"parsimonious person," 1900, from tight in the sense of "close-fisted" (1805) + wad. The notions of stringency and avarice also combine in Mod.Gk. sphiktos "greedy," lit. "tight."
n. a stingy person; a miser. (See also wad.) : There's no need to be such a tight wad.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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