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[[quoteright:228:[[Webcomic/BugMartini https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/drop_3.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:228:Good thing he wasn't holding the baby.]]

Dramatic Drop is kind of a step-sib to DroppedGlasses and SlowMotionDrop. Something very startling or utterly shocking is announced or discovered -- and the person encountering the shock literally drops what they're holding in astonishment. It most often falls [[SlowMotionDrop ...and falls...]] and [[DramaticShattering shatters at their feet]] -- an aural punctuation mark to the bewildering announcement.

It usually occurs in specific situations:
* The person is given shocking or bad news, or sees someone unexpected come into the room, and they drop what they're holding, so it falls to the floor, and breaks.
* The person was doing something and is in trouble.
** The person was minding their own business when the bad guy comes and yanks them out of their day. What they were doing falls to the ground, broken or otherwise ruined.
** In examples played for comedy, characters may drop things they're holding [[HeadTurningBeauty if an attractive character comes their way]].
** If a younger character does something [[FromTheMouthsOfBabes or says something]] outrageous or rude, you can expect this trope to be played out by their parents or people nearby.
** The person was minding their own business, and fell ill or succumbed to some injury or illness they were previously unaware of. What they were doing gets dropped. In particular, seizures, heart attacks, catatonia due to major emotional trauma (or HeroicBSOD), etc., are frequently announced by dropping crockery.
** The person ''dies''.
* The person drops something in order to make a [[DishDash mad dash]] to save something more important/valuable.
* The person is suddenly the victim of MindControl and turns immediately to the task they've been commanded to do.

This is a very commonly used trope. It used to happen quite frequently with telephone receivers left dangling when someone gets shocking news, but the advent of cordless and cellphones has caused that usage to fall out of favor and usage. Used comedically in parodies of the ending of ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''.

See also JawDrop, BowelBreakingBricks, DramaticShattering, DramaticSitDown, PoisonedDrinkDrop, SpitTake, TheComedyDrop, and StoppedDeadInTheirTracks. Not to be confused with MicDrop. Sometimes subverted with a DesperateObjectCatch.

----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Advertising]]
* A British PSA about how to recognise the symptoms of a stroke includes the on-screen victim losing control of one arm and dropping her mug of coffee.
%%* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUok2JztwNo This PSA]] against texting and driving. (Administrivia/WeblinksAreNotExamples)
* An industrial spy is telling the CEO of a car manufacturing company about all the features in the latest car a rival company has built.
-->'''CEO:''' [[ThisCannotBe Who can do all that?]]\\
'''Spy:''' Daihatsu. ''[CEO drops his coffee cup, which [[DramaticShattering shatters on the floor]]]'' That's who.
* When the mother in a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S4UcU7iNGE British Child Safety PIF]] sees her son Mark running into the road, she drops the eggs she was holding.
* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f29mh5ntlw4 one New Zealand internet safety PSA]], a young teenager drops his bowl of cereal when two naked porn stars show up on his doorstep to discuss the nature of real world relationships.
* In the ''Advertising/LongLongMan'' series of advertisements for the Japanese candy brand Sakeru Gummy, Chi drops her things this way constantly, especially in the presence of Long Long Man.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In the seventh chapter of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' (animated in the third episode of the anime), Moe is carrying a box of cream puffs to Mira's room, and sees [[MistakenForFlirting what looks like to be her crush Misa seducing Ao]]. Moe drops the box on the floor out of shock. This is all PlayedForLaughs.
* In one of the picture dramas of ''Anime/CodeGeass'', Nunnally is holding half of her mother's commemorative plate (she had an argument with Lelouch over whether Euphemia would give it to her when it got cracked in half and Euphemia gave one half to her) while listening to the news about Euphemia starting the Specially Administered Zone. When the news gets cut off [[spoiler:as the massacre begins]], Nunnally drops the plate.
* Hilariously {{invoked|Trope}} on ''Manga/CrayonShinChan'' when Misae tells his son some ''shocking'' news (not really, but Shin-chan is quite the drama queen) and he actually ''goes to the kitchen to fetch some cookies in order to drop them'' after he makes his mother repeat what she just said.
* In the ''Anime/DGrayMan'' episode "The Black Order Annihilation Incident", both Lenalee and Alan drop their trays full of coffee during their encounter with Komui's robot.
* ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'': A woman drops her shopping onto the floor on seeing her baby hanging on the rail of a balcony.
* In ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', Mr. Popo drops his watering can in shock when he sees Kami returning to life.
* ''Anime/TheFantasticAdventuresOfUnico'' features a variant, in that Katy drops the bucket she was carrying to fetch water ''after'' the Baron D'Ghost invites her to his castle, and then only after he leaves.
* Used at least twice in ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'':
** Edward drops a basket of vegetables when he sees his sick mother collapsed on the floor.
** Hughes's wife drops a tea set when she goes into labor.
* A heartbreaking example occurs in ''Manga/FushigiYuugi''. [[spoiler:Just before Miaka and her Seishi leave for Hokkan, Tamahome pays a visit to his family with Miaka and Nuriko. He buys them a few gifts before heading to their home, but when he opens the door to their house, he is horrified to see that his entire family had been murdered. The ball he had bought for Yuiren rolls right out of his hands and bounces on the floor before reaching her barely-alive fingertips.]]
* In ''Anime/GirlsUndPanzer'', this happens twice:
** Darjeeling drops her teacup, breaking a pre-fight promise, when Oarai manages to put pressure on her.
** Mako drops her cell phone after receiving a call informing her that [[spoiler:her grandmother has collapsed and been hospitalized]].
* ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'': In the first episode, Reki drops her box of art supplies when she finds Rakka's cocoon. Later on, Rakka herself drops a teapot when she's feeling faint.
* ''Anime/HenkeiShoujo'': Hiromi drops her car keys upon seeing Rin ''drinking gas directly from the pump'' (which was adding gas to Hiromi's car, to boot).
* Inverted in the anime adaptation of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' where Shirogane "drops" a balloon [[spoiler:when Kaguya pulls him in for their FirstKiss]]. The balloon proceeds to float upwards and [[spoiler:[[KissingDiscretionShot block the view of their lips connecting]] from the audience (and Karen), which hides the fact that Kaguya went for a french kiss.]]
%%* Done in a blatant fashion in ''Manga/KashimashiGirlMeetsGirl'', when Tomari catches Hazumu and Yasuna kissing, which in turn makes her realize her own feelings for Hazumu. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what does she drop?)
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** In ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'', [[DarkMagicalGirl Fate Testarossa]] drops her intelligent device Bardiche when she discovers [[CloneAngst the truth about her past]]. Quite the TearJerker moment.
** In ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'', Shamal is preparing a bento when she gets a message on her cell phone from Suzuka about wanting to visit the hospitalized Hayate with some friends. Shamal's initially pleased to hear this, but when she recognizes Nanoha and Fate (who she fears will expose Hayate as her mistress) in the attached picture, she becomes shocked and drops her chopsticks.
* In ''Literature/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit'', Shuga, who was the tutor of a young prince, receives a message that the boy is dead. He reads it and wordlessly drops several probably valuable books. The scene has some impact as he's normally very composed and circumspect.
* In the ''Manga/MyOtome'' manga, Erstin drops her tray upon learning that she will have to move out of Nina's room to accommodate Mashiro.
* In ''Literature/OniAi'', when Anastasia tells Akito that she is in love with him, Akiko drops some of her food. When Anastasia states she wants to be Akito's girlfriend, Akiko drops her entire bento.
* In ''Anime/PokemonHeroes'', when the team is just about to leave the island, Bianca (or Latias, it is never made clear) kisses Ash on the cheek. It seems to be so shocking that Misty drops her Togepi.
* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Kasumi sees Akane's CloseCallHaircut and drops what she was cooking in shock. Ranma, not one to waste food, manages to save dinner.
* In ''Anime/SherlockHound'', Mrs. Hudson is chloroformed and kidnapped by Moriarty, and as she loses consciousness she drops the flowerpot she's carrying.
* ''Manga/SnowWhiteWithTheRedHair'': Lord Tohz jumps up and knocks tumbler of booze he was just drinking from to the floor when he realizes that the younger Bergatt brothers have infiltrated his manor, subdued and killed all his guards and know he's been ploting with their elder brother against them.
* ''Anime/SwordArtOnline'': During [[BigBad Kayaba]]'s announcement of SAO's [[TheMostDangerousVideoGame avatar death = player death]] function early on, every player receives a "Mirror" item that converts their avatar to reflect their real appearance. Some characters are still holding the item when he signs off with what is basically an AGodAmI announcement; [[EarlyBirdCameo Silica]] dropping hers and screaming is what turns the crowd into a furious/panicking horde.
* In a flashback from the second ''Manga/TokyoBabylon'' OAV, a woman drops her shopping bags in horror when she enters her house and sees that [[spoiler:her CreepyChild eldest son (the BigBad of the story) has accidentally strangled his little sister to death]]. Even worse, [[spoiler:the boy [[AndCallHimGeorge doesn't seem to realize what happened]], and when he notices his mother, he happily and obliviously goes to her]]...
* In ''Anime/YourName'', Mitsuha drops the ''tamago'' she was about to eat after she is told that Taki in her body had kicked over a table the previous day.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In episode 2 of ''Mighty Little Defenders'', Wolffy is transformed into a dog. He walks on all fours and holds a painting in his mouth. When he's transformed back into a wolf, he continues walking on all fours until he realizes what he's doing and he drops the painting out of his mouth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'': Fittingly enough, Renee Montoya drops her pack of cigarettes when she learns that her mentor [[ComicBook/TheQuestion Vic Sage]] is dying of lung cancer.
-->'''Renee:''' When did you quit [smoking]?\\
'''Vic:''' Not soon enough.
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': Alfred drops his tray of tea when he sees that [[spoiler:Stephanie, aka The Spoiler]] is still alive. [[spoiler:Steph]] then {{Lampshades}} this by commenting that it's nice to see Alfred lose his cool British demeanor once in a while.
* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': When the death of Bart Allen is announced to [[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]] via cellphone, he drops the phone in shock. There's no dialogue on the page and if the audience hadn't known exactly what had been happening in Franchise/TheDCU of late you probably wouldn't realize why.
* ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'': Wong is about to serve a tray of tea to ComicBook/DoctorStrange, but he drops it on the floor when [[spoiler:ComicBook/{{Thanos}} wipes him out of existence by [[BadassFingerSnap using the eponymous gauntlet]] to kill half of the universe's population]].
* ''ComicBook/IronMan'''': In ''ComicBook/IronMan1968'' #182, Tony Stark is drinking a bottle of alcohol when his friend, Gretyl, announces that she's giving birth. Tony promptly drops the bottle to help her.
* ''ComicBook/LevelUp'': One of the angels drops the dish he's washing when Dennis makes a comment about maybe wanting to switch from gastroenterology to another medical field.
* ''ComicBook/SamuraiGrandpa'': Near the start of the book, [[TheProtagonist Ojichan]] has returned home with a box in his arm. He goes inside, looks into a room... and drops the box. The next panel shows his son Kyo lying on the floor mortally wounded, and Harumi crying over him.
* ''ComicBook/{{Silverblade}}'': In issue #4, Milestone is carrying Jonathan's breakfast tray upstairs when he is confronted by Brain Vane's ghost for the time. Milestone screams and drops the tray, which goes bouncing down the stairs.
* ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'': When the Ultimatum wave hits New York, Reed drops the ring that he was about to use to propose marriage to Sue.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In the ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TwoTwentyOneB'' ("Beat" and "Never Broken"), Watson comes back unexpectedly just in time to shoot a criminal threatening Holmes. Given that this is the first time he's killed a man outside of war and he did it unwillingly, the experience badly shocks him and he drops his revolver. Holmes, noting his fellow lodger's reaction, sits him on the couch and gets him a brandy.
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'':
** {{Subverted}} with Martin, who almost drops his camera from shock but manages to steady it with Mark's help during an up-close encounter with [[TranshumanAbomination Monster X]], stunned that the creature is capable of communication.
** [[spoiler:PlayedStraight by Nadezhda when she hears [[SuddenlySpeaking Lubyov]] talk about her baby]].
* In ''Fanfic/BackwardWithPurpose'', Snape drops his wand in shock when Dumbledore admits to having the Elder Wand. Several more revelations later, he states that he needs to sit down as well.
* In the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fanfiction ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/14800721/chapters/34243049 In The Black]]'', the first part of ''Fanfic/TheBlackSheepDogSeries'', Sirius drops his wand in shock when his father reveals that he never actually disowned Sirius after he ran away.
* ''Fanfic/HarryIsADragonAndThatsOk'': When Harry, on his first visit to Diagon Alley, asks Hagrid about whether Madam Malkin knows how to do robes for dragons, he hears a crashing sound, and turns around to see someone having dropped a glass beaker.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Heroes}}'', Kirk drops his load of branches to run after Spock when Spock disappears to regain his lost control.
* In ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'', Titus drops a pepper mill in his hand when Chloe shows off a silver tome with torn pages... because said book is ''his son'', whom he hasn't seen in years.
* ''Fanfic/KingdomHeartsPsiTheSeekerOfDarkness'': In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/25481830/chapters/61812535 Loose Ends]]'', Aqua goes to the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee to ask if they know anything about Zack Fair. When she mentions his name, Aerith drops a teapot and it shatters.
* In ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Left}}'', Frodo drops Sting as Shelob jabs him with her stinger.
* In ''Fanfic/MastermindStrategistForHire'', Inko drops a pan upon hearing the news of Mt. Lady's murder.
* [[WesternAnimation/RiseOfTheGuardians Bunnymond]] drops a basket of eggs in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8761010/1/Mistaken-Relations Mistaken Relations]]'' when [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Danny]] claims that Jack is his father (the fact that they both know someone named Jack F. is where the confusion comes from).
* In ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'', Inko drops a plate full of food when Izuku tells her that he overheard Tsubasa saying that he shouldn't have a Quirk or a Metagene.
* In a chapter of the ''Life During Wartime'', a canon sidestory of ''Fanfic/NeonMetathesisEvangelion'', Kaji lets his coffee cup drop when he learns from Kaworu that SEELE had purposefully caused Second Impact. [[DramaticShattering Naturally, the mug shatters upon hitting the ground.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'' fanfic ''Fanfic/OldWest'', [[SexySecretary Angelique]] drops her glass of water [[OhCrap out of shock]] when she's told that the BigBad is [[EvilUncle her uncle]] Dufayel.
* In ''Fanfic/OSMUFanfictionFriction'', Oswald has this reaction when he finds out that Oksana is his BlindDate, dropping the flowers he had hastily bought for Octavia, his intended date, in shock. Not that it matters, since Oksana doesn't take too kindly to his gift and calls it "plebian".
* In ''Fanfic/PastAndFuture'', Camilo is alerted that Santiago saw him threatening Leonardo in the form of Luisa when he hears the latter drop some of the wood he was holding.
* ''Fanfic/PastSins'': ''Glimpses'': "Displeasing Constants": When Nyx gets to ask a predictive spell a question for laughs, Twilight almost drops the camera she was carrying, in shock:
--> Nyx crinkled her nose, but resigned herself to her fate. “Okay, but then I want my question for the table to be… um… I want my question to be… what if you were married?”\\
“Married!?” Twilight almost dropped Nyx’s camera as her mind tried to process what she had just heard. “Where did this come from?”
* In ''Fanfic/QueenOfShadows'', Ikazuki drops his teacup after Ozeki [[spoiler:casts the deciding vote to make him the Acting Yojimbo]].
* ''Fanfic/TheSmeetSeries'': In Chapter 4 of ''Vindictive'', Dib drops his drink after Foxtrot manages to actually beat [[GamerChick Gaz]] at a video game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film — Animation]]
* Happens [[RuleOfThree thrice]] during the formal dance in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndHerSistersInAPonyTale''. All three of the boys from École Montagne drop their (glass) punch cups in some form of shock, one of which is SheCleansUpNicely. Barbie's younger cousin Max is ''not'' happy when he has to [[NeatFreak clean up the mess]].
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanUnderTheRedHood'': Alfred drops a tray when [[spoiler:he sees that Batman's analysis of a blood sample [[TheReveal has identified the Red Hood as being Jason Todd]]]].
%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron'' does this with a dog and his bone.
* ''WesternAnimation/Cars1'': The mustache grilles of Chick Hicks's forklift crew all fall off upon seeing how Guido can change all four of Lightning [=McQueen=]'s tires in four seconds.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'' drops a tea tray when she overhears Lady Tremaine tell the stepsisters that the prince is searching for the mystery maiden he met at the ball.
* In ''Animation/HappyHeroes2TheBattleOfPlanetQiyuan'', when Little M. sees Big M. being dragged into the same Planet Qiyuan prison cell he's in, he's so surprised that he drops a mug he was holding, and it shatters on the floor.
* Done offscreen in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'': Megara, holding a vase, is told by Hades that she will be freed from her DealWithTheDevil if she finds Hercules's weakness. The camera is held close on Meg's reaction, but a distinct crashing sound is heard.
* A slight variation occurs in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt''. During the plague of the Death of the Firstborn, we see a young boy carrying a jar of presumably water into his home. He gets through the door, we hear a loud exhale, and then the sound of the jar shattering. All we see [[DeadHandShot is the boy's hand sticking out from the doorway]].
* Near the beginning of ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', after Tiana realizes that she has made enough money to start her own restaurant from being a waitress at another, said restaurant's owner actually drops a fried egg from a spatula.
* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' when Kayley sees a shadow appearing over her and her rooster. She gasps and drops one of the eggs she was carrying.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': When [[CausticCritic Ego]] gets a taste of Remy's [[TitleDrop ratatouille]], he experiences a flashback to his childhood, when his mother served him some ratatouille (in more conventional stew form) to make him feel better after he had a bicycle-riding accident. After the flashback ends, this trope occurs with his note-taking pen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* At the end of ''Film/FourteenOhEight'', Mike Enslin is listening to his mini-recorder while his wife puts away stuff from a recent move. The recording jumps from mundane observations by Mike to [[spoiler:the sound of the couple's dead daughter's voice]]. Mrs. Enslin stares dumbfounded at the recorder and very gradually lets go of the box she's holding, letting it crash to the floor.
* In ''Film/FortyCarats'', Ann drops a wine glass in response to Peter's father hounding her about their AgeGapRomance.
* ''Film/{{Amelie}}'' uses this to get the plot started, as the titular protagonist reacts in shock to hearing news of Princess Diana's death and drops the lid of her perfume flask.
* The scene where Creator/KevinSpacey throws his dinner plate against a wall in ''Film/AmericanBeauty'' was supposed to be one of these, but after it didn't work, Spacey unexpectedly ad-libbed, causing [[EnforcedMethodActing a priceless reaction]] that [[ThrowItIn was kept]].
* ''Film/Armageddon1998'':
** Chick's ex-wife drops the phone when her small child says, "Mommy? That salesman is on TV." "That salesman" is her ex-husband, and the TV announcement is of the Freedom and Independence teams being launched to save the world.
** Later on in the movie Truman drops a mug (which shatters on impact) after receiving bad news.
* In ''Film/CashOnDemand'', Fordyce drops the glass of whiskey he is holding when Det. Sgt. Collins opens the door to his office and Colonel Gore Hepburn--whom he thought was long gone--steps back through.
* ''Film/CitizenKane'' provides one of the best-known examples: When Kane dies, the snow globe in his hand rolls down the stairs and shatters.
* ''Film/ColorMePerfect'': Early in Dina's course of intelligence-boosting gene therapy, she hears Mitch and Linda talking about how if she doesn't show signs of improvement soon, they'll have to pick another test subject. Dina is so dismayed that she drops the computer that's being used to test her intelligence.
