In Spanish, a cheapskate might be described as having a cocodrilo en el bolsillo, or a “crocodile in the pocket,” meaning they consider reaching for their wallet too perilous. In English, a stingy person may also be said to have taffy pockets...
One way of saying someone’s a tightwad or cheapskate is to say he “has fishhooks in his pocket,” meaning he’s so reluctant to reach into his pocket for his wallet, it’s as if he’d suffer bodily injury if he did. In Australia, a similar idea is...
A caller wants to know the origin of the word piker, as in a “parsimonious person.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Etymology of Piker” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hello. Hi, who’s this? This is Ann. Hello, Ann. Where are...