diff --git a/dropdown.go b/dropdown.go
index 0279041..e8cc6d9 100644
--- a/dropdown.go
+++ b/dropdown.go
@@ -155,22 +155,22 @@ func (w *guiWidget) dropdownClicked(mouseW, mouseH int) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
-var dtoggle bool
+var dtoggle bool    // temporarily tracking show & hide
+var doffset int = 5 // how many spaces over the dropdown menu should be from the mouse
 
-func dropdownUnclicked(mouseX, mouseH int) {
+func dropdownUnclicked(mouseW, mouseH int) {
 	var d *guiWidget
 
-	// log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked() mouseup: got inside me.dropdown handler? wxh =", mouseX, mouseH)
+	// log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked() mouseup: got inside me.dropdown handler? wxh =", mouseW, mouseH)
 	if me.dropdownV == nil {
-		log.Log(GOCUI, "mouseUp() dropdownV = nil. you don't have a fake dropdown window to make visible", mouseX, mouseH)
+		log.Log(GOCUI, "mouseUp() dropdownV = nil. you don't have a fake dropdown window to make visible", mouseW, mouseH)
 		return
 	}
-	// log.Log(GOCUI, fmt.Sprintf("dropdownUnclicked at apparently (w=%d h=%d)", mouseX, mouseH))
-	// log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked() find out what the string is here", mouseX, mouseH, tk.gocuiSize.h1)
+	// log.Log(GOCUI, fmt.Sprintf("dropdownUnclicked at apparently (w=%d h=%d)", mouseW, mouseH))
+	// log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked() find out what the string is here", mouseW, mouseH, tk.gocuiSize.h1)
 
-	rootW := me.treeRoot.TK.(*guiWidget)
 	// examine everything under X & Y on the screen)
-	for i, w := range findByXY(rootW, mouseX, mouseH) {
+	for i, w := range findByXY(mouseW, mouseH) {
 		log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked()", i, w.WidgetType)
 		if w.WidgetType == widget.Dropdown {
 			d = w
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ func dropdownUnclicked(mouseX, mouseH int) {
 		}
 	}
 	if d == nil {
-		log.Log(GOCUI, fmt.Sprintf("dropdownUnclicked() there was no dropdown widget at (w=%d h=%d)", mouseX, mouseH))
+		log.Log(GOCUI, fmt.Sprintf("dropdownUnclicked() there was no dropdown widget at (w=%d h=%d)", mouseW, mouseH))
 		return
 	}
 	log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked()", d.node.Strings(), "end. now try to enable me.dropdownV")
@@ -191,8 +191,9 @@ func dropdownUnclicked(mouseX, mouseH int) {
 		tk.SetText("goodbye")
 	} else {
 		log.Log(GOCUI, "dropdownUnclicked() set visible=true")
-		tk.Show()
+		tk.MoveToOffset(mouseW+doffset, mouseH)
 		tk.SetText(dtext)
+		tk.Show()
 		dtoggle = true
 	}
 }
diff --git a/find.go b/find.go
index 508967e..a2978a6 100644
--- a/find.go
+++ b/find.go
@@ -5,8 +5,31 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/widget"
 )
 
-// returns the widget under the location on the screen
-func findByXY(widget *guiWidget, w int, h int) []*guiWidget {
+/*
+	gocui defines the offset like this:
+
+ 	   width -> increases to the right
+	----------------------------------    hieght
+	|            H = 1               |   increases
+	|                                |       |
+	| W = 1                   W = 18 |       |
+	|                                |       v
+	|            H = 5               |   downwards
+	-------------------------------------
+*/
+
+// change over to this name
+// returns all the widgets under (X,H) that are visible
+func findByXY(w int, h int) []*guiWidget {
+	rootW := me.treeRoot.TK.(*guiWidget)
+
+	// this searches the binary tree recursively (function is right below)
+	return findByXYreal(rootW, w, h)
+}
+
+// this checks a widget to see if it is under (W,H), then checks the widget's children
+// anything that matches is passed back as an array of widgets
+func findByXYreal(widget *guiWidget, w int, h int) []*guiWidget {
 	var widgets []*guiWidget
 
 	if !widget.Visible() {
@@ -24,7 +47,7 @@ func findByXY(widget *guiWidget, w int, h int) []*guiWidget {
 
 	// search through the children widgets in the binary tree
 	for _, child := range widget.children {
-		widgets = append(widgets, findByXY(child, w, h)...)
+		widgets = append(widgets, findByXYreal(child, w, h)...)
 	}
 
 	return widgets
@@ -33,8 +56,7 @@ func findByXY(widget *guiWidget, w int, h int) []*guiWidget {
 func findUnderMouse() *guiWidget {
 	w, h := me.baseGui.MousePosition()
 
-	rootW := me.treeRoot.TK.(*guiWidget)
-	widgets := findByXY(rootW, w, h)
+	widgets := findByXY(w, h)
 
 	// search through all the widgets that were below the mouse click
 	var found *guiWidget
diff --git a/place.go b/place.go
index 278315f..ca0737f 100644
--- a/place.go
+++ b/place.go
@@ -8,6 +8,29 @@ import (
 	"go.wit.com/widget"
 )
 
+/*
+	gocui defines the offset like this:
+
+ 	   width -> increases to the right
+	----------------------------------    hieght
+	|            H = 1               |   increases
+	|                                |       |
+	| W = 1                   W = 18 |       |
+	|                                |       v
+	|            H = 5               |   downwards
+	-------------------------------------
+*/
+
+// moves the gocui view to the W and H offset on the screen
+func (tk *guiWidget) MoveToOffset(W, H int) {
+	tk.gocuiSetWH(W, H)
+}
+
+// returns where the corner of widget starts (upper left)
+func (tk *guiWidget) Position() (int, int) {
+	return tk.gocuiSize.w0, tk.gocuiSize.h0
+}
+
 func (w *guiWidget) placeBox(startW int, startH int) {
 	if w.WidgetType != widget.Box {
 		return
@@ -215,29 +238,6 @@ func textSize(n *tree.Node) (int, int) {
 	return width, height
 }
 
-// moves the gocui view the W and H offset on the screen
-/*
-	gocui defines the offset like this:
-
- 	   width -> increases to the right
-	----------------------------------    hieght
-	|            H = 1               |   increases
-	|                                |       |
-	| W = 1                   W = 18 |       |
-	|                                |       v
-	|            H = 5               |   downwards
-	-------------------------------------
-*/
-// change over to this name
-func (tk *guiWidget) MoveToOffset(W, H int) {
-	tk.gocuiSetWH(W, H)
-}
-
-// returns where the corner of widget starts (upper left)
-func (tk *guiWidget) Position() (int, int) {
-	return tk.gocuiSize.w0, tk.gocuiSize.h0
-}
-
 func (tk *guiWidget) gocuiSetWH(sizeW, sizeH int) {
 	w := len(widget.GetString(tk.value))
 	lines := strings.Split(widget.GetString(tk.value), "\n")