Idiom – At the drop of a dime

At the drop of a dime – Idiom of the Day

Meaning:

To do something very quickly without much planning.

History:

It is still a debate whether this phrase is of English origin or Irish origin. It seems to have an ancestral phrase where “dime” was replaced with “hat”. In ancient days, dropping of a hat was a sign of a fight likely to occur at any moment. Hence the usage of this phrase is generally termed “arrogant”.

Idiom scenarios:

Scenario 1: 

Friend 1: Why are you urgently verifying all the legal documents of your house?

Friend 2: Don’t you know that I have a younger brother?

Friend 1: Yes, I do. 

Friend 2: He might be claiming the property any moment.

Friend 1: So you’re ready to go to the court at the drop of a dime?

Scenario 2:

Friend 1: Keats was a great poet

Friend 2: Yes, he could write poetries at the drop of a dime.

Exercises:

Fill in the blanks to understand the usage of the idiom:

1. You better get all the missiles ready. We must be ready to attack ……………………………..
2. Suhail changes moods ………………………………….
3. His dad fell ill. John rang the ambulance …………………………………