call dibs

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiominformalAmerican

   To announce that you are claiming something, such as a seat, a snack or a turn, before anyone else can take it.

   Grammar: Usually followed by on: call dibs on the last slice. The verb call changes with tense: she called dibs.

   Patterns

   • call dibs on something
   • call dibs on doing something

   I call dibs on the front seat for the drive home.

   She called dibs on the last slice of pizza before anyone else could reach for it.

   If you're clearing out the attic, I'm calling dibs on that old record player.

Word forms

Common combinations

call dibs on the front seat

My brother always calls dibs on the front seat.

call dibs on the last piece

Nobody dared call dibs on the last piece of cake.

call dibs first

You have to call dibs first, or it doesn't count.

already called dibs

Sorry, I already called dibs on that chair.

call dibs on a room

The cousins ran upstairs to call dibs on the best room.

Synonyms and how they differ

claim

Claim is neutral and works in any setting, while call dibs is playful and spoken.

bagsy

Bagsy is the British schoolchild equivalent and has the same joking, first-come tone.

reserve

Reserve suggests a formal arrangement made in advance, like booking a table, not a shouted claim.

stake a claim

Stake a claim is more serious and can be used for land, rights or ideas, not just snacks.

Opposites

Word family

dibs noun

the right to claim something first

have dibs on phrase

to hold a claim to something

first dibs noun

the first right to choose or take

Commonly confused: call dibs or dips?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “call dibs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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