* ''Film/TheConIsOn'': When Harry sees Irina enter the club looking for her, she drops the glass she is holding and immediately bolts.
* In ''Film/{{Critters}}'', when the mom spots a crite outside she drops her tray, breaking many dishes and teacups.
* Martha from ''Film/TheDaisyChain'' is so startled when she first sees Daisy watching her through the window that she drops her glass.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Bane collapses most of Heinz Field in the middle of a game. A single player makes it to safety in the endzone, then looks back on the gaping hole in the ground, and drops the ball in shock. (Fun fact: that's Hines Ward before he left the Steelers.)
* In ''Film/TheDeathOfStalin'', Svetlana drops Vasily's flask when Beria tells her that Aleksei is dead.
* When the two supposedly dead girls enter the tavern in ''Film/TheDemoniacs'', the waitress Monique drops a tray of beer mugs.
* In ''Film/DickTracyMeetsGruesome'', Dr. Learned fakes one to drop the container of experimental formula to [[SpillStainSabotage cover the fact]] that she stole the formula and replaced it with water.
* ''Film/DoctorInLove'':
** Dr. Hare drops a surgical tool after hearing that Sir Lancelot is planning to retire.
** When Sir Lancelot tells Dr. Burke to stop fondling his theatre staff's buttocks, the staff woman in question drops the bedpan she was holding in embarrassment.
** When Dr. Burke scares Wildewinde, he remarks he nearly dropped his forceps, and when Dr. Burke mentions he could set him in the window and show off a scar on his stomach, he actually drops his forceps.
* In the [[TheMovie film version]] of ''Film/DrivingMissDaisy'', Idella drops a bowl of peas when she dies suddenly.
* In ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'', Elliott's mom doesn't completely drop what she's doing when she sees that E.T. isn't just a great Halloween costume, but her fingers go slack on her coffee cup and it dangles from her fingers, spilling messily to the floor.
* In ''Film/TheEye'', a man and woman are having a conversation over the phone. The man drops the phone in the middle of a conversation with her because he's been [[MindControl mind controlled]]. The woman he's conversing with realizes that something is wrong, and ''she'' drops the phone and her bags to rush to him and see if he's all right.
* ''Film/GhostLab2021'': When Dr. Gla sees the ghost manifesting in the waiting room that he and Dr. Wee are in, he's so shocked he drops his coffee cup. Dr. Wee simply believes that Dr. Gla is pulling a prank on him, and really committing to it.
* In ''Film/GhostShip'', Murphy drops the glass of whisky he is holding when his reflection in the mirror briefly changes to that of the captain of the ''Antonia Graza''.
* At the climax of ''Film/TheGiver'', when [[spoiler:the memories are returned to the community]], Jonas's father lets go of [[spoiler:the injection machine just as he is about to administer a lethal injection]], and it slowly rotates back toward the wall.
* In ''Film/GranTorino'', Walt drops his glass when he sees [[spoiler:Sue come back into her house bloody and beaten from being kidnapped and raped by Spider's gang]].
* ''Film/{{Great Expectations|1946}}'': Pip drops his glass when Magwitch returns and reveals to Pip that it is he, and not Miss Havisham, who was Pip's anonymous benefactor that set him up as a gentleman.
* In ''Film/HaroldAndMaude'', Harold's mom drops a glass (by missing the table) after discovering that he has ruined his third and final date.
* In ''Film/TheHole'', Liz drops the biscuit jar she is holding when Martyn hammers unexpectedly on the door.
* In ''Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork'', Harry and Marv sneak up behind Kevin as he's looking at a map of New York City. Harry says, "Hiya, pal!", which makes Kevin drop the pocket knife and map he just bought at Duncan's Toy Chest.
* In ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' a high-ranking Soviet politician has a cup of tea in his hand when he reads a letter in which Ramius announces his intention to defect. He very carefully tries to put the cup down, but his hand is shaking so much [[DoubleSubversion it falls over anyway]]. Then he mobilizes the entire Soviet navy to sink the renegade submarine before it reaches America.
* ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'' has Creator/StanLee, who drank a soda with Banner's blood in it, getting gamma poisoning and dropping the soda.
* ''Film/JudasKiss'': When Coco learns that the woman she murdered was the wife of a senator, she drops the tub of ice cream she is eating.
* ''Film/KillBill'': Hattori Hanzo is preparing food when The Bride addresses him by name. The food doesn't make it.
* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'':
** In the opening where King Kong turns up for the first time, with his existence bringing a fight between two freshly-stranded WWII pilots from opposing sides to a standstill; we see the Japanese pilot's blade fall from his hand in a slow-motion shot at the sight of the gigantic ape which defies and redefines everything humanity thought they knew about the world.
** Later, when a soldier is killed in the bamboo forest by a camouflaged GiantSpider, his water bottle crashes to the ground in slow-motion to signify when the death blow is delivered.
* Subverted in ''Film/KnivesOut''. Fran enters Harlan's study while carrying a tray loaded with food and coffee, only to discover him dead of apparent suicide. She starts to drop the tray, but at the last moment notices and clumsily corrects herself with a muttered curse.
* Happens in the movie ''Film/LatterDays'' when [[spoiler:the main character Christian finds out that his love interest Aaron has not killed himself as he was previously led to believe and he's come back to be with him. He drops all the dishes he's holding when he sees him, and then rushes to embrace him.]]
-->'''Creator/WesRamsey (Christian):''' ''[on the commentary track]'' [[spoiler:A ghost!]]
* ''Film/TheLittleMermaid2023'': While King Triton is agonizing over Ariel's disappearance, he takes a good, long look at his glowing trident before letting it float slowly to the floor, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone since he'd used it to destroy his daughter's collection in a fit of blind rage]]. He can't even ''look'' at the thing anymore without being reminded of [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest mistake]].
* ''Film/TheLoft'': When Luke enters the titular loft and finds the dead body of a woman handcuffed to the bed, he drops the two bags of bottles of alcohol he is carrying, and the bottles shatter on the hardwood floor.
* When the Police Inspector in ''Film/{{M}}'' finds out that [[spoiler:the city's criminals caught the SerialKiller he was looking for]], the cigar he's smoking falls out of his mouth.
* ''Film/TheMummy1999'': Jonathan drops the Book of the Dead when an angry Imhotep turns on him.
* One of the "targets" in ''Film/{{Munich}}'' drops his groceries when he's shot.
* ''Film/MurderAtTheBaskervilles'': When Simpson tells Mrs. Straker that Hunter is dead, she drops the teacup she is holding.
* In ''Film/NationalTreasure2BookOfSecrets'', Riley drops several incalculably valuable treasures instantaneously the moment someone recognizes him as a treasure hunter and book author and asks for his autograph.
* ''Film/TheOmen1976'' has the second type: Damien intentionally runs his tricycle into the chair that his mother is standing on while she changes a second-story light fixture, it crashes to the first-story floor slightly before she does.
* ''Film/PearlHarbor'' has a slow-motion shot of President Roosevelt dropping the stack of papers he's handed that inform him that Pearl Harbor has been attacked by the Japanese.
* ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'':
** At the beginning of ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest Dead Man's Chest]]'', Jack drops an empty rum bottle when Bootstrap tells him that [[YourDaysAreNumbered "Time's runnin' out, Jack..."]]
** At the end of ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd At World's End]]'', it happens when Pintel and Ragetti are confronted by Barbossa, and again when [[BowelBreakingBricks they drop the cannonballs]].
* In ''Film/RedDawn1984'', after a Soviet squadron is killed following a chance encounter, Matt Eckeret is sent on a recon mission, and when [[TheDragon Col. Bella]] gives the order to open fire, Matt drops his binoculars at the sight of over a dozen unarmed civilians being machine-gunned in front of a mass grave.
* ''Film/Revenge2017'': Jen is walking slowly through a lounge room with a cold glass in her hand when she turns and sees two threatening-looking hunters leering at her through the glass wall. She gasps and drops the glass, which shatters on the floor.
* ''Film/TheRipper1997'': The milkman who discovers the butchered prostitute in the alley drops the jug of milk he is holding and shatters on the cobblestones: the milk mingling with the blood.
* ''Film/RunLolaRun'' plays this after Manny calls Lola; because the story explores several WhatIf possible outcomes, it's repeated three times.
* A comical example happens in ''Film/SavingMrBanks'' when P.L. Travers walks into her hotel room and drops her suitcase upon seeing Creator/{{Disney}} character plush dolls in her room.
* Parodied in ''Film/ScaryMovie'' when they figure out that [[spoiler:Doofy is the killer]]. The coffee cup shatters to reveal a small goldfish lying in the pool of coffee gasping for air.
* ''Film/TheShaggyDog'': [[TheDragon Stefano]] drops the tray he's holding when [[ItMakesSenseInContext he thinks the dog has opened a locked door by removing said door from its hinges]].
* At the end of ''Film/ShootEmUp'', Mr. Smith joins up with his HookerWithAHeartOfGold LoveInterest, who's now working in a café. When she sees him, she smiles and deliberately drops the tray of glasses she's holding before they embrace.
* In ''Film/SororityRow'', Ellie drops her glass of champagne when she thinks that she sees Megan (who is supposed to be dead) at the sorority luncheon. [[spoiler:It turns out to be Megan's sister Maggie.]]
* In ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'', the cook at a space rest stop drops what he's carrying when he catches sight of a little alien doing a song and dance number on the counter.
* ''Film/SpeedRacer'': Speed's mother drops the glass she is holding when she [[spoiler:hears that her eldest son Rex has died in a car crash]].
* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': After Peter comes in through his window and unsuits, he turns around to see Ned sitting there holding a LEGO Death Star, which promptly falls out of his hands and shatters against the floor. Ned doesn't seem to care about that.
* ''Film/SympathyForLadyVengeance'':
** When Geum-ja knocks the symbolic tofu out of the Preacher's hands outside the prison, the band is shocked and the cymbalist drops one of his cymbals.
