The REAL genesis of "dropping dimes"?

[Solid D]

Jamal Tinsley hands off 10 dimes or AI drops dimes left and right on an unselfish night then go home and read DIMEMAG.

It's a term from the street...but what is the REAL genesis of this term?

I've heard several opinions. "Brother can you spare a dime" or handout is one. There is also the less-mentioned but speculated dime-bag of weed. Who knows?

[boutons]

I vote, with NO authority, for a "dime bag" of dope, $10?, an "assist" from a dealer? "lower is always better" when interpreting street dialect.

Tons of "uplifting" argot from black urban culture. :)

[Solid D]

...and stay tuned next week when Sequ postulates on the etymology of the term:

"Can of Corn"

[Kori Ellis]

"Brother can you spare a dime" or handout is one.

I always understood that's where it came from, but I have no idea who coined the term or when.

[Solid D]

coined the term

:lol You are worse than I am.

[Spurminator]

It's from the Ancient Latin "Dimus" which means "A pass which leads to a thunderous dunk."

[Solid D]

I am just wondering because people say things all the time that they think has a certain meaning...but really it may come from something quite different that might end up being embarrassing for the person who says it...

...like "dog and pony show".

[Solid D]

Ha, Spurminator, you've been watching Anchorman again haven't you?

[MI21]

I always figured it was to do with "Can you spare a dime" as well.

Good question Solid, I wouldn't mind a solid answer too.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Dimes are hot women (as in perfect tens b/c a dime is 10 cents). You can have two nickels at a time; that would be equal to a dime.

[GoSpurs21]

I always thought it came from the street term "dropping a dime on someone".
as in assisting the police to catch the bad guy, by placing a dime in the telephone booth and making the call. I guess you could also drop a dime to a crime boss to have someone wacked.

[boutons]

"Can you spare a dime"

nah, not probable. That has a moral, brotherly, charitable context, positive. "can you spare a dime" is also a show of weakness, poverty, desperation, something that is NEVER done "on the street". street is all about primitive adolescent macho posturing, power plays, and bling display.

When in doubt, depend on crime, drugs, murder, prostitution, sex, violence, prison, guns to be the origin of any black street jargon.

[samikeyp]

street is all about primitive adolescent macho posturing, power plays, and bling display.

then its perfect for the NBA.

[MI21]

When in doubt, depend on crime, drugs, murder, prostitution, sex, violence, prison, guns to be the origin of any black street jargon.

Whoa.

[boutons]

"Whoa."

I'm not making a judgement about it, just making an observation. If you have evidence to contrary, state it.

[Mr. Peabody]

Dimes are hot women (as in perfect tens b/c a dime is 10 cents). You can have two nickels at a time; that would be equal to a dime.

That's crazy talk. The phrase "dropping dimes" comes from the games that used to take place in the 1970's, at old Woodlawn Gym. It was there that a young Derrick Gervin used to stop off for games on his way to the picture show down at Woodlawn Theaters. Picture shows were about a $1.25 back in those days. Derrick used to shake, bake, and shimmy with the best of them, but as a result, the change that he used to pay for the picture shows would fall out of his pockets whenever he played. We'd all sit around and say, "There goes Derrick, dropping his dimes again."
________
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[101A]

Like any other sports saying or jargon worth saying - Dan Cook invented it.

[ploto]

DROP A DIME - Especially underworld. "to place a telephone call; (specif.) to inform on someone by making a phone call to police."

Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 1, A-G by J.E. Lighter, Random House, New York, 1994.

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:46fBX6zxyGMJ:www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/17/messages/687.html+%22drop+a+dime%22+origin&hl=en

I have never found anywhere that verifies the meaning as related to basketball.

[Oh, Gee!!]

"There goes Derrick, dropping his dimes again."

Damn, whippersnapper!

[Solid D]

I always thought it came from the street term "dropping a dime on someone".
as in assisting the police to catch the bad guy, by placing a dime in the telephone booth and making the call. I guess you could also drop a dime to a crime boss to have someone wacked.

I also used to hear that expression "drop a dime" with reference to just calling someone, in general anyone, by phone. Pay phones were a dime a long time ago. Dialiing someone up or making a connection could be a possibility there.

[wildbill2u]

DROP A DIME - Especially underworld. "to place a telephone call; (specif.) to inform on someone by making a phone call to police."

Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume 1, A-G by J.E. Lighter, Random House, New York, 1994.

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:46fBX6zxyGMJ:www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/17/messages/687.html+%22drop+a+dime%22+origin&hl=en

I have never found anywhere that verifies the meaning as related to basketball.

Although the original meaning was to inform on someone by phoning in a tip, the term has also come to mean any form of informing on someone. For example, you can drop a dime on someone in a detective's office in order to get out of a jam of your own.

[ShoogarBear]

When in doubt, depend on crime, drugs, murder, prostitution, sex, violence, prison, guns to be the origin of any black street jargon.

Likewise, count on any condescending, assholish, ignorant statement to come from you?

No, I guess there are a few others around here . . .

[SpursWoman]

It's from the Ancient Latin "Dimus" which means "A pass which leads to a thunderous dunk."


:lol

[SpursWoman]

When in doubt, depend on crime, drugs, murder, prostitution, sex, violence, prison, guns to be the origin of any black street jargon.


Had that come from anyone else, I'd have responded: "I can't fucking believe you said that."




I always thought it came from the street term "dropping a dime on someone".
as in assisting the police to catch the bad guy, by placing a dime in the telephone booth and making the call. I guess you could also drop a dime to a crime boss to have someone wacked.


I like that one. :)

[Gatita]

Drop A Dime

1. To snitch on someone. Often, to save their own ass. Comes from the old cost for a payphone call, ten cents.

2. to throw a nice pass; in basketball terms, an assist

www.urbandictionary.com

[Carie]

I use urban dictionary all the time, but I didn't realize until today that you can submit a definition. There are a lot of creative people in here, we should come up with some great one's and consfuse the crap out of someone. :)

[boutons]

to throw a nice pass; in basketball terms, an assistto throw a nice pass; in basketball "terms, an assist"

... which is circular, but thanks anyway.

[Drachen]

I am just wondering because people say things all the time that they think has a certain meaning...but really it may come from something quite different that might end up being embarrassing for the person who says it...

...like "dog and pony show".


I didnt read the whole thread so someone may have already answered it, but it comes from when "urban informants" were "assisting" cops (NARCing) by calling them and giving them advanced information on crimes that were going down (drug deals, etc.) at the time. It became known as dropping dimes because these people could obviously not be seen going to and from the police station. They didnt want to use their own phones for fear of being bugged, so they would go use a payphone which, at the time that this became popular, cost a dime. They dropped a dime into the coin slot and assisted the cops in upholding the law.

[Kona]

who coined the phrase, "coined the phrase?"

[boutons]

http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorc.htm

http://www.businessballs.com/clichesorigins.htm