Drop By The Wayside for Dummies

Hey there! So, you're looking to understand the phrase "drop by the wayside," huh? Well, don't worry, I'm here to help! This expression often pops up in conversations or even in books, and I can understand how it might sound a bit confusing at first. But fear not, because I'll do my best to explain it in the simplest way possible.

Imagine you're walking along a road, and there are all these different paths and turns you can take. Now, sometimes, as you're walking, you might notice something interesting off to the side. Maybe it's a beautiful flower or a shiny pebble. And since you're curious, you decide to leave the main road and walk towards that interesting thing. But as you do, you start to realize that the shiny pebble isn't as exciting as you thought, or maybe the flower isn't blooming anymore. So, what do you do?

Well, in that situation, you might just decide to leave that pebble or flower behind and go back to the main road. You kind of forget about it and continue on your way. And that, my friend, is what it means when someone or something "drops by the wayside." It's like when you or something else gets left behind or forgotten about.

But wait, there's more! "Drop by the wayside" can also mean that someone or something didn't succeed or achieve what they set out to do. It's like if you were in a race, and you started off strong, but then got tired or encountered obstacles along the way. Eventually, you might not be able to keep up with the others, and slowly, you drop back and don't finish the race.

So, to sum it up, when we say "drop by the wayside," it means either leaving something or someone behind or not being able to complete a task or reach a goal. It's kind of like taking a detour from the main path or falling behind in a race. I hope that makes sense to you, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Learning new things can sometimes be a bit tricky, but we'll get there together!