# cross someone's palm

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cross-someones-palm
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To pay for goods or a service.

## Examples

- You must cross his palm to get the service.
- The official refused to sign the documents until I crossed his palm with a significant amount of cash.
- In the shadows of the marketplace, the merchant expected you to cross his palm before he would reveal the location of the hidden goods.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.