skimp

English[edit]

WOTD – 26 October 2009

Perhaps of North Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skimpijaną. Cognate with Icelandic skimpa (“to scoff at, scorn”), German schimpfen (“to grumble, scold”), Dutch schimpen (“to mock, make fun of, scold”).

skimp (third-person singular simple present skimps, present participle skimping, simple past and past participle skimped)

(Scotland, Northern England) To mock, deride, scorn, scold, make fun of.
I thought Adie was only skimpin' me.

Probably related to scamp and scrimp.

skimp (third-person singular simple present skimps, present participle skimping, simple past and past participle skimped)

(transitive) To slight; to do carelessly; to scamp.
To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp.
- 1964 January, “The maintenance of B.R. diesel-electric locomotives”, in Modern Railways, page 54:
  The temptation to skimp examinations and maintenance procedures, to save time or overcome staff shortages, must be resisted, and supervisors must insist on strict adherence to maintenance schedules and quality of workmanship.
(intransitive) To save; to be parsimonious or stingy.

to slight; to do carelessly; to scamp

to make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp

to save; to be parsimonious or stingy

skimp (comparative more skimp, superlative most skimp)

skimp (plural skimps)

A skimpy or insubstantial thing, especially a piece of clothing.
- 2007, George Ella Lyon, With a Hammer for my Heart, p. 192:
  I remembered how fierce it hurt and how it blistered. All that pain from just a skimp of flesh.
(in the plural, colloquial) Underwear.
- 2007, Zoo Today:
  While presenting a rundown of the sexiest soap stars in the world in this week's ZOO, Hollyoaks' Gemma Atkinson very kindly stripped down to her skimps herself.