nickel and diming

Verb

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

1. (US, colloquial, idiomatic) 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. (US, colloquial, figuratively, idiomatic) To wear down in small increments; to quibble or obsess endlessly with (someone) over trifles.

See all 5 meanings of nickel and dime