salami slicing
noun [mass noun] British informal
The process of gradually reducing the size of something by a series of small incremental steps: several years of false economies from the salami slicing of budgets had created an underlying lack of confidence [as modifier]: public services were sparely run anyway, so salami-slicing cuts were no longer viable...
- He voiced worries that today's announcement would not be the last "salami slicing" of the post office network.
- But most have been "salami slicing" - changes at the margins rather than changes in business practices.
- Keep in mind - Eric and I would mildly to strongly disagree on where to stop the salami slicing if this were possible.
Derivatives
salami-slice
- At the moment, his premiership is in danger of being salami-sliced to death.
- Every project that costs anything at all is either cut entirely or salami-sliced, with obvious implications for operational effectiveness.
- The road is salami-sliced into slivers, separated by paramilitary police observation posts at intervals of as little as fifty metres.