cross someone's palm

• cross someone's palm with silver

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cross someone's palm (third-person singular simple present crosses someone's palm, present participle crossing someone's palm, simple past and past participle crossed someone's palm)

1. (idiomatic) To pay for goods or a service.
   • 1910 October 12, “Pay to See Barney Statue: Hindu Butler Reaping a Harvest from Washington's Curious Folk”, in New York Times, retrieved 8 Apr. 2009, page 1:

     For all who cross his palm with silver he condescends to lift the drapery that hides the reclining figure, and the larger the coin the longer the look.

   • 1915, G. Harvey Ralphson, chapter 28, in Boy Scouts in Southern Waters:

     "I'd go into a trance and see if I could locate my chum." "You don't have to do that," declared Arnold. "Just cross my palm with a piece of silver and I'll locate him for you."

   • 2004 May 9, A. C. Snow, “Wasted lives beckon us to look”, in News & Observer, USA, retrieved 8 Apr. 2009:

     After crossing his palm with a donation, I felt entitled at least to ask where he was from.

• grease someone's palm