cross palm with silver

cross (one's) palm with silver

To pay someone, often as a bribe. Well, if you cross my palm with silver, I might remember a few details about the people you're asking about. I crossed her palm with silver to make sure she won't come after us.

See also: cross, palm, silver

cross someone's palm with silver

Fig. to pay money to someone in payment for a service. (A fortune-teller might ask for a potential customer to cross her palm with silver. Used in that sense or jocularly for something like tipping a porter.) I crossed his palm with silver, but he still stood there. You will find that things happen much faster in hotels if you cross the staff's palms with silver fairly often.

See also: cross, palm, silver