nickel-and-dime
verb🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪm/
🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪm/
(North American English)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they nickel-and-dime | 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪm/ 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪm/ |
| he / she / it nickel-and-dimes | 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmz/ 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmz/ |
| past simple nickel-and-dimed | 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmd/ 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmd/ |
| past participle nickel-and-dimed | 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmd/ 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmd/ |
| -ing form nickel-and-diming | 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmɪŋ/ 🔊/ˌnɪkl ən ˈdaɪmɪŋ/ |
- nickel-and-dime something/somebody
to spend or save very small amounts of money; to charge small amounts of money for lots of extra items 一点一点地花钱；一分分地节省；只收一点小钱 Set the money aside so you don't nickel-and-dime it away. 把钱存起来，这样你就不会一点一点地花掉了。 🔊🔊 We decided to go ahead even if we have to nickel-and-dime it. 我们决定继续进行，即使我们必须做到一丁点。 She's careful not to nickel-and-dime clients for extra charges. 她尽量不向客户收取一点儿额外费用。 🔊🔊
Word Origin1930s: originally denoting a shop selling articles costing five or ten cents.