** When Geun-shik catches sight of Geum-ja for the first time, he's so struck by her beauty that he drops the stack of boxes he is carrying.
* A bar patron in ''Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby'' drops his beer the second that Jean Girard introduces everyone to his "husband".
* In ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'', Agent Kujan drops his coffee cup when he realizes that he (apparently) [[spoiler:let Keyzer Soze walk out the door after having him in the police station for several hours spinning his yarn]].
* ''Film/{{Wonderwall}}'': When Oscar first meets Penny's boyfriend, he's wearing a wig. When he removes the wig, Oscar drops the bag of apples he just bought.
* Parodied in ''Film/WrongfullyAccused''. After Harrison finishes his LineOfSightAlias gag and leaves, [[Series/AmericasMostWanted John Walsh]] turns around, sees the brand names of the fishing equipment on the pegboard, and drops his coffee cup. We see a shot of the shattered cup from boot-level... then down comes a doughnut... then an egg... then a water balloon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
!!!'''In General:'''
* Happens a lot in mystery novels (Creator/AgathaChristie, ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' and the like): Someone who on the face of it shouldn't be startled or even interested in the news drops something when hearing it, and thus reveals to the detective that they have a secret interest in the matter.
!!!'''By Work:'''
* ''Literature/AndThenITurnedIntoAMermaid'': In the second book, Margot and Molly tell Mum that they've figured out that the Waverleys are mermaids. They describe them as having freakishly pale, almost white eyes. Mum drops her mug, which shatters and scalds her legs with hot tea, because [[spoiler:she realises the Waverleys are sirens]].
* ''Literature/TheBalladOfBlackTom'': When Suydam takes a room in his mansion "Outside", the view from the window suddenly becomes the deep sea. Tommy is so shocked he drops his guitar.
* In ''Literature/TheBFG'', the Queen's maid drops the Queen's breakfast tray when the Queen recounts her nightmare, as it matches the day's headlines about something terrible that really happened.
* In ''Literature/TheBoyFromAleppoWhoPaintedTheWar'', Adam's parents send him to deliver rice to the neighbors. When he reaches their house, he finds that almost all of them have been shot by the army. Adam drops the plate in shock.
* In ''Literature/TheBronzeHorseman'' by Paullina Simons, Tatiana overhears her family arguing with Alexander over whether to tell her something. She walks in and demands to know, whereupon she's told that her grandfather has died. Tatiana drops the tea tray she's carrying and rushes out.
-->'''Alexander:''' [[SarcasmMode Satisfied?]]
* Defied in ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfAmber''. Before telling another character some potentially shocking news over a long-distance call, Merlin advises that the person put down anything they're holding that might be fragile.
* ''Literature/TheCosmere'':
** ''Literature/{{Elantris}}'' begins with Prince Raoden's servant bringing him breakfast and dropping the tray when she sees that he's {{Metamorphos|is}}ed into an Elantrian — effectively an undead abomination at the time. Since the transformation happened in his sleep, he's quite confused before he notices the TomatoInTheMirror.
** ''Literature/WaxAndWayne'': At the end of ''Literature/TheBandsOfMourning'', Wax drops [[spoiler:the coppermind he got from Hoid when he views the memory on it and discovers that the mysterious "Sovereign" the Southerners revere, whom he'd previously thought to be the [[GodEmperor Lord Ruler]], is actually '''[[BackFromTheDead Kelsier]]'''.]]
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': In book 6, ''Literature/BloodRites'', Murphy meets Harry's mentor, Ebenezar. She is not impressed, and demands brusquely she be the driver since he doesn't have a license in Chicago. Harry tells Ebenezar he better just let her do so, calling the older man "sir". Cue Murphy dropping her armload in pure, unfiltered shock at hearing ''Harry Dresden'' address someone with authority with ''respect''. She talks to Ebenezar afterwards as if he's on the same level as the Pope.
* ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene'': When Artegall knocks Britomart’s helmet off, he is so shocked to see the beautiful face of a woman that his arm goes slack and his sword falls to the ground.
* In ''Literature/TheFinalReflection'', a porter at a hotel on Earth drops the tray he's carrying when he sees a group of Klingons passing by.
* ''Literature/GeorgesMarvellousMedicine'': When George's mother returns from shopping, she sees a giant hen and drops a bottle of milk. Then she sees Grandma sticking up through the roof, and drops a bag of groceries.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Minerva [=McGonagall=] drops the books she's carrying when she learns that the Golden Trio knows about the Philosopher's Stone being kept inside Hogwarts.
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': During the start-of-term feast, Hermione knocks over her goblet with a clang, when she learns that there are house-elves at Hogwarts.
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': Hermione is compulsively worrying over an exam while Ron tries to convince her that she should eat "when her fork slid from her limp fingers and landed with a loud clink on her plate. 'Oh, my goodness,' she said faintly, staring into the Entrance Hall. 'Is that them? Is that the examiners?'"
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', Hermione dumps a whole armload of basilisk fangs to kiss Ron after he finally earns his RelationshipUpgrade by showing concern for the Hogwarts house-elves.
* ''Literature/LilyAndDunkin'': When trans girl Lily's grandmother saw her walk downstairs in a dress, she dropped a glass jar of strawberry jam all over the floor. She hasn't visited since.
* ''Literature/TheManyHalfLivedLivesOfSamSylvester'': Esme drops her water glass, shattering it, when Sam [[spoiler:tells her that they know she saw Billy Clement die]].
* ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'':
** Mrs Wormwood drops her husband's breakfast tray when she sees his disastrous hair-dye emergency.
** When Miss Trunchbull sees her name written on the blackboard by an invisible hand, she drops the child she is holding up by the ankle.
* ''Literature/TheMermaidsMirror'': While snooping in her father and stepmother's room, Lena finds a newspaper clipping that says that [[spoiler:her biological mother committed suicide]]. She drops the clipping in shock.
* ''Literature/NecessaryEvil'': The previously infallible {{seer|s}} Gretel scalds herself with boiling water when she drops a kettle after a prediction of the future turns out to be wrong for the first time in her life.
* In ''Literature/ParadiseLost'', Adam makes a crown of flowers for Eve and then drops it when she tells him about having eaten the forbidden fruit.
* ''Literature/PilgrennonsChildren'': In ''Pilgrennon's Beacon'', Jananin and Dana are eating together when the TV starts playing a missing persons report about Dana. When a police image of Jananin appears on the TV, she drops her fork.
* This tends to happen to Ravenswood in the ''Literature/{{Relativity}}'' stories. One time he drops a platter when he hears that the waitress he hired is secretly in love with the superhero Overcast (who, she doesn't know, is actually Ravenswood). Another time it occurs when he's visiting the home of Sara's foster father and hears that [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethII Queen Elizabeth]] will be one of the dinner guests.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'': In ''Literature/LeiaPrincessOfAlderaan'', it's narrowly subverted when [[spoiler:Moff Quarsh Panaka]] meets Princess Leia while holding a teacup and saucer. [[spoiler:As Queen Amidala's former chief of security, Panaka is seriously shocked upon seeing Leia because of how much she resembles her biological mother, which is helped along by the fact that Leia had to borrow a traditional Naboo "jubilation dress" from Queen Dalné.]] As a result, [[spoiler:Panaka]] nearly drops his cup, but manages to recover in time to only splash tea on himself.
* In ''Faith of the Fallen'', from Creator/TerryGoodkind's ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'', Nicci "was only dimly aware of the eggs hitting the floor" after being informed that Richard had been taken prisoner. Although, thinking about it, he gets captured so frequently in the series -- indeed, by Nicci herself just earlier in the book -- that you'd think she'd just roll her eyes or something.
* ''Literature/Tempest2011'': In ''Tempest Unleashed'', Tempest tells Kona, "Back the hell off!" A nurse drops her tray of instruments, because Kona is the crown prince of the selkies and she's never heard anyone talk that way to him.
* ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'': In ''Breaking Dawn'' Alice drops a vase because she just had a vision of [[spoiler:the Volturi coming to kill the Cullens]].
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'':
** In ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsCrookedstarsPromise Crookedstar's Promise]]'', Oakpaw is so shocked to see the [=WindClan=] deputy in the [=RiverClan=] camp that he drops the frog he's carrying. Amusingly, it's still alive and hops to safety while everyone is distracted.
** In ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsAfterTheFlood After the Flood]]'', Leafstar gives her mate Billystorm a DeathGlare when she's mad at him for something. He has an OhCrap reaction and drops the prey he was holding.
* ''Literature/WickedGood'': When Archer [[spoiler:introduces herself to Kitty as the adopted mother of her child]], Kitty drops a pot full of coffee. Archer jumps out of the way to avoid getting burned.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Used semi-humorously on ''Series/NineOneOne'', when a man stuck in traffic stops to get a hot dog and drink from an equally-stuck food truck. He asks two other customers what they're giggling about on their phones, and when shown an online clip of the cause of the highway stoppage -- a middle-aged woman in mid-nervous breakdown, standing on an overpass platform and alternately screaming at and flashing the road below -- he immediately drops his purchases and takes off running, as the woman in the live viral footage is ''his own wife''.
* In the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[Recap/AngelS01E19Sanctuary Sanctuary]]", Wesley walks into an alley intent on attacking Faith, who just spent the last couple hours torturing him. He sees Faith collapsed on the ground in Angel's arms sobbing (having just begged Angel to kill her). We see Wesley's blood-soaked hand drop the knife to the ground, framing Angel/Faith in the background.
* ''Series/{{Awaken}}'': Jamie drops her cup and knocks her chair over when she regains some of her memories. Both fall in slow motion.
* The last 30 seconds of an episode of ''Series/BabylonFive'' has Delenn dropping a snow globe, which shatters at her feet. This is a fairly normal reaction to [[spoiler:the supposedly dead wife of your love interest walking into the room to find you spending the night with her husband.]]
