Eager beaver

[0314] Penny-pincher

🎲 Thick-skinned
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A person who is extremely careful, frugal, or thrifty with money, often to the point of being considered stingy or miserly by others.
  • They strongly dislike spending money, even on small things.

Origin

  • The term creates a vivid image of someone literally pinching (holding tightly) every penny (a coin of the smallest value in the UK and historically US/Canada).
  • It implies reluctance to let go of even the smallest amount of money.
  • Dates back to at least the late 19th or early 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Cheapskate, tightwad, miser, scrooge, skinflint, frugal (can be neutral/positive), thrifty (usually positive), stingy, parsimonious (formal).

Alternatives

Slang/Informal (Mostly negative):

  • Cheapskate (Very common, implies unfairness in spending, e.g., avoiding paying their share)
  • Tightwad (Very common, similar to cheapskate, emphasizes reluctance to spend)
  • Skinflint (Implies extreme, harsh miserliness)
  • Scrooge (Reference to Dickens' character, implies miserly and mean-spirited)
  • Tight / Tight-fisted (Common adjectives describing the trait)
  • Cheap (Direct adjective, can be seen as rude)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Tight arse / Tight-ass (Common vulgar term for stingy)
  • Cheap bastard / Cheap fuck (Vulgar insults)
  • Stingy git/sod (UK/Aus)

Milder/More Neutral/Positive:

  • Frugal (Often neutral, implies careful and economical management of money/resources)
  • Thrifty (Usually positive, implies resourcefulness, avoiding waste, making wise use of money)
  • Economical
  • Careful with money / Spends wisely
  • Budget-conscious / Good with budgets
  • Saver (Focuses on the positive goal)
  • Parsimonious (Formal, means unwilling to spend money or use resources)

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal. It carries a negative connotation, implying excessive or unpleasant frugality (stinginess).
  • Avoid in formal contexts or when trying to be polite or neutral about someone's financial habits. Use frugal or thrifty for more neutral/positive descriptions.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • The term is inherently critical or negative. It should not be confused with more neutral terms like frugal (careful with resources) or positive ones like thrifty (resourceful, avoids waste), although the behaviors can overlap. Penny-pincher emphasizes the negative aspect of reluctance to spend.

Examples

  • He's such a penny-pincher, he walks five miles to save on bus fare.
  • She became a real penny-pincher while saving for her down payment, cutting out all luxuries.
  • Don't expect him to treat you; he's a notorious penny-pincher.

Dialogue

Anna: Let's all go out for dinner to celebrate Maya's promotion!

Ben: Great idea! Should we invite Tom?

Anna: Hmm, maybe not. You know he's such a penny-pincher, he'll just order water and complain about the prices. It might spoil the mood.

Ben: Good point. Let's keep it to the core group then.

Social Media Examples

  • Post: My partner is an adorable penny-pincher always finding the best deals! Sometimes drives me nuts, but mostly I admire the dedication. 😂 #frugalliving
  • Comment on a 'cheap date ideas' article: Perfect for us penny-pinchers! Thanks!
  • Reddit thread title: AITA for calling my friend a penny-pincher after they refused to split the bill evenly?

Response Patterns

  • Agreement: Tell me about it!, He really is tight., You're not kidding.
  • Sharing examples: Yeah, remember when he wouldn't chip in for coffee?
  • Mild defense or context: Well, maybe they have to be careful., They're saving for something important.
  • Annoyance: It drives me crazy!

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After calling someone a penny-pincher:

  • People often share specific anecdotes illustrating the person's extreme frugality or stinginess.
  • Discussion might turn to how this behavior affects social situations (e.g., splitting bills).
  • Action: People might avoid financial dealings with the person, decide to pay for them to avoid hassle, or simply accept this trait.

Conversation Starter

  • No. Describes someone's negative or extreme attitude towards spending money.

Intonation

  • Usually spoken with mild criticism, disapproval, exasperation, or sometimes wry observation.
  • Stress falls on penny and pincher.
  • a PENNY-PINCHER.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood across generations. The concept of being overly careful with money is timeless.

Regional Variations

  • Common in most English-speaking regions.
  • Tight arse (UK/Aus/NZ) or Tight-ass (US) is a common vulgar equivalent, meaning stingy.
  • Tight or tight-fisted are common adjectives.
Eager beaver
🎲 Thick-skinned