Is it stop on a dime or turn on a dime?

to be able to stop almost immediately, even when moving very quickly: He runs up the field and stops on a dime to catch the ball.

Where does the saying stop on a dime come from?

It looks like Ford copyrighted the phrase “Flivvers can stop on a dime” in 1921. The Ford Model T was nicknamed the flivver. Literally, it means nothing. Figuratively, the dime was at the time and still is the smallest coin regularly in circulation, so it means in the smallest measure of space.

What is the saying turn on a dime?

To turn on a dime is to change direction almost instantly. When you literally have a very small turning radius, you can turn on a dime, whether you’re on foot or in a speed boat. This phrase is also commonly used figuratively, to mean instantly change focus or switch abruptly to something new.

What does the idiom this car can stop on a dime mean?

What does stomp on a dime mean?

To come to a complete halt very suddenly or in a very short distance.

What does it mean to drop a dime?

Synonyms of drop a dime (on) to give information (as to the authorities) about another’s improper or unlawful activities. The criminal dropped a dime on his former associates in exchange for a more lenient sentence.

What does foot stomp mean?

to put a foot down on the ground hard and quickly, making a loud noise, often to show anger: The little boy was stomping his foot and refusing to take his medicine.

Why does dime mean assist?

it originates from the days when pay phones not only existed but cost 10 cents, or a dime, to use, with “dropping a dime” being synonymous with helping someone out.

What does dime bag mean?

ten dollars
noun Slang. a packet containing an amount of an illegal drug selling for ten dollars. Also called dime.

What does the phrase’turn on a dime’mean?

Sometimes life can turn on a dime. This is a phrase that is often applied to cars with four-wheel drive, but it can apply to many different situations in life. The operative word is change, but it depends on how things change. What Does ‘Turn on a Dime’ Mean? To turn on a dime means “to turn very quickly and with agility.”

What does it mean when a car stops on a dime?

on a dime In a very small space, suddenly, as in That horse is so well trained it can turn on a dime. This expression alludes to the fact that the dime is the smallest-size U.S. coin. At a precise point; within a narrowly defined area: a sports car that stops on a dime.

When do you use get off the dime?

But for the past several decades I’ve heard the expression get off the dime being used to mean “get started” or “get going” and is used in the same circumstances as the idiom “get a move on.”. It seems obvious to me that this must be a transposition of “stop on a dime” (a metaphorical one, at least).

What does it mean when a horse turns on a dime?

on a dime. In a very small space, suddenly, as in That horse is so well trained it can turn on a dime. This expression alludes to the fact that the dime is the smallest-size U.S. coin. [Early 1900s]