Dictionary

a short drop and a sudden stop en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ə ˌʃɔɹʔ ˈdɹɒp ən ə ˌsʌdn̩ ˈstɒp] (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Australia) audio
• ə shôrtʹ drŏpʹ ən(d)ə sŭdʹən stŏpʹ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Popular due to the internal rhyme of drop with stop.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) A fall to one's death by hanging.
   • I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves: A short drop and a sudden stop. 2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl:
   • If you were lucky enough to survive all this lunacy, you always risked capture. There your story would end with a quick drop and a sudden stop, for piracy was punishable by hanging. 2006 Hirchak, John Hirchak. Ghosts of Old Wilmington, page 27 (The History Press; →ISBN)
   • I see, in other words, a short drop and then a sudden stop? 1923, Austin B Griffin, Reports of Cases Heard and Determined in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, volume 203, page 885:
   • > But, yeah, the death penalty is a little stiff just for pretentious writing. > Punning now… it’d be a capital idea, there. Let’s not start _that_ row. Give it a quick drop and a sudden stop, rather than letting them hang… 2005 January 8, “Bookman”, alt.fan.heinlein (Google group): Clarke Survives Tsunamis

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