dime store

noun

1. five-and-ten ( def 1 ).
2. Bowling. a split in which the five and ten pins remain standing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dime store¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

One is a treatise on physics disguised as a restlessly plotted dime store detective novel; the other a coda in the form of a series of transcribed conversations between psychiatrist and patient, again delving into McCarthy's almost spiritual affinity for math and physics.

From Salon

Or you find these weird, mass-produced Art Nouveau statues that would have been sold at the dime store.

From New York Times

And stop subjecting the readers of this fine newspaper to his bitterness and dime store psychiatry.

From Los Angeles Times

The McCrory’s Five and Dime store made an ice cream soda that was so good that the Jim Crow lunch counter “hardly registered” to the young Reed.

From Washington Post

Charlotte Smith was raised in the small town of Borger, Texas, by parents who ran a five and dime store, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.

From Seattle Times