I overheard someone using the phrase "jaw-dropping," and realized what an unusual phrase it is. Certainly, if you think about it, it's an adjective used to describe something that makes your jaw drop, yes, but there are things that could make your jaw drop that we wouldn't use the phrase "jaw-dropping" to describe. For example, someone could punch you in the face and force your mouth open (agape), but we wouldn't call it a "jaw-dropping" punch. What might we call a jaw-dropping punch? A punch that astonished, amazed, or surprised everyone watching the fight, making THEIR mouths open and jaws drop.
"Jaw-dropping" has an extreme meaning, and should be used for something that truly shocks you.
Try using "jaw-dropping" the next time you're truly amazed or suprised. Keep in mind, based on my own judgment, we often use it in a shared experience, so don't always need a noun. In other words, if you and I go outside and see seven feet of snow on the ground, we probably wouldn't waste our breath (use a lot of words) saying "That's a jaw-dropping amount of snow," we'd probably just say "That's jaw-dropping!"
According to the Corpus of Contemporary American English, the phrase "jaw-dropping" comes most often before these words: moment, view(s), athleticism, and scenery. What do these things have in common? They are all things we usually see or watch.
Now ya know!
