1851 June 476/1 There are points involved..which have received scarcely a passing notice at the hands of the penny-picking hordes and demagogue adventurers who have..thrust their puny efforts on the reading public.
1920 D. H. Lawrence vi. 99 This grubby penny-picking England.
1995 (Nexis) 31 Mar. 49 Savaged by penny-picking grocers, UK distribution profits fell..on 3 per cent higher sales.