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apropos of

apropos of idiom

Concerning, in connection with, as in Apropos of keeping in touch, I haven't heard from her in months. This idiom was a borrowing of the French à propos de (“to the purpose of”) in the 17th century. At first it was used without of and meant “fitting” or “opportune,” as in Their prompt arrival was very appropos. By the 1700s it was also being used with of, as in the current idiom, for “concerning” or “by way of.”

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.