> as lemmas

1886 W. Besant Children of Gibeon ii. xxxi Just as the toper squeezes the empty bottle and the miser skins the flint.

1656 W. T. in D. Lloyd Legend Capt. Jones (new ed.) Ded. sig. A7^v Quixot a winged Gyant once did kill, That's but a flying tale, beleiv't who will: This were but petty hardship, Jones was one Would Skinne a Flint, and eat him when h'had done.

1694 P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais 5th Bk. Wks. vii May I be broil'd like a Red-herring, if I don't think they are wise enough to skin a Flint.

1727 D. Defoe Compl. Eng. Tradesman II. i. iii. 87 That he will let no Body live by him, that he will skin a Flint, that he will buy cheaper than any Man can sell, and sell dearer than any Man can buy.

1803 J. Davis Trav. U.S.A. 374 You New Jersey Men are close shavers; I believe you would skin a louse.

1819 W. Faux Jrnl. in Mem. Days Amer. (1823) 10 One of those Yankees..who, in the Southern States, are said to skin a flea..for its hide or tallow.

1834 F. Marryat Peter Simple II. viii. 116 Report says, that she would skin a flint if she could.

1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 134/1 They'd skin a flea for his hide and tallow.

1859 C. J. Lever Davenport Dunn iv I was..brought up amongst fellows would skin a cat.

1886 W. Besant Children of Gibeon ii. xxxi Just as the toper squeezes the empty bottle and the miser skins the flint.

1917 E. Thomas Poems 33 For a farthing she'd skin a flint and spoil a knife Worth sixpence skinning it.

1933 L. I. Wilder Farmer Boy xxviii. 220 He counted all the bills over twice, and he looked exactly like a man skinning a flea for its hide and tallow.

1984 Folklore 95 177 Sayings..claiming that in order to indulge his passion the skinflint would perform unlikely or impossible feats—that he would indeed skin a flint.