Has anyone heard this slang term? What does it mean, and is it pretty well known? Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, or simply holding on to my dimes! 
- Jinx
Rat them out.
Dropped a dime into the phone to call the police (or whoever) to get the person in some serious doo doo.
Unless I’ve bought into an incorrect myth, of course. I await either confirmation or correction.
I believe it means to inform on someone to the police, and that it refers to the once upon a time price of a phone call at a pay phone.
Very logical! The term was used in an old sit-com when pay phone calls were still a dime, so this does make sense.
[QUOTE=Jinx]
Has anyone heard this slang term? What does it mean, and is it pretty well known? Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, or simply holding on to my dimes! 
- Jinx
[/QUOTE]
It means to rat someone out. Way back in the day pay telephones cost a dime to use, so if you called the man from a pay phone, you literally dropped a dime in the coin slot.
(And now I will resume my spot on the porch with all the other geezers in rocking chairs…)
[QUOTE=Kalhoun]
(And now I will resume my spot on the porch with all the other geezers in rocking chairs…)
[/QUOTE]
You ain’t the only one…good lord, I remember when pay phones only cost a dime…and they were in booths.
[QUOTE=shizaru]
You ain’t the only one…good lord, I remember when pay phones only cost a dime…and they were in booths.
[/QUOTE]
…with seats!
[QUOTE=Kalhoun]
…with seats!
[/QUOTE]
And don’t forget the light that came on when you shut the door. You know, in the wooden indoor booths. With phone books inside.
[QUOTE=Crotalus]
And don’t forget the light that came on when you shut the door. You know, in the wooden indoor booths. With phone books inside.
[/QUOTE]
And the phone book was generally “intact.” Even if it was chained to the booth.
Aaaah…I never realized how much I’d miss a phone booth!
And the phones has dials. Rotary dials to enter the number, not buttons.
It’s getting crowded on this porch, Kalhoun.
[QUOTE=DrFidelius]
And the phones has dials. Rotary dials to enter the number, not buttons.
[/QUOTE]
My mother was an operator for Southern Bell. You know, like when you dialed the 0 on that rotary dial and a live person answered?
And the phone went “ding” for a nickle, “ding ding” for a dime, and “bong” for a quarter.
I remember dime pay phones as late as 1986. Ok, so that was 20 years ago. But still.
[QUOTE=psychloan]
I remember dime pay phones as late as 1986. Ok, so that was 20 years ago. But still.
[/QUOTE]
Where was that? I remember carrying quarters for pay phones when I was a salesman in the DC area in 84 and 85.
[QUOTE=RealityChuck]
And the phone went “ding” for a nickle, “ding ding” for a dime, and “bong” for a quarter.
[/QUOTE]
These tones sounded a lot like the little whistle that used to come in boxes of Captain Crunch :p.
[QUOTE=Cisco]
These tones sounded a lot like the little whistle that used to come in boxes of Captain Crunch :p.
[/QUOTE]
Different phone phreaking techniques. The whistle technique was different then recording and replaying the sounds of coins dropping.
[QUOTE=Crotalus]
Where was that? I remember carrying quarters for pay phones when I was a salesman in the DC area in 84 and 85.
[/QUOTE]
Between Batavia, Auburn, Lake Ontario and the NYS-Pennsylvania border.
Actually, these days I hear it shortened, like “Should I dime on him?”