# Etymology: "Drop The Dime" ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 18, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459 "2002-12-18T01:09:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459/1 "2002-12-18T01:09:00Z")

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Simply, where does the phrase “to drop the dime on someone” come from?

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459/2 "2002-12-18T01:12:42Z")

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Using a dime in a payphone to call the cops.

[Cite](http://members.aol.com/MorelandC/HaveOriginsData.htm#DropADime).

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459/3 "2002-12-18T01:15:31Z")

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…and it first appears in print in 1966(so far).

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459/4 "2002-12-18T03:26:32Z")

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So, nowdays, you have to drop two quarters on their ass!

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**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459/5 "2002-12-19T07:16:52Z")

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Gah I feel so freakin’ old.

I also remember when you used to truly “dial” the phone . . .

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**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-drop-the-dime/143459/6 "2002-12-19T10:44:24Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by lucwarm \*  
> \*\*Gah I feel so freakin’ old.
> 
> I also remember when you used to truly “dial” the phone . . . \*\*

dime and dide wait for no man…  
🙂  
or even find a phone that takes money?