phrase
General Slang
drop a dime
DROP uh DYME · phrase · slang
To snitch or inform on someone
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Definitions
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To tip off the authorities or tell on someone. Historically evokes dropping a dime in a payphone to call the cops.
“Somebody dropped a dime and the whole thing fell apart.”
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drop a dime In A Sentence
Somebody dropped a dime and the whole thing fell apart.
Origin & Usage
American/NYC slang from the payphone era; a 'dime' being the cost of a call to report someone.
People Also Ask
What does 'drop a dime' mean?
It means to snitch or inform on someone — to tip off the authorities or tell on someone.
Where does 'drop a dime' come from?
It's from the payphone era, when a dime was the cost of a call, evoking dropping a coin to phone in a report on someone.
How do you use 'drop a dime'?
Use it for informing on someone, like 'Somebody dropped a dime and the whole thing fell apart.'
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