nickel-and-dime
verb
- 1
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.”
- 2
To wear down in small increments; to quibble or obsess endlessly with (someone) over trifles.
adjective
- 1
Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.
“Don't waste your time with that; their operations are nickel and dime.”
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