1
general::
Phrase(s): drop dead
1. to die suddenly. • I understand that Tom Anderson dropped dead at his desk yesterday. • No one knows why Uncle Bob suddenly dropped dead. 2. Go away and stop bothering me. (Usually Drop dead!) • If you think I’m going to put up with your rudeness all afternoon, you can just drop dead! • Drop dead! I’m not your slave!
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
An expression of anger, rejection, or indignation toward someone. For example, I should do all that work for you? Drop dead! This rude imperative is usually hyperbolic, that is, the speaker is not literally asking someone to die on the spot. [c. 1930] Curiously, the adjective (and adverb) drop-dead is not at all insulting. Rather, it means "dazzling" or "awe-inspiring," as in She wore a drop-dead outfit that all the other women admired. This usage originated in slangy journalism in the 1960s.
American Heritage Idioms