nickel and dime

Alternative forms

• nickel-and-dime

Etymology

From the names of two US coins of small value.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌnɪkəl ən ˈdaɪm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

nickel and dime

1. (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

nickel and dime (third-person singular simple present nickel and dimes, present participle nickel and diming, simple past and past participle nickel and dimed)

1. (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.

2. (US, idiomatic, colloquial, figuratively) To wear down in small increments; to quibble or obsess endlessly with (someone) over trifles.

Noun

nickel and dime

1. (US, slang) Fifteen years.