* One of the most memorable episodes of ''Series/MrBean'', "Back to School Mr. Bean". Bean drops the pastry he's eating after a DoubleTake when [[spoiler:his car gets flattened by a tank]]. To be fair, he ''did'' ignore the "Reserved Parking" warning and removed the traffic cones earlier at the episode's start.
* ''Series/{{Blackadder}} the Third'':
** In one episode, Blackadder "accidentally" drops a tray full of refreshments after the Prince insults him one time too many, leading him to the brink of resigning at that very moment.
** Hilariously parodied in the episode "[[Recap/BlackadderS3E5AmyAndAmiability Amy and Amiability]]": Prince George is reading the news that a criminal (whom, unknown to the prince, Blackadder teamed up with then was almost immediately betrayed by) was hanged:
--->'''George:''' It says here she had an accomplice!\\
''[Blackadder drops the tray he was carrying]''\\
'''George:''' But they don't know who it was!\\
''[[[RuleOfFunny The tray jumps back up into Blackadder's hands]]]''
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** When [[spoiler:Giles discovers Jenny's corpse]] in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E17Passion Passion]]", he drops the [[DramaticShattering champagne bottle]] he was carrying.
** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E18Earshot Earshot]]", Buffy is temporarily telepathic and suddenly hears someone in the cafeteria think about killing everyone in the school. She's so shocked by this that she drops her lunch tray, and the whole cafeteria applauds her (while she, of course, goes into a mindless panic).
** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E4OutOfMyMind Out of My Mind]]", Joyce is preparing breakfast for Dawn before suddenly asking Dawn who she is and then dropping the plate and collapsing.
%%** This happens in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E13Surprise Surprise]]" for no real reason other than some {{anvilicious}} foreshadowing. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what is dropped, and what does it foreshadow?)
* In ''Series/ChariteAtWar'', Nazi nurse Christel drops her tray of surgical instruments when she hears that there has been an attempt on the life of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler.
* On ''Series/Charmed1998'', when Phoebe and Dex get married under a spell, Dex carries Phoebe over the threshold and then they realize what happened. Confused by what happened, Dex promptly drops Phoebe on the floor.
* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'':
** In "[[Recap/ChuckS1E01Pilot Pilot]]", the hotness of Sarah is startling enough to Chuck that he drops the phone he's using. This develops into one of the series's {{Running Gag}}s, becoming Chuck's standard reaction to anything unexpected Sarah does -- like when she fake-outs with Bryce, or sneaks up on him at the Buy More, or walks into their living room wearing nothing but a corset and matching stockings.
** In one episode, Big Mike drops his danish (a huge shift in moment-to-moment priorities for the character) when the fire alarm is pulled at the Buy More.
** Similarly, in a later episode, Big Mike drops his fishing tackle box when he gets a text about a security breach at Buy More.
* ''Series/{{Cluedo}}'': This sometimes happens when the body is found, especially if Mrs. White the cook makes the discovery.
* Happens in the ''Series/CriminalMinds'' episode "[[Recap/CriminalMindsS1E3WontGetFooledAgain Won't Get Fooled Again]]". A mother is cooking when she realizes that her daughter is holding a package containing a bomb. She drops an egg she was holding and it smashes to the floor.
* ''Series/CriminologistHimuraAndMysteryWriterArisugawa'':
** After Moroboshi and Himura [[SoundOnlyDeath seem to have]] fatally shot each other, the scene cuts to Tokie dropping a glass in her home. While she doesn't know what's happened, her expression indicates that [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling she can feel something off]].
** Later, in the same episode, Tokie and Arisugawa are in her home when a surprising guest walks through the door. Tokie is so shocked that she once again drops the bowl that she's holding -- this time, however, Arisugawa [[SubvertedTrope rushes forward to grab it just before it hits the ground]].
* ''Series/TheDoctorBlakeMysteries'':
** In "Measure Twice", the niece of the VictimOfTheWeek finds his body and stops short. Her husband walks into the back of her, causing a dramatic drop of the plate with a cake she is carrying.
** In "Family Portrait", Cec drops a crate of bottles he is carrying when he finds Patrick Tyneman [[TheCorpseStopsHere standing over a dead body]] outside the Colonist's Club.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon Aliens of London]]": The Ninth Doctor brings Rose back to London after her first journey in the TARDIS. Problem is, he overshot the return date. He intended to drop her off only twelve hours after they left, but they arrive twelve ''months'' into the future. Rose's mum thought her daughter was ''dead'', and she's so stunned at her daughter's sudden return (while Rose has no idea of how much time really passed) she drops her coffee mug and it smashes into pieces... [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking what a waste of good Joe]]. And then she furiously [[MamaBear bitch-slaps the Doctor]] when she hears that he's responsible for whisking away her beloved child for a year.
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E11BoomTown Boom Town]]" has it just offscreen: The Ninth Doctor goes to confront a previous enemy, who is currently [[MayorPain Mayor of Cardiff]], and asks her receptionist to tell her "The Doctor" is there to see her. He goes in, the Doctor turns, waits... and looks rather smug when he hears something shatter.
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E6TheVampiresOfVenice The Vampires of Venice]]": When the Eleventh Doctor turns up at Rory's stag night and casually mentions that he kissed his fiancée, we hear a beer glass being dropped offscreen.
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens The Pandorica Opens]]": It takes the Doctor a [[FailedASpotCheck long time]] to notice that [[spoiler:Rory's mysteriously come {{back from the dead}}, after being killed and {{Retgone}}d in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E9ColdBlood Cold Blood]]"]]. So long that he walks out of the room carrying two Cyber guns before the penny drops — as do the guns, offscreen.
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E2DinosaursOnASpaceship Dinosaurs on a Spaceship]]" begins with the Doctor materializing the TARDIS around Amy and Rory while they're at home — helping Rory's dad Brian look at a broken lightbulb socket. When Brian realizes that he's in a different place, he drops the lightbulb he's holding in shock.
* In ''The Duchess of Duke Street'', a character's very quiet death is heralded by his cigarette falling from his fingers.
* Colin on ''Series/{{Everwood}}'' drops a glass when he starts having a seizure in a late first season episode.
* ''Series/FawltyTowers'':
** In "[[Recap/FawltyTowersS1E5GourmetNight Gourmet Night]]", Polly tries to get Basil to put down the bottle he's opening first, but he still ends up dropping it on his foot after she tells him that the chef has gotten drunk right before an important dinner.
** In the episode "[[Recap/FawltyTowersS2E1CommunicationProblems Communication Problems]]", Basil drops an expensive vase when The Major tells Sybill that Basil had been betting on the horses behind her back.
** In "[[Recap/FawltyTowersS2E4TheKipperAndTheCorpse The Kipper and the Corpse]]", Manuel happens to be salting a plate of sausages. On hearing the news that a guest has died, he stands still, holding the salt jug, which empties its entire contents over the sausages.
** In "[[Recap/FawltyTowersS2E6BasilTheRat Basil the Rat]]", Basil has a wine bottle in his hand; he suddenly sees a box of rat poison in the presence of the health inspector; he grabs the poison box, dropping the bottle, which smashes. Moments later, he drops and smashes another bottle.
* In ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', Olivia Dunham drops the bowl of cereal she was eating when her dead love and partner walks into the room. Seeing as this is ''Fringe'', we see the shot several times over a couple of episodes.
* Parodied in ''Series/TheGoodies'' -- Bill isn't really shocked, he's just into loud noises.
* In the ''Heritage Minutes'' episode about Dr. Wilder Penfield, Mrs. "burnt toast" famously announces her seizure by dropping the traditional plate.
* ''Series/{{Heroes}}'': In "The Eclipse, Part 1" when Mrs. Bennet walks into the room [[spoiler:and finds Claire unconscious on the sofa]], she drops what she's holding.
* ''Series/HenryDanger'': At the very end of "One Henry, Three Girls - Part 1" when Henry's old girlfriend Chloe enters the house instead of Bianca, Henry is so shocked by her appearance that he drops Piper's replacement glass hat, which shatters on the floor.
* In one episode of ''Series/HomeAndAway'', Leah drops the plates and cutlery onto the floor [[spoiler:after she learns that Dan dies]].
* ''Series/HorribleHistories'': In the UsefulNotes/{{Boudica}} special, Boudica snatches a pot off a Roman who has come to the reading of her husband's will. When she finds out that he has left everything to the Roman Empire, she drops the pot, and the Roman complains about her breaking his pottery.
* In the ''Series/InspectorGeorgeGently'' episode "Gently With the Women", Gently dropping his glass, [[SlowMotionDrop which shatters in slow motion]], is the main reason why he decides to go get checked out at the hospital. He drops a bottle in the next episode, prompting his partner Bacchus to start to worry about his mentor's health, and in the last episode of the season, "Son of a Gun", it is mentioned that this is happening frequently.
* This trope is the very reason Moss in ''Series/TheITCrowd'' always makes two cups of tea.
* ''Series/JandaKembang'':
** Malik drops the pizza boxes that he is holding the moment he finds out that [[spoiler:Salmah agrees to marry Kemal, seemingly ending Malik's hope of winning over Salmah.]]
** Salmah drops the food he brought for Kemal in shock when Tiara appears and reveals that [[spoiler:Tiara is Kemal's wife.]]
* ''Series/JejakSuaraAdzan'': In the penultimate episode, Ririn drops the cup that she was holding, shattering it, when she collapses unconscious due to her heart problems.
* ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'': This is the CharacterTic of Kazu, who drops whatever he's holding almost every single time he's asked a question or is told something even remotely dramatic. (This is in almost every scene he's in.) He hardly even seems to be fazed by this in any way, regardless of what he may be holding, be it a spoon, a suitcase, a teacup, etc., even if the object breaks. It seems to be foreshadowing towards his telekinetic powers, and becomes a BrickJoke when he transforms into the Utopia Dopant by dropping the Utopia Gaia Memory and letting his Gaia Driver suck the falling Memory in.
%%** Shoutarou late in the series with his phone. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what does he react to?)
