. 9/6: I observed at a villa in our town, a married woman with another, a-dropping it down.

drop lucky (v.)

see drop lucky under lucky adj.

drop-nuts (n.) [‘Suggests that the segregated inmate has 'dropped his nuts', i.e. lost his courage’ Looser 2001]

(N.Z. prison) an inmate who has opted for segregation from the main prison wings.

2001

D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 62/1: drop-nuts n. an inmate on segregation.

drop off (v.)

see separate entries.

drop on (v.)

1. to accuse, to rebuke.

1855		Life in Boston & N.Y. (Boston, MA) 14 Apr. n.p.: The landlady soon ‘dropped on’ her and she was compelled to leave.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1909		Wodehouse Mike [ebook] ‘He’s never been dropped on yet, but if you go on breaking rules you’re bound to be sooner or later’.
1933		F.A. Waterhouse Five Sous a Day 86: Don’t even hint at having got any information from légionnaires, or else they’re sure to drop on me as a traitor .
1981		(con. c.1910) A. Harding in Samuel East End Und. 80: You kept changing partners in the coining line, because if you got off and the others were ‘done’, people would think you had ‘dropped’ on them (i.e. squealed).

2. to encounter.

1879		‘’Arry on the Road’ in Punch 9 Aug. 83/1: Our Whip, though a little bit stout, / Was as clever a card as you’d drop on.
1900		Truth (Sydney) 15 July 8/2: I drops on some queer things some time.
1939		F.A. Waterhouse Sands of Destint 180: ‘Beginner’s luck, eh?’ ‘Call it what you like, but I dropped on a fortune that day ’.

3. (US police) to concoct evidence, e.g. by planting a gun.

2020

Woods & Soderburg I Got a Monster 224: ‘[I]t’s easy to put the BB gun down as if they had a handgun,’ he confirmed the horror stories [...] that had been circling the streets for decades—police really did drop guns on people.

drop one (v.)

1. (Aus.) to break wind.

1999

G. Seal Lingo 88: Flatulence – farting – is well represented, too. Various terms are used for the act itself, including [...] dropping one, dropping your guts, letting off a breezer, among others even more vulgar.

2. see drop one’s load under load n.

drop one’s bait-can (v.) [the most serious mistake an angler can make is to drop his bait-can]

(US black) to make a serious mistake.

1893

H.A. Shands Speech in Mississippi 27: Dropped his bait-can [...] A negro expression meaning made a mistake.

drop one’s candy (v.)

(US) to make a serious mistake.

1908		L.W. Payne Jr ‘Word-List From East Alabama’ in DN III:iv 307: drop one’s candy, v. phr. To make a big blunder, do something to cause the failure of a plan.
1939		T.J. Farr ‘The Language of the Tennessee Mountain Regions’ in AS XIV:2 90: dropped his candy. Defeat or loss of prestige.

drop one’s cock and grab one’s socks (v.)

see hands off (your) cocks, feet in (your) socks under hand n.¹

drop one’s drawers (v.)

1. of a woman, to allow intercourse; to lead a promiscuous sex life; also trans.

1967		(con. 1940s) M. Dibner Admiral (1968) 345: A prostitute? Running around dropping my drawers for a fee?
1975		E. Torres Carlito’s Way 10: If a broad dropped her drawers, right away she lost her rating.
1985		P. Spielberg Crash-landing 181: She dropped her drawers as casually as if she were accepting an invitation to dance!
1992		UGK ‘Cocaine in the Back of the Ride’ 🎵 They droppin them drawers because I move they cocaine in.
2000		WorldSoccerNews.com 26 June 🌐 I watch old Fabian play and immediately understand why the Princess of Monaco dropped her drawers so fast for him. He’s a soccer studmuffin.
2002		S. Lukac But Then Again 178: I’ve dropped her drawers and rooted through her naughty bits more times than I can count.
2012		M.W. Carey Playing the Fools 329: Little Barbie always dropped her drawers for you every time you touched her.

