scrimp
save money
TRANSLATION
scrimp = knausern, sparen --- GOOGLE INDEX scrimp: approximately 300,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
For lessons in how to spend millions, Russian billionaires are a good place to start.
It is considerably over budget at a reported $1.2 billion, but Roman Abramovich's yacht is a fine example of how not to SCRIMP.
(BBC News)
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Hospitals SCRIMP; Safety Is Sacrificed
(New York Times, article headline)
It is considerably over budget at a reported $1.2 billion, but Roman Abramovich's yacht is a fine example of how not to SCRIMP.
(BBC News)
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Hospitals SCRIMP; Safety Is Sacrificed
(New York Times, article headline)
Did you
know?
scrimp (also used in the expression "scrimp and save")
verb
- to save money by spending less than is necessary to reach an acceptable standard
(Cambridge Dictionaries)
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Scrimp is a mid 18th century word that was originally an adjective meaning "scant, meagre." It may have stemmed from a Scandinavian source, as there are several related words in Swedish (skrumpna - to shrink, shrivel up) and Danish (skrumpen - shrunken, shrivelled). The Old English "scrimman" (to shrink) is also related.
Another possibility is a continental Germanic source such as the Middle High German schrimpfen and the modern German schrumpfen, to shrivel. All of these words may ultimately derive from the Proto-Germanic "skrimp."
Two other English words likely have similar roots. One is the adjective "skimpy," which means not large enough. It is often used in the context of clothing that shows a lot of the body (She’s wearing a skimpy bikini!). Skimpy could be an alteration of scrimp or it may be a variant of "scamp" (a child that behaves badly but in a harmless way). Then there is the verb "skimp," which is synonymous with scrimp.
The other word with similar roots is shrimp, which probably derived from the Old Norse skreppa (a thin person) via skrimp. Shrimp refers to a small edible sea creature with a thin shell, ten legs and a long tail. It is also slang for an extremely short person.
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SYNONYMS
cut back, skimp, curtail, conserve, save, economise, be frugal, make ends meet, pinch pennies, run a tight ship, stretch a dollar, tighten one’s belt, cut corners
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Future generations will suffer if we scrimp on education."
---
Thanks to Harald for suggesting today's word!
verb
- to save money by spending less than is necessary to reach an acceptable standard
(Cambridge Dictionaries)
---
Scrimp is a mid 18th century word that was originally an adjective meaning "scant, meagre." It may have stemmed from a Scandinavian source, as there are several related words in Swedish (skrumpna - to shrink, shrivel up) and Danish (skrumpen - shrunken, shrivelled). The Old English "scrimman" (to shrink) is also related.
Another possibility is a continental Germanic source such as the Middle High German schrimpfen and the modern German schrumpfen, to shrivel. All of these words may ultimately derive from the Proto-Germanic "skrimp."
Two other English words likely have similar roots. One is the adjective "skimpy," which means not large enough. It is often used in the context of clothing that shows a lot of the body (She’s wearing a skimpy bikini!). Skimpy could be an alteration of scrimp or it may be a variant of "scamp" (a child that behaves badly but in a harmless way). Then there is the verb "skimp," which is synonymous with scrimp.
The other word with similar roots is shrimp, which probably derived from the Old Norse skreppa (a thin person) via skrimp. Shrimp refers to a small edible sea creature with a thin shell, ten legs and a long tail. It is also slang for an extremely short person.
---
SYNONYMS
cut back, skimp, curtail, conserve, save, economise, be frugal, make ends meet, pinch pennies, run a tight ship, stretch a dollar, tighten one’s belt, cut corners
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Future generations will suffer if we scrimp on education."
---
Thanks to Harald for suggesting today's word!