* DramaticDrop:
** In "Let there be light", the vicar's wife drops a loaded tray, when she is suddenly faced with Hyacinth's daddy wearing a gas mask, and carrying a shotgun.
** When Hyacinth is waiting for Richard in the car outside a pub, she sounds the car horn, and startles a waiter, who drops his very full tray. The waiter mutters "bitch", masked by the sound of the horn, and Hyacinth says "butterfingers". Later, the same waiter passes again, this time watching Hyacinth carefully.
** In her haste to answer the telephone, Hyacinth casually tosses biscuits off a tray.
** Elizabeth frequently drops Hyacinth's best china, or a biscuit ''into'' her cup of coffee. This usually happens when she is startled by Hyacinth suddenly shouting out, or by the telephone ringing, which is even lampshaded by Hyacinth at one point.
---> '''Hyacinth:''' ''(to Richard, making him sit by the telephone, ready to answer it)'' I wouldn't say anything in front of Elizabeth, but she does have this way of jumping every time the telephone rings.%%* Parodied in ''Series/LittleBritain'': During a classroom test, a boy drops a pencil, causing the teacher to hiss "SSSSSSSSHHH!". The teacher then starts noisily vacuuming the classroom. (Does he actually drop it in response to something dramatic, or just by accident? If the former, what he's dropping it in response to should be specified. If the latter, it's not this trope and should be removed.)
* ''Series/{{MASH}}'':
** In one episode, Hawkeye decides to walk through the mess tent naked just to see if anyone notices. The first guy who does promptly drops his lunch tray.
** When [[spoiler:Henry Blake's death is announced]] in the episode "[[Recap/MASHS3E24AbyssiniaHenry Abyssinia, Henry]]", a nurse is heard dropping a scalpel amidst the shocked silence in the operating theatre. This was a case of ThrowItIn. The actors had [[EnforcedMethodActing not been told prior to filming]] what would happen; [[spoiler:they expected Radar to announce that Henry had made it back to the States safely]]. The actress's reaction in the first take was genuine, and the director decided to keep it in later takes.
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Matlock}}'', a woman drops a tea tray when she walks into her living room and sees the murder victim lying dead on the floor. This turns out to be a plot point, because [[spoiler:the absence of tea stains on the carpet]] confirms Matlock's suspicions that [[spoiler:she was the murderer, and she dropped the tea tray deliberately to feign surprise for the benefit of an onlooker]].
* Wendy is consoling herself with ice cream from the carton because she just screwed up ''badly'' and got sent home by her boss, ''Series/TheMiddleMan'', when roommate Lacey casually mentions that the VillainOfTheWeek is hanging out at the restaurant from which she just quit working. Wendy turns attentively to Lacey, and the viewer hears the spoon clatter to the floor.
* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'':
** In "The Sting of Death", a milkman discovers the first BodyOfTheWeek, which is covered in bees, and drops the basket of milk bottles he is holding. The bottles shatter dramatically when the basket hits the ground.
** "Sins of Commission" has Richard drop a tray of glasses at the appearance of Camilla, who cheerfully say he looks like he's seen a ghost. [[spoiler:She just escaped an attempt on her life planned by Richard, and knows, but doesn't show, it was him]].
* ''Series/MimpiMetropolitan'': Bambang drops the egg roll that he was holding when Alan tells him that Maudy Koesnaedi (the actress whom Bambang's father idolizes) is in Pipin's shop. Bambang's customer catches it, momentarily breaking the drama.
* ''Series/{{Monk}}'':
** "[[Recap/MonkS4E8MrMonkAndLittleMonk Mr. Monk and Little Monk]]": When Natalie tells Monk that he has a visitor and that it's his childhood crush, he drops the cup that he's holding and temporarily forgets that they're no longer thirteen years old.
** "[[Recap/MonkS7E2MrMonkAndTheGenius Mr. Monk and the Genius]]": Linda Kloster is nervous because her husband has been threatening to kill her. Her housekeeper tries to calm her, then leaves the room to get her a sandwich. When the housekeeper reenters the room, she drops her tea tray as she sees Linda's dead body on the bed. {{Lampshaded}} and played with in the same episode: Randy tells Stottlemeyer to put down his coffee mug so he won't drop it when he hears the news. He puts it down, but when Randy tells him that Linda is dead, he picks it up again and hurls it against the wall.
* ''Series/{{Mortified}}'': Taylor drops the bowl she is carrying when she looks at the window and sees her father pumping iron in the backyard in "Parent Teacher Night".
* It happens in ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' when Gibbs drops his coffee ([[MustHaveCaffeine which is saying something]]) after hearing a bullet whiz by, shattering glass, and [[spoiler:the sound of Abby screaming]].
* ''Series/TheNewAvengers'': The villain attending Steed's party drops his champagne glass when he hears the general announce that the "Eye of God" satellite is going to do an underground scan of Buckinghamshire, where he has concealed his stolen missile.
* On an episode of ''Series/NightCourt'', someone says, "Who's willing to drop everything and help me?" Roz drops her lunch tray, just before she passes out. Turns out she has diabetes.
* In an early episode of ''Series/Numb3rs'', Charlie is making a sandwich when he sees a news report on TV saying that FBI agents are in a firefight with bank robbers; we see the knife he was holding drop to the counter as Charlie realizes that his brother Don is among the agents on the scene.
* Used humorously to make for a particularly charming moment in ''Series/OnceUponATime'', especially considering it sets up an important TragicKeepsake.
-->'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' You will serve me my meals, and you will clean the Dark Castle... You will dust my collection and launder my clothing... You will fetch me fresh straw when I'm spinning at the wheel... Oh! [[BreadEggsMilkSquick And you will skin the children I hunt.]] For their pelts.\\
''[Belle drops the teacup in alarm]''\\
'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' ...That one was a quip.
* Happens on ''Series/OneTreeHill'' when Peyton finds [[spoiler:the body of her biological mother, Ellie Harp, who has succumbed to her battle with breast cancer]], resulting in Peyton dropping the box of [=CDs=] that she is carrying.
* ''Series/{{Psych}}'', "[[Recap/PsychS03E01Ghosts Ghosts]]": Gus drops his cocoa mug when he sees someone moving in the woods outside. [[spoiler:Later the pattern on the china turns out to be a clue.]]
* Ned's mother in ''Series/PushingDaisies'' is brushing dust off him when she dies suddenly, the brush falling from her hands. She then drops a pie after being revived and seeing her neighbor drop dead across the street.
* ''Series/TheRiseOfPhoenixes'': Zhi Wei drops a tray when she hears Ming Ying disown her.
* ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''. Done as a RuleOfThree in "[[Recap/SherlockS02E03TheReichenbachFall The Reichenbach Fall]]" when Moriarty breaks into the cabinet holding the Crown Jewels. First he takes out the CCTV cameras. The security guard monitoring them is holding a couple of coffee cups, which slop visibly as he quickly puts them down so as to call someone. Then Moriarty remotely opens the vault of the Bank of England; as the bank manager gapes at this impossibility, the cup he's holding tilts in his hand until it pours coffee into this lap. Finally someone bursts in on the Governor of Pentonville Prison to tell him that all the cells are unlocking. Cue the Governor knocking the coffee mug off his table as he leaps to his feet.
* ''Series/{{Sisters}}'': "...soon as we find a Justice of the Peace." Alex hears these words, and things just start dropping.
* At the end of the ''Series/{{Sliders}}'' [[Recap/SlidersS01E01E02Pilot pilot episode]], the Sliders are sitting down to dinner believing that they are safe and sound on their home Earth. Quinn and the others make a toast just as Quinn's father, who died years ago, walks into the room. Realizing that this means that they didn't make it home, Quinn drops his wine glass and it shatters on the floor.
* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'':
** Clark drops the white rose he brought when he sees [[spoiler:Lana and Lex together]].
** At one point Lana drops her phone when she receives a message that [[spoiler:brainwashes her into [[CurbStompBattle beating the living daylights out of Chloe]]]].
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E28TheCityOnTheEdgeOfForever The City on the Edge of Forever]]", a hobo in 1930 New York City who has just pilfered a bottle of milk witnesses Dr. [=McCoy=] suddenly appear on the street (from a time portal), ranting crazily, until he spots the hobo and cries, "You! What planet is this?", prompting the anxious hobo to drop the milk bottle, shattering it.
** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': In "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS01E18DramatisPersonae Dramatis Personae]]", a telepathic HatePlague has caused the main characters to turn on each other. Kira is in Quark's bar, trying to convince Dax to join her in a conspiracy against Commander Sisko. At one point she drops a strong hint that she's planning to have Sisko assassinated, whereupon there's an OffScreenCrash. Kira turns to look at Quark with an evil smile on her face, realising that he's been listening in on their conversation.
* On ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', Sam drops a cup of coffee when [[spoiler:his father dies suddenly as part of a DealWithTheDevil]]. Notably, the cup doesn't tip over when it lands.
* There's an episode of Brian Clemens's ''Thriller'' in which the heroine tries to phone for help, but the villainess cuts the phone line. The heroine then drops the receiver.
* In ''Series/TrueBlood'', last episode of the first season, Sookie drops the pitcher she was holding when she realizes that a killer is in the room with her.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S5E32MrGarrityAndTheGraves Mr. Garrity and the Graves]]"
** When Mr. Garrity tells the bartender that he brings back the dead for a living, the bartender promptly drops a full mug of beer.
** When Mr. Garrity tells the bartender that his resurrected brother had a limp, the bartender decided that this proved that Garrity had indeed resurrected the bartender's brother and drops a glass filled with an alcoholic beverage.
* In the third season finale of ''Series/UglyBetty'', Wilhelmina opens a door in her apartment to find [[spoiler:her daughter Nico]], and drops a glass in shock. We don't find out until the next season who it was.
