dropped a dime
Made a call
To drop a dime is to make a phone call, especially to inform on someone to authorities—from the days when pay phones cost ten cents.
Someone dropped a dime on the operation and the cops showed up.
The phrase carries connotations of betrayal or snitching, though it can simply mean tipping off: She dropped a dime to the reporter about the scandal.
- fingeredIdentified to authorities
- grassedCovered with lawn
- denouncedPublicly accused or condemned
- tip offSecretly inform beforehand
- blew the whistleRevealed illegal activity
notify · make a call · snitch · spill the beans · tattle · disclose · sell out · telephone · rat · whistleblower · turncoat · turn state's evidence · narc · squeal · name names · let the cat out of the bag · call · backstab
dropped a dimekept quiet
protected · stood by · looked the other way · played dumb · said nothing
dropped a dimestonewalled
Deliberately unresponsive
clammed up · took the fifth · lawyered up · ran interference
dropped a dimehad someone's back
Gave reliable support
protected · loyalty · solidarity · omertà
drop, dropped, dropping, drops, dropper, droplet, dime, dimes