This is American Slang? 2: The Dime-Drop

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In round 2 of a new fan favorite, “This is English Slang?” we assess the phrase “drop a dime.” At first site, I’d assume that the meaning was telling not to be so cheap, however after you read the context they use it in, you’ll see the authors had much different intentions.

Rose: “Don’t be such a stranger. Drop a dime sometime.”
Michael: “Okay, you too.”

In this context, we find that it means “call me.” It must refer to the cost of a phone call costing a dime or $.10. However, it would make better sense to me if the saying was “drop a quarter,” but I guess that doesn’t have the desired flow.

Given my definition of cheapskate-behavior, here’s my context:

Alfred: “I’ll just offer 50 RMB for that bike.”
Susie B: “Oh jeez. It’s worth more than that. Drop a dime sometime.”

You have a try.

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