At the drop of a dime/hat
Idiom / PhraseSSC PYQ × 19Without hesitation; immediately
आनन-फानन में
He would explain a concept at the drop of a dime.
At the drop of a dime is the American form of the hat phrase.
Daily use: Iska matlab bina soche turant.
पहले referee race शुरू करवाने के लिए अपनी hat (टोपी) ज़मीन पर गिराता था; टोपी गिरी और दौड़ शुरू — बिना एक पल की देर। Dime (अमेरिका का छोटा सिक्का) वाला form भी वैसा ही है। At the drop of a hat/dime = तुरंत, बिना हिचक।
In the past, a referee would start a race by dropping his hat; the moment it touched the ground, the runners set off without a second's delay. The dime form (a dime is a small American coin) works the same way. So it means immediately, without hesitation.
बहुत बार पूछा गया है: answer है — without hesitation / immediately; hat और dime दोनों forms याद रखिए। 'Promptly' सही बैठता है, जबकि 'after much thought' और 'dithering' उल्टे हैं।
Very frequently asked: the answer is 'immediately, without hesitation'; learn both the hat and the dime forms. 'Promptly' fits, while 'after much thought' and 'dithering' are opposites.