nickel-and-dime

nickel-and-dime
verb
1. spend money frugally; spend as little as possible
Syn: ↑penny-pinch
Hypernyms: ↑spend, ↑expend, ↑drop
Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

2. accumulate gradually
-

she nickeled-and-dimed together a small house for her family

Hypernyms: ↑scrape, ↑scrape up, ↑scratch, ↑come up
Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

adjective
1. of minor importance
-

a nickel-and-dime operation run out of a single rented room

-

a small-time actor

Syn: ↑small-time
Similar to: ↑unimportant
2. low-paying
-

a nickel-and-dime job

Similar to: ↑cheap, ↑inexpensive

* * *

ˌnickel-and-ˈdime f2 adjective, verb
involving only a small amount of money; not important

a nickel-and-dime job

 
Word Origin:
1930s: originally denoting a shop selling articles costing five or ten cents.
 
verb \nickel-and-dime sth/sb (NAmE)
to spend or save very small amounts of money; to charge small amounts of money for lots of extra items

Set the money aside so you don't nickel-and-dime it away.

She's careful not to nickel-and-dime clients for extra charges.

We decided to go ahead even if we have to nickel-and-dime it.

 
Word Origin:
[nickel-and-dime] 1930s: originally denoting a shop selling articles costing five or ten cents.
 

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • 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… …   English World dictionary

  • 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 — 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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