nickel-and-dime

nickel-and-dime
nickel-and-dime [nik′əl ən dīm′ ]
Informal
adj.
1. costing or spending little; cheap
2. of little value or importance; minor; petty
vt.
nickel- (or nickeled-)and-dimed or nickel-and-dimed or nickeled-and-dimed, nickel- (or nickeling-)and-diming or nickel-and-diming or nickeling-and-diming
1. to spend very little on
2. to weaken, erode, destroy, etc. as by the repeated expenditure of small sums or repeated niggling actions
vi.
to spend very little
——————
nickel-and-dime it or nickel-and-dime one's way
to succeed or obtain something gradually by the repeated expenditure of small sums or the slow gathering of votes, power, money, etc. in small increments

English World dictionary. . 2014.

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  • nickel-and-dime — ick el and dime , a. 1. Trivial; unimportant; petty; as, nickel and dime criticisms. [informal] [PJC] 2. Involving only small amounts of money; small time; as, a nickel and dime business operation. [informal] [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nickel-and-dime — nickel and dime1 adjective AMERICAN INFORMAL inexpensive and unimportant: Don t worry too much about the little nickel and dime expenses. nickel and dime ,nickel and dime 2 verb transitive AMERICAN to ask someone to pay small but regular amounts… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • nickel-and-dime — ick el and dime , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {nickel and dimed} or {nickeled and dimed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {nickel and diming} or {nickeling and diming}.] 1. To harass or annoy with petty demands or for trivial reasons; specifically, to insist on minor… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nickel-and-dime — nickel and dime1 v [T] AmE informal to not give enough attention or money to something, with the result that it is not dealt with effectively nickel and dime 2 nickel and dime2 adj [only before noun] AmE unimportant or involving little money …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • nickel and dime — to pressure with repeated small charges or penalties: » Lawyers for the workers argued employers were nickel and diming low paid, largely immigrant laborers. (Wall Street Journal); Vacationers resented being nickel and dimed at the luxury resort …   Useful english dictionary

  • nickel and dime — (someone) American, informal to charge someone small amounts of money for something, often as an extra payment. I hate being nickeled and dimed by hotels for local telephone calls they already charge you so much for the room …   New idioms dictionary

  • nickel-and-dime — I verb 1. spend money frugally; spend as little as possible • Syn: ↑penny pinch • Hypernyms: ↑spend, ↑expend, ↑drop • Verb Frames: Somebody …   Useful english dictionary

  • nickel and dime — 1. adjective /ˌnɪkəl ən ˈdaɪm/ 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. 2. verb /ˌnɪkəl ən ˈdaɪm/ a) To charge, or be charged, sev …   Wiktionary

  • nickel-and-dime — /nik euhl euhn duym /, adj., v., nickel and dimed or nickeled and dimed, nickel and diming or nickeling and diming. Informal. adj. 1. of little or no importance; trivial; petty: a nickel and dime business that soon folded. v.t. 2. to expose to… …   Universalium

  • nickel-and-dime — American, informal very ordinary and not important. We drove along past deserted gas stations and nickel and dime diners. (always before noun) …   New idioms dictionary

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