on a recent ride I considered how much more convenient it might be to have a signaling device on my bike. are there any bells that don't sound girly?

also where would a bell go anyway on a drop bars?

I'll be poking around looking at signaling options. I may just stick with shouting: "passing!" or "on your left!" or "coming through!"

I like a loud freehub. I've had little kids jump, thinking it was a huge bug coming up behind them.

Bell options for drop bars have been getting better in just the last few years, mostly due to Mirrycle expanding their range. They have an AdjustABell, which fits easily on 31.8 bars (maybe even on flattened bars, too, although I haven't tried), and a Shimano-specific bell that mounts in the top of STI shifters (I got this one after realizing that I didn't like changing hand positions to reach my AdjustABell). I think I had mentioned the STI bell to my LBS, who ordered a batch and sold them relatively quickly. I also tried to use their barend bell in drop bars, but the tubing diameter was big enough that I would have needed to stuff some extra padding around the bell insert to keep it secure (plus, depending on orientation, it would ding constantly like a bell on a cat collar).

Here's a bunch of theirs:
https://mirrycle.com/road_bell.php
https://mirrycle.com/headset_mount.php
https://mirrycle.com/adjustabell.php
https://mirrycle.com/triple.php
https://mirrycle.com/omnibell.php
https://mirrycle.com/barend.php

I've also seen pictured on BF bells mounted in the drops just below the shifters. They look like they could be reached by the thumb when riding either on the hoods or in the drops, yet they're out of the way and don't affect hand grip.

Velo Orange also sells headset spacer-mounted bells. I've got one like these on another bike, and it really does sound nice.
https://www.velo-orange.com/bellsdingding.html
https://www.velo-orange.com/jabemoonhesp.html
https://www.velo-orange.com/spbemo.html

I've got half a mind to get one of the hamburger-sized two-tone bells, just for kicks. Not sure what bike I'd put it on, though.

(adding on) Any shop should be able to get a hold of drop bar-friendly Mirrycle bells. With most trails requiring signaling devices, they should sell fairly easily, too. I'd stock them if I ran a shop.

Side topic --

The phrase I've used the most has become just, "You're good, you're good!" (always repeating so they're sure of what I said the first time). It doesn't seem as rude as announcing that I'm coming through, and seems to encourage them to keep doing what they're doing and let me worry about getting around. But, I have to slow down enough to make it practical -- but that's fine, too, since I'm not expecting to maintain (relatively) high speeds among crowds.

Very loud Ding Dong Bell

I have the Velo Orange brass bell that mounts on its own headset spacer. Easy to reach, and loud!

I mount the Incredibell to the upright part of my stems. They fit fine on old 1 inch stems, but need a clamp extender on modern threadless steerers. This puts the bell right above the headtube for me.

any electric buzzers out there? I don't mind maintaining a battery

Any with an easily removable mount, like with an O-ring or something? I wouldn't mind one when I'm on the MUP but I wouldn't want to have it on all the time.

I also use the Velo Orange spacer bell mentioned above:

https://www.velo-orange.com/jabemoonhesp.html

I've got an Incredi-bell that is incredibly loud for a simple bell. I also have one of the Velo-Orange bells that mount on the headset, but the Incredi-bell is much louder. However, if you really one to get people's attention there is a horn called an Air-Zound or something similar that is supposedly like a car horn.

If you ever encounter joggers and road-walkers while cycling, a bell is essential. I don't use mine a lot, but it's kept me from potentially colliding with clueless joggers a few times.

that's it? really? a girly "ding" or a "car horn"?

I did something similar as 10 Wheels did with an Incredibell, but on the right side (decided I wanted more dexterity for the front brake). Allows me to bell AND brake (more or less) w/o moving hands too much. I've found that a significant amount of time, "on your left" generates a left turn and deer-stare from walkers. A bike bell is unambiguous regardless of language or age and seems to get the walkers and joggers with earbuds in out of their zone and back into the real world. Seems to help a little warning off deer and other critters.

I also have left the front brake pads on my commuter (cantis) deliberately squeally. Bike brakes squealing HARD behind someone is 100% unambiguous. (I don't want to hit them, hurt them, or even scare them. I just want them to decide which half of the bike trail they are going to use for the moment and stick with that decision until I've passed them.)

the incredibell clamp doesn't look big enough to fit over my bars, specially not over the tape and I'm not gonna re wrap the bars just for the bell.

Check the Adjustabell, Omnibell, or Triple versions. The Adjustabell's got extra mounting strap sticking out even when mounted on the 31.8 mm thick clamp section of current road bars.

Links are back in my earlier post (first response in this thread).

I use the Chinese Crane brass bell and mount it on the stem of my commuter bike. It has a commandingly loud sound. On the MTB tandem where weight is not an issue I use the big chrome Chinese two tone ding-dong bell.