Bagman suddenly spotted Harry, got up quickly, and bounded forward.
“Ah, here he is! Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come … nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment –“
(p303, Harry Potter 4, US edition)
I’d like to know the meaning of 'in you come' by comparing and contrasting it with two other expressions 'come on in' and 'do come in'. These three expressions are vaguely mixed in my mind. I know they are emphasizing 'come in', but are they equal in every way? If there's any difference, when should they be used?
Best Answer
The main difference is one of formality and/or politeness.
Do come in is the most polite/formal (but not too formal to still be friendly) - the "do" has the sense of please feel free to.
Come on in is slightly less formal. It is often used when there is some sort of hesitation or delay on the part of the listener (e.g. "Come on in, the water's lovely!" - indicating that one brave soul has tested the water, while the others are waiting on the beach; or if someone arrives late and starts apologising on the doorstop "I'm sorry I'm late, we were stuck in traffic, ..." I might say "Don't worry at all! Come on in!")
In you come is the least formal, and comes across as fairly friendly. It is slightly more of a command than the others - I might use it to a small child or an animal, while at the same time lifting or otherwise assisting them to enter.