2. to react with extreme emotion.

1979

A.J. Kelly There’s a Goddamn Bullet for Everyone 113: The madam returned and almost dropped her drawers when she found them there.

drop one’s ears (v.) [equine imagery]

to give up, to be discouraged.

1841

D. Boucicault London Assurance Act III: I always like to be in at the death. Never drop your ears. Bless you, she is only a little fresh. Give her her head and she will outrun herself.

drop one’s lunch (v.)

see lose (one’s) lunch under lose v.

drop one’s ovaries (v.) (S.Afr. camp gay)

1. to be completely in love with someone.

2003

K. Cage Gayle 67/2: drop one’s ovaries v. 1. be besotted by a particular man 2. get a fright (usually at the sight of a policeman).

2. to have a shock or fright.

2003

K. Cage Gayle 67/2: drop one’s ovaries v. 1. be besotted by a particular man 2. get a fright (usually at the sight of a policeman).

drop one’s sash (v.)

to wink.

1824

Annals of Sporting 1 Feb. 90: Tom Whipcord [...] cocked his rein angle,* dropped his sash† under his broad tile [etc.] notes *The elbow of the whip-hand. † Winked his eye.

drop on oneself (v.)

(US) to look out, to restrain oneself (so as to avoid punishment).

1876

St Louis Globe-Democrat 19 Jan. n.p.: One drinks [sic] the ‘bloody sucker’ ought to ‘drop on hisself’.

drop onto/upon (v.) [the image of a bird of prey plummeting onto a victim]

1. to become aware of.

1877		Five Years’ Penal Servitude 258: Do the police ever drop upon the parties and frustrate their plans?
1887		Lantern (N.O.) 17 Sept. 2: The boys [...] ain’t never dropped onto the way of Ed Vaz.
1892		‘Mark Twain’ Amer. Claimant 182: How did you happen to drop on to that idea in this curious fashion? [DA].

2. to accuse, to turn on someone suddenly.

1857		‘Ducange Anglicus’ Vulgar Tongue 12: dropped on to To suddenly surprise with an accusation of any kind. Gen.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 207: She never dropped onto me, somehow. Perhaps she thought she’d get as good as she gave.

drop out

see separate entries.

dropped in the bucket (adj.)

see under bucket n.

drop someone in it (v.) (also drop someone in the crap, ...the shit) [it is trouble, but the implication is also of excrement]

to put someone deliberately into difficulties.

1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 164: God knew how much he had dropped her in it.
1965		E. Bond Saved Scene vii: Drop me right in it!
1966		(con. 1954) J. McGrath Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun 15: Let’s drop the bastard in it.
1971		A. Buzo The Roy Murphy Show (1973) 124: Ar shuddup! You’re always trying to drop me in the crap.
1974		G.F. Newman You Flash Bastard 165: Whereas in the ranks you supposedly didn’t care about the result in court – it wasn’t your worry, unless the felon got a result through a complaint which subsequently dropped you in it – once elevated to the hierarchy you did automatically. [Ibid.] 266: A lot of detectives might just have dropped you in the shit without even giving you half a chance.
1989		in G. Tremlett Little Legs 108: A naughty policeman dropped ‘em in it with the Inland Revenue.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 66: He’d drop ye in it in a minute if it suited him.
2000		S. Maloney Big Ask 137: ‘Sorry if I dropped you in the shit,’ I said.
2015		L. McInerney Glorious Heresies 206: ‘Why would I drop you in it on the day Ryan’s home from prison?’.

In phrases

drop the arm on (v.) [the physical action + the fig. SE arm of the law]

(US) to arrest.

1958

R. Chandler Playback 50: They can drop the arm on you for shacking up.

drop the boom (on) (v.)

see lower the boom (on) under lower v.

drop the bucket (v.)

(Aus.) to fail to keep a promise, usu. of buying liquor for a third party.

