# nickel and dime

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/nickel-and-dime
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Small time; operating on a small scale; involving small amounts of money; petty or cheap.

## Examples

- They nickel and dime their customers for every small service.
- Cheap hotels often nickel and dime you for basic things like towels.
- The airline will nickel and dime you for extra bags, seat selection, and even water.
- I decided to quit that job because the manager would nickel and dime me over every five-minute break I took.
- The contractor promised a low price, but then he started to nickel and dime us for every nail and screw he used.
- Rather than offering a comprehensive package, the company chose to nickel and dime its clients through a series of hidden, incremental fees that eventually totaled a significant sum.

## Origin

The phrase originates from the American retail landscape of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, specifically referencing stores where every item was priced at either a nickel or a dime. The idiom emerged from this commercial practice of accumulating small, individual charges which, while minor in isolation, collectively constituted the entirety of a transaction.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.