* ''[[Series/{{V 1983}} V: The Series]]''. After the Star Child [[PlotRelevantAgeUp grows overnight from an eight-year-old to a beautiful teenager]], the other characters bring her home. She drops a glass, which looks like she's having trouble adjusting to her new adult body... until they realise that she's staring out the window at an alien shuttlecraft discharging a squad of Visitor soldiers -- this is a MassOhCrap because up to then everyone assumed the Visitors had been driven off Earth for good.
* ''Series/TheWeeklyWithCharliePickering'': While explaining the 5G/Corona Virus conspiracy theory, Charlie has a sudden moment of clarity where it makes sense and he drops his mug of bone broth and it shatters on the floor. It then cuts back to Charlie, who points out why none of it makes sense.
* Jed Bartlet of ''Series/TheWestWing'', on discovering that [[spoiler:his daughter, Zoey, had been kidnapped]], drops first of all the photos he was holding, followed shortly by his whiskey glass. A particularly well-executed example of the trope.
* In the ''Series/{{Wishbone}}'' episode "[[Recap/WishboneS1E29LittleBigDog Little Big Dog]]." David drops a glass when [[spoiler:his father walks in holding the side-view mirror of the new car]].
* ''Series/YancyDerringer'': When Yancy turns up alive after being missing for years in "Return to New Orleans", old family retainer Obediah drops a tray with a tea set on it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* From "Devil's Right Hand" by Music/SteveEarle:
-->''So I asked if I could have one someday when I grew up\\
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up''
* In the song "Madeira, m'dear" by Music/FlandersAndSwann, the young girl drops her glass when she recalls words from her mother:
--> "Oh my child, should you look on the wine that is red,
--> "Be prepared for a fate worse than death."
--> She let go her glass with a shrill little cry.
--> Crash, tinkle it fell to the floor.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
* In ''Literature/TheIliad'', Andromache drops her weaving shuttle when she realises that Hektor has died.
* OlderThanFeudalism: This even happens in ''Literature/TheBible''. Moses drops the tablets with the Laws and breaks them (well, trashes them) when he notices that his followers have started worshiping the Golden Calf. He has to go back to get the Commandments since he had [[{{Pun}} broken the Laws]], and [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup God apparently had failed to keep a spare copy]].
* Judas reportedly spilled his salt when UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} announced that someone would betray him. (This detail does not however appear in the Bible. A huge amount of folklore has grown up to fill in the details of Biblical stories, much of it originating centuries later in medieval Europe. It would have been quite odd for the Disciples to have salt on the table, as salt was a precious commodity in First Century AD Rome.)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* In ''Series/TheMuppetShow''
** In [[Recap/TheMuppetShowS3E24 Cheryl Ladd's episode]], Fozzie asks Kermit to make a list of his good points and bad points for self-improvement purposes. When he reads Kermit's notes later, he's clearly upset by what they say but tries to take it in stride. Then Kermit reveals that it's actually the list of his good points, causing Fozzie to drop the notes in shock.
** In [[Recap/TheMuppetShowS4E8 Arlo Guthrie's episode]], the Swedish Chef is cleaning some dishes in preparation for a meal that needs to be cooked for a big event. When Kermit informs him the event is being catered, he drops the stack of plates down from the balcony. Distraught, the Chef begins to bawl, and then [[InvokedTrope knocks over another stack of plates]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''Theatre/CharleysAunt'', upon hearing the news that one man intends to marry Charley's Aunt, who is actually another man in drag, drops the tray he's holding.
* In the end of ''Theatre/CrossRoad'', when Niccolo Paganini's butler Armand [[spoiler: touches Niccolo's shoulder and realizes that he's dead]], he drops the metal tray he'd been holding, and if you weren't already crying, the sound of it hitting the floor will do it for you.
* One coarse acting play had this as a RunningGag involving an [[OffScreenCrash unseen cook]]. At the end of the play, the hero has enough money to marry her, so he just tells her to smash everything in the kitchen before breaking the news.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGateIII'' features an OptionalSexualEncounter with a druid who may [[ShapeshiftingSquick wildshape into a bear form before doing the deed]]. A squirrel is seen witnessing this and drops its acorn in utter shock.
* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'': In the opening, Eddie sees that one of the members of Kabbage Boy has started climbing up the stage set that Eddie had specifically warned him was not safe to climb on. Eddie tosses his cigarette aside as he sprints off to rescue the fool.
* ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'': Parodied with Queen's [[AGlassOfChianti wine glasses]]. She keeps a stash of glasses that shatter on impact, but the shards are completely harmless and they're ''meant'' to be broken; she even refers to it as her "throwing glass." On the other hand, she also has "Extra Dangerous Glass" that '''violently [[MadeOfExplodium explodes]]''' on impact. The two are indistinguishable from each other.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': At one point during the ending, Cid drops his cigar from his mouth. The team is stuck in a collapsing cavern, with things about to get worse. Cid mutters to himself something along the lines of "Lady Luck, don't give up on me now." Cue the reaction above when [[spoiler:the ''[[CoolAirship Highwind]] literally drops from the ceiling'']].
* ''VideoGame/Jak3Wastelander'': Near the end, Count Veger drops his cane upon seeing that the legendary Precursors are [[spoiler:actually ottsels]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Omori}}'': In the ending, [[spoiler:the loser of the BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind drops whatever they were holding (Sunny his violin and bow, Omori his knife) before fading away]].
* In ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', Gourmet Guy usually holds a fork and knife. Upon eating a tasty cake, he drops both immediately, just before comically overreacting. This happens to him twice.
* ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'': In the short "Occupational Hazards", when a yellow Pikmin goes into a cave and accidentally wakes up a large [[PredatorsAreMean Bulborb]], the Pikmin drops the two bolts it was carrying in shock.
* ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'': This is the young Malice's reaction to realizing that her mother has just died; she was fixing Rizuna some fruit beforehand, and we hear the plates shatter when she drops them.
* ''VideoGame/TonyHawksUnderground'': After the [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy drunk]] Eric Sparrow hijacks a military tank, he drops his beer bottle and flees when he realizes that the tank is about to crash into a building.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{Glitchtale}}'': When Asgore calls Mettaton to inform him about [[spoiler:Alphys's death]], Mettaton drops the phone in shock, shattering the screen in the process.
* In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'''s fifth Volume, Ruby walks into the living room of where they're staying carrying a tea tray from the kitchen, only for her to see [[spoiler:Weiss and Yang, her teammate and sister who, thanks to the events of Volume 3, she hasn't seen, or been in contact with, for months]]. She immediately drops the tray and its contents on the floor in shock.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In Creator/AGnosis's comics on [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myth]]:
** ''Webcomic/TheFamilyParty'': Zeus's lover Ganymede [[https://www.deviantart.com/a-gnosis/art/The-Family-Party-9-514405772 drops his wine jug]] when he hears that the gloomy-looking man he's pouring for is Hades, GodOfTheDead. Hades lets it pass in long-suffering silence.
** ''Webcomic/QueenOfTheDead'': In a moment of mutual OOCIsSeriousBusiness, Zeus drops his glass in shock when Hades asks him for [[spoiler:permission to marry Persephone]].
%%* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in ''Webcomic/BugMartini'' [[http://www.bugmartini.com/comic/at-the-drop-of-a-chat/ here]].
%%* ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'': Zeke's first appearance.
* ''Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies'': A servant drops a tray when she spots [[spoiler:Thistle with her [[LittleBitBeastly true form]] revealed, performing magic to heal a premature baby.]]
%%* Dominic's father Donovan displays it upon a harsh shock in one ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' comic. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what's the shock, and what does he drop?)
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'':
** When Vanamonde is informed by his grandfather that there's one more claimant to be his liege than he thought while holding a big cup of coffee.
** One of those frozen in time in Mechanicsburg had just dropped his cup in shock when the time stop hit, so it has been sitting midair just beneath his hand for the better part of three years.
%%** Done by Bangladesh Dupree with a [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120224 person]]. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what is it in response to?)
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Sarah [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2003-02-04 drops her glass]], which immediately [[DramaticShattering shatters]], after hearing Tedd interpret an almost illegible note from his dad as advice not to be thinking of proposing to Grace at his age.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Ms. Paint [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/4678 drops]] [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/4679 a tray]] upon seeing [[spoiler:[[EldritchAbomination Lord English]] [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou behind the fourth wall]]]].
* Done by Meimi, Yuki's mother [[spoiler:and retired {{magical girl}}]], at the end of ''Webcomic/{{Megatokyo}}'''s 9th chapter to introduce an element of uncertainty to [[spoiler:Miho's]] NoOneCouldSurviveThat, providing a massive {{cliffhanger}} as well.
* Being around the cast of ''Webcomic/MenageA3'' can be bad for anyone's grip. Just a couple of examples:
** "No man has ever been able to give me an orgasm!" -- [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/crash a waiter drops a bottle of wine]].
** "Thanks to '''you''' I've been eating '''pussy''' on a '''nightly basis'''!" -- [[https://pixietrixcomix.com/menage-a-3/mad-mad a waitress drops a coffee pitcher]].
* ''Webcomic/MySisterSuprema'': In "[[https://www.arkhaven.com/comics/superhero/my-sister-suprema/prove-it Prove It]]", when Cece realises she's lifted the car off the floor with one finger, she drops the can of beans she was fetching. Then she drops the ''car'', setting off its alarm.
* The webcomic ''Nothing Better'' has it at least twice. For example, Jane drops her shower bucket when she discovers a prank grodying up the shower stall.
%%** Katt drops her art supplies when she is shocked. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; shocked by what?)
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
** Malack drops the tray with bloodwart tea he was carrying [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0810.html at the sight of Nale]].
** Firuk Blackore, upon hearing that the [[spoiler:the lead vampire besieging the Firmament Temple of Thor is/was Durkon Thundershield]], drops a tray of beers in shock. For a dwarven brewmaster to waste perfectly good beer, that certainly means the situation is serious.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1126.html In a memory of Durkon's first day as a cleric]], his mother Sigdi Thundershield drops her spoon when her son reveals that he saw her name on Thor's temple's Wall of Donors.
%%* The trope is discussed in a ''Webcomic/PvP'' strip.
