pinch-gut

pinch +‎ gut

pinch-gut (plural pinch-guts)

1. (obsolete) A miser; especially someone parsimonious with food.
   • 1690, John Crowne, “Lady Pinch-guts Houſe”, in The English Frier, act 2, scene 1, page 9:

     Por. We are my Lady Pinch-guts men, Sir.
     Co. Her Men? No, he Mice. We live upon crums,^[sic] and a good Cat would run away with us all.
     […]
     L. W. I wonder at it; my Lords humour is very oppoſite to hers, he loves Grandeur.
     Co. So does ſhe, Sir, but hates to pat for't. She will ha' Servants for a ſhew, and they ſhall ha' Liveries for a ſhew, when company comes: But when company's gone, we are ſtripp'd and ſtarv'd; a damn'd Papiſtical Heathen.

   • [1883, William Clark Russell, Sailors' Language‎, page 103:

     Pinch-gut—A mean purser.]

• pinch-back, pinch-belly, pinch-commons, pinch-crust, pinchfist, pinchpenny, pinch-plum; See also Thesaurus:miser

• pinch-gut money, pinch-gut pay (“allowance paid if provisions run short”), pinch-gut ship (“ship that feed sailors poorly”), pinch-gut vengeance (“bad beer”), pinch-gutted (“very hungry”)