1942		Teleg. (Brisbane) 15 Dec. 2/3: This practice of obtaining money from visitors on the pretext of purchasing sly grog for them is very prevalent. It is commonly known as ‘dropping the bucket’.
1944		Truth (Brisbane) 31 Dec. 15/3: ‘Dropping the bucket,’ to the initiated, simply means promising to get a bottle of something for somebody and then, after the cash hand-over, scramming.
1959		Baker Drum.

drop the bucket on (v.) (also tip the bucket on)

(Aus.) to make damaging revelations about, esp. in a political context; thus bucket-tipping n.

1933		Sun (Sydney) 27 July 15/7: His attack has created a sensation at the Trades Hall, and Mr. Evans said to-day that attempts were being made in certain official quarters to ‘drop the bucket’ on him.
1950		S.J. Baker in Sun. Herald (Sydney) 8 June 9/2: Then there’s [...] ‘drop the bucket,’ to put the entire blame for an offence on someone else.
1972		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 May 17/3: In the golden days of bucket tipping it was the DLP who were expected to do most of the dirty work.
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 7: Publishers have been putting the hard word on me for yonks to spill the beans, tell it like it is and tip the bucket.
1988		B. Humphries Complete Barry McKenzie v: A long-haired Melbourne ex-pat [...] who was already on our blacklist for tipping the bucket on his superlative homeland.
1991		M.B. ‘Chopper’ Read Chopper From The Inside 154: There will be a lot of top notch crews who will be furious that I have tipped the bucket on this old but secret trick.
1993		Smith & Noble Neddy (1998) 205: The next day I fronted with [a solicitor and barrister] at the internal affairs branch and dropped the bucket on [the copper]. I told them exactly what he was planning to do about loading me up.
2004		ABC (Aus.) 11 Dec. 🌐 I mean, look, I’m not going to tip the bucket on anyone.
2005		Aus. Transport News 8 Apr. 🌐 [headine] 60 Minutes to drop the bucket on trucking.

drop the gate (v.)

to refuse co-operation.

2023

(con. 1962) J. Ellroy Enchanters 140: The squad boss [...] dropped the gate. I will not share information. You cannot see the file.

drop the gloves on (v.) [ice hockey imagery]

(US) to attack.

2024

L.A. Times 2 Apr. 🌐 [I]f somebody dropped the gloves on your friend, you dropped the gloves. You didn’t think about who’s right, who’s wrong, you just did it.

drop the hairpin (v.)

see drop (one’s) hairpins v.

drop the hook on (v.)

to become involved with, to take advantage of.

1939

R. Chandler Big Sleep 127: I hoped that the next grifter who dropped the hook on her would play her a little more smoothly.

drop the net on (v.)

see drop a net on

drop the pill on (v.) [the gas is triggered by breaking open a pill of cyanide]

(US Und.) to execute in the gas chamber.

1990

S. Morgan Homeboy 48: ‘They just might drop the pill on you.’ Joe knew he meant the gas chamber.

drop the rag (v.) [rag n.¹ (2a); the dropping of a flag to signal the start]

(US) to give a signal, to set events in motion.

2002

Team Racin.com 4 Feb. 🌐 Drop the rag and let’s get to Daytona – God I love racin’. As Daytona looms ever closer, I’m getting those same ol’ reliable feelings I get this time of year. Excitement, anticipation – like a kid on Christmas Eve who can’t wait for Christmas day.

drop the soap (v.)

see separate entry.

drop trou (v.) [a supposedly more sophisticated version of moon v. (2)] (US campus)

1. (also down trou) to drop one’s trousers (in public).

