scrimpyadj.1
/ˈskrɪmpi/, U.S. /ˈskrɪmpi/ Originally Scottish.
Of a person: inclined to scrimp or economize; mean, parsimonious; frugal, thrifty.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adjective]
gnedec900
gripplea1000
fastOE
narrow-hearteda1200
narrow?c1225
straitc1290
chinchc1300
nithinga1325
scarcec1330
clama1340
hard1340
scantc1366
sparingc1386
niggardc1400
chinchy?1406
retentivea1450
niggardousa1492
niggish1519
unliberal1533
pinching1548
dry1552
nigh1555
niggardly1560
churlish1566
squeamish1566
niggardish1567
niggard-like1567
holding1569
spare1577
handfast1578
envious1580
close-handed1585
hard-handed1587
curmudgeonly1590
parsimonious?1591
costive1594
hidebound1598
penny-pinching1600
penurious1600
strait-handed1600
club-fisted1601
dry-fisted1604
fast-handed1605
fast-fingered1607
close-fisted1608
near1611
scanting1613
carkingc1620
illiberal1623
clutch-fisteda1634
hideboundeda1640
clutch-fista1643
clunch-fisted1644
unbounteous1645
hard-fisted1646
purse-bound1652
close1654
stingy1659
tenacious1676
scanty1692
sneaking1696
gripe-handed1698
narrow-souled1699
niggardling1704
snippy1727
unindulgent1742
shabby1766
neargoinga1774
cheesemongering1781
split-farthing1787
save-all1788
picked1790
iron-fisted1794
unhandsome1800
scaly1803
nearbegoing1805
tight1805
nippit1808
nipcheese1819
cumin-splitting1822
partan-handed1823
scrimping1823
scrumptious1823
scrimpy1825
meanly1827
skinny1833
pinchfisted1837
mean1840
tight-fisted1843
screwy1844
stinty1849
cheeseparing1857
skinflinty1886
mouly1904
mingy1911
cheapskate1912
picey1937
tight-assed1961
chintzy1964
tightwad1976
1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. Scrimpie, not liberal of any thing; sparing, niggardly.
1882 Punch 4 Nov. 205/1 (caption) Man, ye needna' be sae scrimpy wi't—'tis for a puir fatherless bairn!
1918 J. Sully My Life & Friends i. 9 In those days wedded folk had not begun to be scrimpy in the duty of bringing children into the world.
1979 Amateur Photographer Feb. 88/1 If there's a good picture don't ever be scrimpy with film.
2009 Sarasota (Florida) Herald Tribune (Nexis) 16 Aug. a10 Money ain't everything,..but $38-a-pound tomatoes are just a wee bit much for this scrimpy son of Scotland.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
scrimpyadj.2
/ˈskrɪmpi/, U.S. /ˈskrɪmpi/ Small, meagre, scanty.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > smallness > [adjective] > skimpy
scrimp1681
skimp1775
skimping1775
scrimpy1829
skimpy1842
1829 [implied in: New Sc. Haggis (ed. 2) 289 He chowit the cude on the scrimpiness of his exchequer. (at scrimpiness n.)].
1835 Meerut Universal Mag. Sept. 246 ‘Mrs. Precise’..went as Rebecca some nights ago, in a most scrimpy pair of silk trowsers.
1883 Mag. of Art Aug. 402/1 A hall and staircase less abjectly ‘scrimpy’ than those usually met with.
1930 J. Dos Passos 42nd Parallel 147 I hate the scrimpy dump.
1977 Time 14 Nov. 55/2 Barry Nelson never throws away a line, even the scrimpiest, that he hasn't impeccably polished.
2014 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 5 Dec. 29 Melfi's film has a scrimpy budget.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.11825adj.21829