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a nip (here) and a tuck (there)

US informal

Definition

a series of small reductions: The department made a nip here and a tuck there, but they were still way over budget.Becoming and making smaller or lessBecoming and making less strong
(Definition of a nip (here) and a tuck (there) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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