* ''Webcomic/QueenOfWands'': Shannon drops the phone due to [[spoiler:a complication with her pregnancy]], and Angela thinks Shannon just got disgusted and hung up on her.
%%* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' has a ''three-person'' example of [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1327 this trope]].
* ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'': In "[[http://satwcomic.com/brand-new-equipment Brand New Equipment]]", Denmark drops Sweden's glass Dala horse, which shatters, in reaction to Iceland's new exhibit for his penis museum, a human penis in a jar.
* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': In Chapter 10, Kokoro receives a threatening phone call from the Purple One. She's initially confused, but she [[https://www.sleeplessdomain.com/comic/chapter-10-page-12 drops her protein shake in shock]] when the voice on the other end mentions her [[MissingMom mother]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Liu Bei drops his chopsticks out of nervousness when Cao Cao calls him a hero in ''Fanfic/FarceOfTheThreeKingdoms''.
-->'''Liu Bei:''' [[BlatantLies Don't worry, I was really smooth about it.]]
* ''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic'':
** Invoked in "[[Recap/TheNostalgiaCriticS4E20 The]] ''[[Recap/TheNostalgiaCriticS4E20 OTHER]]'' [[Recap/TheNostalgiaCriticS4E20 Animated Titanic]]": The Critic sees the sharks from ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfTheTitanic'' agreeing to sink the ''Titanic'', starting with a JawDrop. Then he says that he needs to drop something, picks up a glass, pours water into it, and promptly drops it.
** In [[Recap/TheNostalgiaCriticS10E17 his review]] of the ''WesternAnimation/Ducktales2017'' reboot, he prepares to celebrate the end of the review with his favorite and most expensive champagne inside his favorite and most expensive champagne glass. Then the episode reveals that Della Duck, Donald's twin sister and mother of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, will play a part in the MythArc.
--->'''The Critic:''' Do you know how close I came [[SubvertedTrope to dropping that]]?
* ''WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment'': Spoony drops his controller at the sight of Quistis, a very hot teacher, in his ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' review.
* The ''WebVideo/SuperMarioLogan'' episode "Shrek's Diet!" has Mario briefly dropping rolls of toilet paper upon noticing Shrek unconscious on the floor after having a heart attack.
* In ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' version 4, Reiko Ishida does something like this with a piece of bread she had been eating when she finds out that [[AngstySurvivingTwin her twin sister Reika has been killed]]. This quickly reached MemeticMutation.
* In ''The Waiting Room'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjaTLFai5tw Episode 9]], ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} is playing with a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Fluttershy]] toy when ComicBook/{{Elektra}} tells him, "Last week, I killed forty men in a bathtub, wearing nothing but bubbles." -- and Deadpool drops Fluttershy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'':
** [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] during one episode:
-->'''Stan:''' Francine, drop whatever you're doing and help me!\\
'''Francine:''' ''[holding a plate with food]'' But it'll stain the floor. Can't I just put it away first?\\
'''Stan:''' Drop it!\\
''[Francine sighs and drops the plate]''\\
'''Stan:''' [[{{Jerkass}} Good. Now clean that up and help me look.]]
** Played straight in "[[Recap/AmericanDadS5E6PullingDoubleBooty Pulling Double Booty]]", where Stan drops his coffee mug after Francine tells him that Jeff broke up with Hayley, sending her into an UnstoppableRage through the mall.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' episode "[[Recap/AmphibiaS3E01TheNewNormal The New Normal]]", [[spoiler:Anne's mother drops the bowl of batter she was holding upon seeing Anne on her front porch, finally home after five months of being missing]].
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': In an EstablishingCharacterMoment, Vander drops his cast-iron gauntlets so he can pick up and carry [[OrphansOrdeal Vi and Powder]] to safety, literally and symbolically choosing protecting children over weapons. He is revealed to eventually have gone back and retrieved them to [[RetiredBadass hang in his bar]].
* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' episode "[[Recap/ArthurS8E10BigHornsGeorgeBleep Bleep]]", when DW is in a store, she sees a mother arguing with her son, and when she tells him that he can't go to a concert, he swears, and the mother drops the glass she was holding in shock. Later she repeats the word to Arthur to ask what it means, and he drops his model plane. She gets the idea that this is some kind of magic word that makes people drop things.
* ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'': Macie's father, on realizing that Ginger's right and he and his wife have forgotten Macie's 13th birthday, drops the stylus to his PDA -- and then lets the PDA fall.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderImprisoned Imprisoned]]": Katara drops what she's holding (a perfectly nice ceramic jug of water) when she realizes that Haru's been arrested and taken prisoner for illegal Earthbending.
** "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheFortuneteller The Fortuneteller]]": Aang goes all the way up a mountain at the top of a village for a panda lily to give his crush. He drops it when he realizes that the volcano atop said mountain is close to erupting.
** Season 3: Katara again drops some perfectly good food when she discovers that Aang has run (well, flown) away.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'':
** Two old ladies drop their teacups to shatter on the floor when Solomon Grundy shows up for revenge in a Halloween episode.
** Alfred drops a ''Ming vase'' when Ethan says something to Bruce about the Batman.
-->'''Alfred:''' Just a Ming.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE17SeeNoEvil See No Evil]]": There's a criminal who is ''[[InvisibilityCloak literally]]'' the DisappearedDad, thanks to the AppliedPhlebotinum. He pretends to be his daughter's ImaginaryFriend and holds a toy so she can tell where he is. When the little girl tells him they're moving, he drops the doll in shock.
* In ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', Sam drops her teacup when she gets that word Danny and Valerie have been in the same room together for hours. Can be taken as a DoubleEntendre as well.
* WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'s mom is busy talking to her boss, Eric, on the phone when Jake collapses from a heart attack. As soon as she realizes what's happened, she dropps her phone.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': At the start of "[[Recap/DuckTales2017S2E12NothingCanStopDellaDuck Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!]]", Scrooge drops the Cartographer's Quill, causing it to shatter, out of shock at opening the door to his mansion to find Donald's long-lost sister Della standing outside.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Green Eggs and Ham|2019}}'': Just as Guy and Sam dine on Green Eggs and Ham in "[[Recap/GreenEggsAndHam2019S1E13Anywhere Anywhere]]", Sam drops his fork in alarm [[spoiler:because the eggs taste similar to ones his mother made]].
* Helga and her father Big Bob on ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' both drop their glasses in shock when Miriam announces that she's going to be away from a few days, suggesting they spend some father-daughter quality time together while she's gone in the episode "Quantity Time".
* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' uses this trope a fair bit:
** The Flash drops his autograph pen when the bad guys show up.
** Wonder Woman drops Superman's birthday present when she and Batman walk in and find him dangerously compromised by a [[LotusEaterMachine Lotus Eater Plant]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheKarateKid'': Kina when Daniel and Taki come suddenly into her hut. A more problematic example than most because she drops the remaining water from the fountain of youth.
* In the episode "Hand in Hand" on ''WesternAnimation/KickButtowski'', Kendall drops her phone in the middle of a conversation with her boyfriend, Ronaldo, when she realizes that she's right outside the store he's in and he's about to exit and sees the possibility of him catching her and Kick together.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'':
** Ron drops his [[EggSitting "flour baby"]] in shock when his parents spring on him that they've adopted a baby. The "flour baby" is a school project, and it becomes the episode's RunningGag, as it is repeatedly dropped or otherwise damaged.
** When Nana Possible gets mind-controlled, she lets her lemon squares drop to the floor.
* ''WesternAnimation/MikeLuAndOg'':
** After Margery accidentally gets hypnotized into thinking she's a duck, she drops a cooking tool she was holding at the time.
** This also happens in "Fathers and Pies", when she catches Mike and Lu eating a pie (she thinks that Og has been turned into said pie).
* ''WesternAnimation/MollyOfDenali'': In "Wise Raven and Old Crow," Trini drops a bottle of milk when she realizes that Bonky, the baby moose, went missing.
* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS18E5GIAnnoyedGrunt G.I. D'oh]]", when Bart announces that he's going to join the Army when he turns 18, and Marge is conveniently carrying a bust of Homer.
* ''WesternAnimation/SkullIsland2023'': In the [[Recap/SkullIsland2023S1E3WhatsUpCroc third episode]], seeing the Kraken tear apart the rescue chopper like it's nothing is enough to make a stunned Sam's grip on his machine gun to go slack, letting it drop to the ground beside him while he's still staring in shock.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'''s Gwen Stacy drops her books in shock at seeing Harry Osborn unconscious on the ground after disappearing a while.
* Felicia Hardy drops a jar of face cream when she hears that the [[spoiler:body of Michael Morbius]] has been found in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' is very fond of this. We even get ''close-ups'' of the objects hitting the ground.
* ''WesternAnimation/YinYangYo'': Master Yo, who is extremely fond of soft pretzels, drops one when he realizes that the twins have been duped into actions that will result in letting a SealedEvilInACan out.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* A less dramatic, but memorable example occurs during a lecture by Creator/LRonHubbard on the events of [[ChurchOfHappyology OT III]]. When he gets to the part about how [[EvilOverlord Xenu]] used his last moments in office (he was about to be forcibly "un-elected") to "goof the floof", an attendee can be heard dropping their pencil, apparently in shock. Hubbard comments on this:
-->'''Hubbard:''' [[LampshadeHanging Yes, I don't blame you for dropping something...]]
* [[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/03/judas-priest-rob-halford-quentin-crisp-interview-redeemer-of-souls According to]] Rob Halford of Music/JudasPriest, this happened when he came out of the closet in 1998, which was basically a slip of the tongue. During an interview with Creator/{{MTV}}, he accidentally said "Speaking as a gay man..." while he was talking about something else, and the next thing he heard was the sound of the producer dropping his clipboard in shock.
* In the book ''Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ'', one example of emotional reaction is a waitress who dropped a tray of six dinners in shock when she saw a woman who had long, curly red hair like the woman her husband left her for.
[[/folder]]
----