What it means
A cheapskate is someone who's stingy to the point it becomes everyone's problem. Not just broke, not just careful, but weirdly allergic to spending money, especially when it's their turn. It's the mate who ghosts the bill, counts every coin, and acts like buying a round is financial warfare.
Usage examples
"Don't be such a cheapskate, it's your round and you know it."
"He's a total cheapskate, he regifted the same candle three Christmases running."
"Quit being a cheapskate and chip in for the takeaway, you've eaten half of it."
"She's such a cheapskate she'll use your Netflix for years and still moan about splitting a taxi."
Where it comes from
Cheapskate is old American slang from the late 19th century. Cheap kept its usual sense of stingy or low-cost, and skate was a slang insult for a worthless or contemptible person. Put together, it landed as a sharp little roast for someone mean with money, and it stuck.
Other ways to say it
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