nickel and dime

• nickel-and-dime

From the names of two US coins of small value.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌnɪkəl ən ˈdaɪm/

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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.

nickel and dime (third-person singular simple present nickel and dimes or nickels and dimes, present participle nickel and diming or nickeling and diming or nickelling and diming, simple past and past participle nickel and dimed or nickeled and dimed or nickelled 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.

• fleece

nickel and dime

1. (US, slang) Fifteen years.