Nickel-and-Dime

Etymology:

• Nickel and dime are the smallest units of currency of the United States. This idiom is an African-American saying based on the units of American currency. A complete opposite to this expression is the idiom “big bucks.” The idiom under consideration can also be used as a verb to refer any action taken with cheap manners. The example of the idiom as a verb is “Her boyfriend never takes her to fancy restaurants. He always nickels and dimes her.” Other examples are illustrated in the sentence above.