1969		L. Handel College Confidential 94: The big deal about being a brother is that you're now entitled to pay full-fledged dues, drop trou at fraternity parties along with the other brothers.
1970		(con. 1950s) H. Junker ‘The Fifties’ in Eisen Age of Rock 2 (1970) 101: Certain college studs [...] displayed their naked asses to passersby, an act variously called dropping trou, mooning.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 39/1: down trou male (usually) party trick of standing on the table and dropping trousers.
1988		D. Woodrell Muscle for the Wing 10: I think we should make ’em drop trou.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].
2006		at www.swarthmore.edu 🌐 Our boxers want attention. [...] Slip on a pair and you may spend the day fighting the urge to drop trou at the office and give everyone the benefit of that little hula routine you cooked up last New Year’s.
2013		J. Stahl Happy Mutant Baby Pills 18: [This] does not happen when Gramps drops trou and Grandma [...] sticks in the insulin.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 333: LeFer backed in and dropped trou before the door closed.
2021		‘Aidan Truhen’ Seven Demons 118: ‘[Y]ou guys fuck off [...] while I drop trou’.

2. in fig. use, to be amazed, astonished.

1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 109: Drop trou Astonished.
1968		Current Sl. III:1 6: Drop trou, v. To denote surprise.

3. to urinate.

1992

Eble Campus Sl. Apr. 3: drop trou – urinate. ‘Stop at the next rest area cause I need to drop trou.’.

drop up (v.)

to visit.

1947		N. Algren Neon Wilderness (1986) 42: It used t’ be, last spring, some Joe guy’d drop up every night.
1951		J.D. Salinger Catcher in the Rye (1958) 69: I’d love to have you drop up for a cocktail, but my room-mate happens to be ill.

drop upon (v.)

to treat badly, to victimize.

1895

‘’Arry on Derby Day’ in Punch 1 June 258/1: Wy should I suffer along of it? Wy must he drop upon me.

In exclamations

drop dead!

see separate entry.

drop it!

change the subject! stop talking that way! stop what you are doing!

1855		Proc. Old Bailey 26 Feb. 536: I had gone up to make peace between them—he and M’Carthy did not fight, but they were collaring each other—I told them to drop it [...] I said, ‘For God's sake drop it, you will get into trouble’.
1859		Dickens (1970) Tale of Two Cities 189: You might as well flop as meditate. You may as well go again me one way as another. Drop it altogether.
1873		Sl. Dict. 151: Drop it synonymous with ‘cut it’ or ‘cheese it.’ Probably from the signal given in the good old hanging days by the culprit, who used generally to drop a handkerchief when he was ready for the cart to be moved from under him.
a.1880		‘Polly Perkins’ in Henderson Victorian Street Ballads (1937) 65: When I asked her to marry me she said Oh! what stuff, / And told me to drop it, for she had quite enough.
1893		H. Lawson ‘Macquarie’s Mate’ in Roderick (1972) 121: Don’t you — don’t you talk about him! Drop it, I say! drop it!
1898		W. Pett Ridge Mord Em’ly 55: ‘Drop it, then,’ commanded Mord Em’ly.
1902		Ade Forty Modern Fables 203: [He] was getting Chummy with the Night Clerk when Elvira told him to Drop it.
1908		Gem 17 Oct. 16: I’ve had about enough of it, you know. Drop it!
1915		‘Ian Hay’ First Hundred Thousand (1918) vii: But yesterday, we said farewell / To plough; to pit; to dock; to mill. / For glory? Drop it!
1926		S. O’Casey Plough and the Stars Act I: For God’s sake, Fluther, dhrop it.
1939		K. Tennant Foveaux 197: Let’s drop it. Finished. Nothing doing, little lady.
1946		K. Fearing Big Clock (2002) 158: ‘Drop it,’ I said. ‘The assignment is killed.’.
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act I: Drop it, Mac. He didn’t mean no harm.
1960		(con. 1947) A. Wesker I’m Talking About Jerusalem I ii: Let’s drop it Dave – I think Libby’s had enough.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 239: Let’s drop it [...] I’ve got a question to ask.
1984		‘Derek Raymond’ He Died with His Eyes Open 62: Ah, drop it, Car.

drop off!

see separate entry.

drop v.1

SE in slang uses

In compounds

In phrases

In phrases

In exclamations

drop v.¹