drop a dime
To make a telephone call.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I will drop a dime to my friend later today.”
“Please drop a dime to the doctor if your fever gets worse.”
“I always drop a dime to my grandmother on her birthday.”
“If you need any help with the project, just drop a dime to the office and ask for me.”
“Whenever you feel lonely while traveling abroad, you should drop a dime to your parents to hear a familiar voice.”
“The manager asked the team to drop a dime to the client before the meeting starts to confirm the time.”
“The detective waited in the shadows, hoping the informant would finally drop a dime regarding the suspect's location.”
The expression originates from the mid-20th-century American practice of using a ten-cent coin to operate a public telephone. To drop a dime was to insert the necessary currency into a payphone to contact the police and provide information regarding a third party's illicit activities. The phrase persists as a synonym for informing on an associate, though the required coinage and the booths themselves have largely been retired from service.
- 01
a dime a dozen
So common as to be practically or almost worthless.
- 02
a short drop and a sudden stop
A fall to one's death by hanging.
- 03
dime's worth
An insignificant amount
- 04
don't drop the soap
Used as a mockery to someone who is about to be or should be confined in prison.
- 05
drop a bollock
To make a mistake.
- 06
drop a bomb
Alternative form of drop a bombshell.
- 07
drop a bombshell
To announce surprising or alarming information suddenly and without warning.
- 08
drop a brick
To commit a faux pas, especially in speech, such as by tactlessly speaking of a subject that should not be mentioned.
Last updated August 10, 2026