drop a dime on and rat out

[Anne Lambert]

"Drop a dime" was a program inviting people to put a dime in the phone (you see
this must have been rather long ago) and report drug dealers.  I don't know any
more about it.

Jesse T Sheidlower wrote:

> >
> > In a case I've been working on the writer of a threat message uses the
> > expressions, "I don't want to drop a dime on him" and "I don't want to rat
> > him out," both of which mean that the writer doesn't want to expose or
> > fink on someone else. I haven't been able to find any published resources
> > on these expressions, especially about what occupation or group might most
> > commonly use them But from my years of experience dealing with criminal
> > defense attorneys and prosecutors (as well as the suspects involved), I
> > recall them coming up in conversation regularly, leading me to suspect
> > that they are common to law enfocement, law breaking, and the
> > courtroom. I've informally checked with attorneys and FBI agents and they
> > agree. I was rather content with this notion until I read Anna Quindlen's
> > column in Newsweek on Jan 17, where she uses them both. But I know her
>
> _Drop a dime_ and related expressions are in volume I of the
> RH HDAS, and _rat out_ will be in the III. I don't have it
> at hand but I'm sure the first is given a label of "Und." or
> "Police and Und." or something like that.
>
> But both expressions I think are reasonably well known outside
> the criminal world, or at least well enough known that their
> use by a mainstream writer shouldn't occasion too much surprise.
>
> Jesse Sheidlower
> Oxford English Dictionary
> <jester at panix.com>