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on a dime

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on a dime

  (American informal)

if a vehicle or its driver turns or stops on a dime, they turn or stop in a very small space His car is great for parking - it can turn on a dime.

See also: dime, on

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]

See also: dime, on

on a dime

At a precise point; within a narrowly defined area: a sports car that stops on a dime.

See also: dime, on