put a nickel in someone
v. phr.— «It came from the days of the Nickelodeon (very early 20th century) and was retailed to me by my grandmama. People would pop a nickle into the Nickelodeon (player piano) and a frantically energetic and chipper song would play. So, when someone around her (usually me or one of my brothers) was all hopped up on gumdrops or something and talking a mile a minute, she’d say “Who put a nickel in you tonight?!”» —“Good night’s sleep” by Darla Vladschyk in Nova Scotia, Canada Usenet: alt.religion.kibology Nov. 23, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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