Default! The two sweetest words in the English language! Well, "a default" is a failure to meet an obligation. "By default" means that the other party/parties failed to meet their obligation. When a team wins by default, it means the other team didn't compete (eg. they failed to turn up). Here is an example of winning by default (the Australian way!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mmrmHiFVAw In your example, there are two ways of interpreting this comment: - speaker B "doesn't do flashy", which implies that everyone else "does flashy", and therefore no-one else is trying to do their own style. - speaker B in fact CAN'T "do flashy", therefore she is forced to have her own style. I haven't watched Pretty Little Liars, so I really can't tell without context.

In this example, 'by default' means because of the lack of opposition. A. Is saying that B has her own style, but B feels that A is no competition for her. Do you understand? I hope I have explained this well enough for you!

I suppose it's 'casual' style.

Thank you!

For example '' it happens on its own '' - '' it happens by default '' or another example from google :D ''Tom entered a race. His opponents never came to the race, so Tom won by default. ''