Obama misuses a phrase and makes news, but not for misusing

[idirtify]

Apparently Obama doesn’t know what it means for a company to “nickel and dime” someone. In fact he used the phrase exactly backward when he complained that BP has only “nickel and dimed” the people in Louisiana and the cleanup effort. While the term typically means “to charge lots of small monthly/hidden fees”, Obama thinks it means “to spend too little”. But the finniest part is how his goof keeps getting aired over and over because no reporter has the balls to point out the obvious. Well maybe I shouldn’t be criticizing the reporters, who may be intentionally playing (just as) dumb so that the pictures of the naked emperor get circulated for as long as possible. HHAAHHAA !

[Bruno]

I caught that and you bring up a very good point about the reporters not calling him out on it. But, we're not too surpised.

[Romulus]

lol funny

[FrankRep]

Apparently Obama doesn’t know what it means for a company to “nickel and dime” someone. In fact he used the phrase exactly backward when he complained that BP has only “nickel and dimed” the people in Louisiana and the cleanup effort. While the term typically means “to charge lots of small monthly/hidden fees”, Obama thinks it means “to spend too little”. But the finniest part is how his goof keeps getting aired over and over because no reporter has the balls to point out the obvious. Well maybe I shouldn’t be criticizing the reporters, who may be intentionally playing (just as) dumb so that the pictures of the naked emperor get circulated for as long as possible. HHAAHHAA !

Obama: "nickel and dimed" Nope. We need quarter and dollared.

[idirtify]

Obama: "nickel and dimed" Nope. We need quarter and dollared.

Good point about the hypocritical irony of the leader of the federal government (at least he thinks he is) complaining about anything other than the federal government “nickel and diming” people. NO company “nickel and dimes” people to death like the feds. And you are right that it’s more like “quarter and dollared”.

OTOH I guess Obama isn’t being hypocritical, because he’s actually too stupid to even know wtf he is saying.

[Vessol]

Eh, not as funny as Bushisms, but close.

That guy could've been a damned comedian.

[noxagol]

Need the teleprompter to take a vacation so we can really know what he thinks (a whooooole lot of nothing going on in there).

[BlackTerrel]

Apparently Obama doesn’t know what it means for a company to “nickel and dime” someone. In fact he used the phrase exactly backward when he complained that BP has only “nickel and dimed” the people in Louisiana and the cleanup effort. While the term typically means “to charge lots of small monthly/hidden fees”, Obama thinks it means “to spend too little”.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nickel-and-dimed

Adj 1. Involving or paying only a small amount of money

Verb 1. nickel-and-dime - spend money frugally; spend as little as possible

[Danke]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nickel-and-dimed

Adj 1. Involving or paying only a small amount of money

Verb 1. nickel-and-dime - spend money frugally; spend as little as possible

Why are you selectively quoting and editing?


nick·el-and-dime (nkl-n-dm) Informal
adj.
1. Involving or paying only a small amount of money: a nickel-and-dime job.
2. Minor; small-time: "a nickel-and-dime operation run out of a single borrowed room" (New York).
v. nick·el-and-dimed or nick·eled-and-dimed, nick·el-and-dim·ing or nick·el·ing-and-dim·ing, nick·el-and-dimes or nick·els-and-dimes
v.intr.
To spend very little money.
v.tr.
1. To drain or destroy bit by bit, especially financially: nickel-and-dimed the project to death.
2. To accumulate in small amounts: "nickel-and-diming a substantial bankroll together" (Newsweek).

[specsaregood]

Why are you selectively quoting and editing?

It doesn't matter. What BT has shown is that Obama used the phrase in an appropriate manner. Even though I have never heard it used that way myself.

[BlackTerrel]

Why are you selectively quoting and editing?

Because there are a number of uses for that phrase. Whatever is ranked as 1 is generally the most common use. So Obama used the most common use of the phrase.

[Danke]

It doesn't matter. What BT has shown is that Obama used the phrase in an appropriate manner. Even though I have never heard it used that way myself.

So he is using it as a Intransitive Verb. I didn't see in the OP the original quote.

I ASSumed the OP was speaking off of that.

[Vessol]

Because there are a number of uses for that phrase. Whatever is ranked as 1 is generally the most common use. So Obama used the most common use of the phrase.

Eh, I'd disagree to an extent. Almost all uses of it have been in reference of little small fee's here and there, such as referencing cell phone companies or banks. I've rarely, if ever, used it to refer to "low paying". Rhetorical evidence doesn't count, I'm aware, but this is the perspective that people are using.

[idirtify]

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nickel-and-dimed

Adj 1. Involving or paying only a small amount of money

Verb 1. nickel-and-dime - spend money frugally; spend as little as possible

I stand corrected. I didn’t even know the other use/definition existed, and I would have never suspected that one single verb phrase could have two meanings THAT ARE QUITE OPPOSITE (“to charge” and “to pay”). But it’s curious that your source doesn’t appear to even recognize my definition.

And it appears that my source doesn’t appear to recognize yours.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2904110/what_does_it_mean_to_nickel_and_dime.html?cat=3
"Nickel and diming" is an expression that has come to describe a grotesque way in which a company charges customers for marginal services that would more appropriately be rendered as free tokens to produce customer satisfaction.

Weird. Anyway it’s still my bad.

Here’s the clip:
YouTube - Obama Sees Progress on Oil Spill Response (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vu0grxTdc8&feature=player_embedded)
Obama Sees Progress on Oil Spill Response

“What I don’t want to hear is that when they are spending that kind of money on their shareholders and spending that kind of money on TV advertising, that they are nickel and diming fisherman or small businesses here in the gulf.

[nate895]

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/nickelanddime?view=uk


nickel-and-dime

• adjective N. Amer. of little importance; petty.

— ORIGIN originally denoting a store selling articles at five or ten cents.

Oxford wins.

[idirtify]

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/nickelanddime?view=uk

Quote:
nickel-and-dime

• adjective N. Amer. of little importance; petty.

— ORIGIN originally denoting a store selling articles at five or ten cents.



Oxford wins.

We're definitely talking about the verb use here.

[Fredom101]

"Change" you can believe in. HA!!

[RonPaulwillWin]

Shit, I feel dumb now, that's what I thought it meant also. I'm only 30 though, does that soften the blow?

[Slutter McGee]

Don't worry guys. The Daily Show will point this out....oh wait. shit. nevermind.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee