Why do they call an assist a dime?

[hoyafrigginsaxa]

please help me out. I've been wondering this for years. Obviously I could google or wikipedia it but I trust the knowledge of this board over everything else.

[grokamok]

I'm not sure, but I believe it is short for "dropping it on a dime." Similar to "turning on a dime" indicating a small turning radius or "stopping on a dime" indicating an ability to halt quickly, this indicates precision, as a dime is the smallest coin and, thus, hitting an imaginary dime (e.g., with a well-placed bounce-pass) would be difficult.

[dungeon ball]

Somewhat related...

I haven't listened to a radio broadcast of a Hoya game in a while, probably 2001. I seem to remember getting needlessly excited way too often because Chvotkin called entry passes "alley-oops." Anyone else remember this? Like "and there's an alley-oop to ruben boumtje boumtje."

Is "alley oop" an old school term for pass? Does Chvotkin still do this?

[bubbrubbhoya]

Dec 11, 2008 8:54:55 GMT -5 dungeon ball said:

Somewhat related...

I haven't listened to a radio broadcast of a Hoya game in a while, probably 2001. I seem to remember getting needlessly excited way too often because Chvotkin called entry passes "alley-oops." Anyone else remember this? Like "and there's an alley-oop to ruben boumtje boumtje."

Is "alley oop" an old school term for pass? Does Chvotkin still do this?

No. The use of "alley-oop" first appeared in the 1970s when Will Ferrell began throwing above-the-rim passes to Andre 3000 as part of the ABA's Flint Tropics' miracle run to the championship. "Alley-oop," then, has always meant what we take it to mean today, and Chvotkin is just plain wrong (though loveable).

[Cambridge]

Dec 11, 2008 1:15:08 GMT -5 hoyafrigginsaxa said:

please help me out. I've been wondering this for years. Obviously I could google or wikipedia it but I trust the knowledge of this board over everything else.

Phonebooth calls used to cost a dime. To call somebody required you to insert a dime and in many movies out of the film noire genre to rat somebody out or call in an anonymous tip to the cops was to "drop a dime." That phone call was used to assist the cops or whoever you informed.

[I Bleed Hoya Gray]

And now Chris Wright is dropping dimes in the Phone Booth. How full circle.

[Cambridge]

Alley Oop has a strange history. The phrase is basically a corruption of a French phrase used by acrobats. Allez-vous (hoop!) would mean "Up you Go" or "There you Go" ("hoop" being just a verbal punctuation or flourish).

In the thirties, the phrase became very well-known as it was the name of a character in a popular comic strip, Alley Oop, who was often seen swinging from vines like Tarzan.

In the fifties, the 49ers had a play that involved the quarterback Tittle throwing up a jump ball in the end zone for his reciever Owens. Since Owens resembled the character Alley Oop swing through the trees, they called the play "Alley Oop."

A few years later, in the sixties, the Tucker brothers at Ok. Baptist are credited with throwing down the first Alley Oop in basketball. It was called the Alley Oop because it resembed the 49ers play.

In the seventies, David Thompson brought the play into its own at NC State.

[saxamaphone]

Dec 11, 2008 10:12:34 GMT -5 Cambridge said:

Dec 11, 2008 1:15:08 GMT -5 hoyafrigginsaxa said:

please help me out. I've been wondering this for years. Obviously I could google or wikipedia it but I trust the knowledge of this board over everything else.

Phonebooth calls used to cost a dime. To call somebody required you to insert a dime and in many movies out of the film noire genre to rat somebody out or call in an anonymous tip to the cops was to "drop a dime." That phone call was used to assist the cops or whoever you informed.

Carmelo Anthony called, he wanted me to remind you that snitches and talkers get stitches and walkers.

Stop snitching!

[TBird41]

[lichoya68]

drop a dime to tell the cops something hmmm assist guess it kinda goes wowowwowow what a strectch but if those are the facts then those are the facts.. does this mean if we drops like 17 dimes vs. memphis we get away with murder or something just a thought go hoyas

[bmartin]

Dimes represent charity, as in "Brother, can you spare a dime?," the March of Dimes, John D Rockefeller handing out dimes, etc.

[Omega]

A "dime" also refers to perfection. As in, "she is a dime," or a perfect 10!

[hifigator]

A "dime" is also slang for an amount of really good weed that would make up a good sized joint, sold for $10 -- thus the term, "dime bag."

Incidentally, those little plastic baggies that are sold individually at convenience stores in seedy areas are also known as "dime bags," although if you ask the guy behind the counter, he calls them "jewelry bags." Man, there sure is a lot of jewelry activity in some strange places.

[royski]

The term dime bag has nothing to do with the quality of the weed. It is simply a term for a bag that costs 10 bucks. That's the last I'll say on the issue, if you'd like to discuss it further, we can do so by PM.

[hifigator]

Dec 11, 2008 16:36:53 GMT -5 royski said:

The term dime bag has nothing to do with the quality of the weed. It is simply a term for a bag that costs 10 bucks. That's the last I'll say on the issue, if you'd like to discuss it further, we can do so by PM.

I guess I was a little confusing. IF the weed is the "cryp," then a dime bag is essentially a decent sized joint. That's all I meant. I was just trying to put a tangible aspect for those who might not ... shall we say ... be with the program. But you are correct. It will typically be a half gram on the cryp all the way up to close to 2 grams of "regs." FYI

[seaweed]

I am with royski on the dime bag thing, though nowadays a dime bag is probably 75$ or something outrageous. $10 worth these days wouldn't make a pinner. In much the same sense, a 'lid' was the amount of weed that you could fit on the lid of a coffee can (or in the case of one mistakenly generous dude who had clearly been sampling his inventory, in a frisbee - also called a lid, but here because they fly like the lid of a trash can compared to better designed frisbee golf discs).

It once took a friend some time to remeber what was supposed to go in a 'sandwich bag' - would have been much funnier if that Statie hadn't had his flashlight in our eyes.

You can tell I have an exam shortly, willing to talk about anything else...

[bubbrubbhoya]

Dec 11, 2008 15:38:17 GMT -5 hifigator said:

A "dime" is also slang for an amount of really good weed that would make up a good sized joint, sold for $10 -- thus the term, "dime bag."

Incidentally, those little plastic baggies that are sold individually at convenience stores in seedy areas are also known as "dime bags," although if you ask the guy behind the counter, he calls them "jewelry bags." Man, there sure is a lot of jewelry activity in some strange places.

Do they sell these "jewelry" bags at Speaker City, Hifi?

[hifigator]

No, we don't sell "jewelry" bags, though there are some mysteriously littering the sidewalk in front of the store periodically. Seriously though, it is so funny when I buying beer or whatever at the store, and I notice the bags on the counter and kind of chuckle. The guy behind the counter immediately calls them "jewelry bags" as if to "justify" selling them in much the same way head shops can't legally sell "bongs" but water pipes are fine. I just think it's kind of humorous.

[royski]

"Water pipes" for "tobacco use only". Because that's just what every cigarette smoker wants to do. Take a giant bong rip of tobacco.

[Boz]

So.....am I to understand from all of this discussion that the use of the word "dime" for an assist all originated with Khalid El-Amin? ;D

You are all clearly high by the way. I had drug training for managers this morning. I know how to spot these things.

(thank you for wasting two hours of my time as usual, Human Resources....I could have spent most of that time on HoyaTalk).