bean-counter

bean counter

1. A derogatory term used to describe someone who obsesses over trivial and insignificant expenditures in an attempt to save money. As soon as the staff learned they had to purchase their own office supplies, they knew it was a result of the finance department's new bean counter tightening the company's purse strings.
2. An accountant. We need to get a bean counter in here to analyze these expense reports and give us the big picture on our finances.
See also: bean, counter
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bean-counter

n. a statistician; an accountant. When the bean-counters get finished with the numbers, you won’t recognize them.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • bean counter
  • a bean counter
  • blob
  • a blue-eyed boy
  • dikey
  • dykey
  • foundry
  • nut factory
  • nuthatch
References in periodicals archive
It's obvious that long gone are the days of the bean-counter, non-people-person CFO.
Today's CFO: coping with change
British military action and re-equipment is now being strictly governed by Whitehall bean-counters who do not have that many beans to count.
A Russian history lesson worth remembering... Get in touch - tell us what you think Email: ecletters@walesonline.co.uk Twitter: @WalesOnline Facebook: facebook.com/WalesOnline Post: Media Wales, 6 Park Street, Cardiff CF10 1XR
The bean-counters in our Government don't realise the human aspect of the Post Office."
Renationalise Royal Mail, says Corbyn
Bean-counters in then Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald's office warned decisions on payments should be kept well away from his desk.
State can't hide from the past.. COMMENT Park House, 191 - 197 North Circular Road, Dublin 7 Tel: 01 868 8600, Fax 01 868 8626, irishmirror.ie
The latest findings come from the "bean-counters" - the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Not as happy as they think
A number of vacancies have recently available for talented bean-counters to calculate country.
WANTED; SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ADVERTISE JOBS
If replacing an M2 machine gun pin for a couple of bucks can save replacing a $500 barrel extension, you can bet the bean-counters sit up and take notice.
Free but priceless
Cuts that potentially pose a risk to residents are unacceptable and usually made by bean-counters - in this case central government bean-counters - who have little knowledge of the services they intend to savage.
The cuts that could place us all at risk
The bean-counters have just revealed average household disposable income dropped another pounds 200 last year.
Cracking the whip
The Government and its bean-counters should think again.
Not such a taxing experience; emails & letters
While Alan Orme (Letters, May) may be understandably worried about the financial implications of climate change, I suspect that he, like most of us bean-counters, doesn't know enough about the subject to offer an informed opinion.
Green bean-counting
Although there is a small amount of adult content - 40 Hour Man is definitely for mature readers only - the primary focus is on frustrations of the working world, petty co-workers, vengeful bosses, bean-counters in suits, and other employment-related hazards.
40 Hour Man
Somebody obviously tried to raise the game with a sprinkling of drilled aluminium, but the GM bean-counters completely ruined the effect by stuffing in Astra indicator stalks and a tacky plastic interior light in the middle of the dash.
Quentin Willson's Motoring Column: SHAME ABOUT THE INFERIOR INTERIOR
Irene O'Neill, of the Independent Federation of Nurses, said: "The new breed of hospital bean-counters know the price of everything, but the value of nothing."
Don't deck our wards with boughs of holly
Many disabled drivers struggle to use public transport or to walk distances so rely on their cars and are thus an easy target for the NEC Group's bean-counters.
NEC should think twice about its car park charges