nickel and dime
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Alternative forms [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From the names of two US coins of small value.
Pronunciation [edit]
Adjective [edit]
- (US, idiomatic, colloquial) Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.
- I bought my new ride from some nickel and dime used-car salesman.
- Don't waste your time with that; their operations are nickel and dime.
Verb [edit]
nickel and dime (third-person singular simple present nickel and dimes, present participle nickel and diming, simple past and past participle nickel and dimed)
- (US, idiomatic, colloquial) To charge, or be charged, several unexpected small amounts of money, often in the form of fees, taxes, or related expenses to a venture, which when taken as a whole add up to a significant unexpected cost.
- I got nickel and dimed to death by the phone company's sneaky extra charges.
- It seems like a great offer, but they will just nickel and dime you until you've spent more than retail anyway.
- (US, idiomatic, colloquial, figuratively) To wear down in small increments; to quibble or obsess endlessly with (someone) over trifles.
See also [edit]
Noun [edit]
- (US, slang) Fifteen years.
