Would you like to tell someone that you would like to hear from them, but with a casual slant? The phrase 'drop me a line' is a common saying that can be used to mean just this – and it's a common saying in the English language. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and common use of the saying.
Meaning
The phrase 'drop me a line' is a common figurative saying in the English language.
'Drop me a line' is a phrase that is used to say that one speaker desires that the other person should contact them, or get in touch with them at some point in the near future.
The phrase 'drop me a line' does not imply a time in which the second speaker should contact the first, but it can be further implied that it is soon.
The saying 'drop me a line' is commonly used to refer to phone calls, though can be used to refer to almost any form of communciation in modern times.
Someone can also use the phrase in the past tense, to say that someone has 'dropped them a line' or gotten in contact.
The phrase 'hasn't dropped me a line' is the most common denial form of the phrase, and it implies that one person has not been in contact with another.
Example Usage
“Hey, if you want some more of that great purple powder we had at the party last weekend let me know and I can drop the guy a line.”
“Drop me a line if you want to hang out with us next week. It's a great party, especially when my friend Dave brings some brownies.”
“Drop us a line if you want to know more. I think Dave has my number, so you can just get it from him.”
“Someone should drop the pizza guy a line and find out where he is with our order. I'd rather not wait another minute.”
Origin
According to most popular language resources, the phrase 'drop me a line' is likely to have come from somewhere in the mid-1700s – although most resources also raise the idea that the phrase might have originated from earlier than this.
Documented use of the phrase can be found in the 1700s to 1800s, where the phrase originally referred to one party contacting another one via a letter.
Use of the phrase would continue throughout the 21st century, though the phrase would evolve to include other forms of contact – first phone calls, and then other electronic forms of contact as these became available and more common.
Urban Dictionary lists the phrase in 2008, even though much earlier use of the saying is known and documented.
Phrases Similar to Drop Me A Line
- Get in touch
Phrases Opposite to Drop Me A Line
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- Drop me a line
Ways People May Say Drop Me A Line Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the phrase 'drop me a line' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the phrase when it is used.
The phrase is common in the English language, and it's not commonly translated as a direct saying into other languages.
It can be possible for someone to confuse the phrase with the common saying 'hold the line' that does not have the same meaning, but means to be patient.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Drop Me A Line
The phrase 'drop me a line' is used to mean contacting someone, though most commonly refers to phone calls or other electronic forms of communication.
Most common use of the phrase 'drop me a line' is used to mean that someone should (or has) gotten in contact with another.