{"id":9474,"date":"2022-09-25T18:01:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-25T18:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=9474"},"modified":"2022-09-25T18:01:08","modified_gmt":"2022-09-25T18:01:08","slug":"drop-a-dime-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/drop-a-dime-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Drop a Dime \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to describe a snitch? You could say that they \"dropped a dime\". Keep reading to learn more about the meaning and origin of the idiom \"to drop a dime\", and find out how you can use the saying in a sentence!<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200bMeaning<\/h2>\n

The American idiom \"to drop a dime\" means to snitch, inform an authority figure, or betray someone<\/u>. It always has a negative meaning in this context.<\/p>\n

The expression comes from the fact that the price of using a payphone used to be 10 cents \u2014 a dime.<\/p>\n

\"Dropping a dime\" can alternatively refer simply to making a phone call<\/u>. This use is less frequent.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200bExample Usage<\/h2>\n

Would you like to use the phrase \"to drop a dime\" in a sentence? These examples illustrate how you can do that:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \"Pete dropped a dime on us as soon as the cops started interrogating him. He just couldn't stand the thought of going to jail.\"<\/li>\n
  • \"Don't worry, I didn't tell my sister about the prank we're planning. She'd only drop a dime on us!\"<\/li>\n
  • \"Avoid that kid like the plague. He's a dime-dropper.\" (This variation changes the idiom \"to drop a dime\" into a noun.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u200b\u200b\u200bOrigin<\/h2>\n

    The idiom \"to drop a dime on someone\", which is primarily used in the United States, originally referred to the action of calling the police about a crime.<\/p>\n

    Over time, \"dropping a dime on someone\" came to refer to any kind of snitching \u2014 telling on parents, teachers, or employers can be considered \"dropping a dime\" too.<\/p>\n

    \"Dropping a dime\" comes from the fact that it used to cost 10 cents (a dime) to make local calls from a payphone. The caller would literally \"drop a time\" into the designated slot to place a call.<\/p>\n

    It is unclear precisely when the phrase \"to drop a dime\" first became popular, but the expression was definitely in use in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

    Interestingly, the word \"dime\", meaning 10 cents, can be traced back to the old French word \"disme\", which gradually evolved into \"dime\". A dime is a tenth in French, which is how the word came to be used to describe 10 cent coins.<\/p>\n

    The idiom has become less popular over time. The last Urban Dictionary<\/em> entries defining dropping a dime as snitching were made in 2018. Newer entries show that the phrase has gained several new meanings:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \"To make a nice pass\" (in basketball)<\/li>\n
    • \"To fund something\"<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \u200bPhrases Similar to Drop a Dime<\/h2>\n

      If you don't want to use the phrase \"drop a dime\", you can simply call someone a snitch. You could also use these slang terms and idioms:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • A rat is a snitch \u2014 if you want to describe the action, talk about \"ratting someone out\".<\/li>\n
      • A narc.<\/li>\n
      • Telling on someone \u2014 mainly used by children.<\/li>\n
      • Snitches get stitches \u2014 this phrase is used to warn people against \"dropping a dime\".<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \u200bPhrases Opposite to Drop a Dime<\/h2>\n

        The opposite of dropping a dime, meaning informing on someone, would be to keep a secret or to keep silent. You can use the following phrases to tell someone to keep quiet:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Keep mum<\/li>\n
        • Keep your lips sealed<\/li>\n
        • Keep it under wraps<\/li>\n
        • Keep your mouth shut<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          \u200b\u200bWhat Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

          The correct saying is \"to drop a dime on someone\". This American idiom means \"to snitch\" or \"to inform on someone\".<\/p>\n

          \u200b\u200b\u200bWays People May Say Drop a Dime Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

          The idiom \"to drop a dime\" isn't complete with the addition \"on someone\". You can say that someone dropped a dime on you, or on someone else. If you want to call someone a snitch, it would be incorrect to simply say that they \"dropped a dime\".<\/u><\/p>\n

          \u200b\u200b\u200bAcceptable Ways to Phrase Drop a Dime<\/h2>\n

          You can say that a snitch dropped a dime or is planning to drop a dime on someone. This idiom no longer just refers to police informants.<\/p>\n

          If you're planning to use the phrase \"to drop a dime\", be aware that the smartphone era has made \"dropping a dime\" redundant. Younger people are unlikely to understand the expression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Are you looking for a way to describe a snitch? You could say that they \"dropped a dime\". Keep reading to learn more about the meaning and origin of the idiom \"to drop a dime\", and find out how you can use the saying in a sentence! \u200b\u200b\u200bMeaning The American idiom \"to drop a dime\" […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9474"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9474"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9475,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9474\/revisions\/9475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}