piker

piker

1. slang An extremely frugal or stingy person; a cheapskate or miser. I tried to convince her to spend a little bit more money and get some nicer wedding invitations, but she's such a piker that she just went for the cheapest ones she could find. Don't be a piker, Tom—leave them a little bit more for a tip!
2. slang A slothful, lazy, or indolent person; someone who avoids work or shirks their responsibilities. He was such a piker all his life that it's kind of strange seeing him apply himself so enthusiastically to his work now. The problem with this industry is that it attracts its fair share of pikers who just want a paycheck for as little actual work as possible.
3. slang Someone who is disinclined to participate in social activities with others. I keep inviting Brett to come out with us on the weekends, but he keeps being a piker and hanging back at home. You can't be a piker your whole time in university, or you'll miss out on half the reason for being here!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

piker

(ˈpɑɪkɚ)
1. n. a miser; a cheapskate. (Also a term of address.) A 5 percent tip? You piker!
2. n. a lazy person; a shirker. Come on, you lazy piker. There’s plenty left for you to do.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • pinch and scrape
  • a close chewer and a tight spitter
  • chewer
  • close chewer and a tight spitter
  • spitter
  • pinch pennies
  • scrimp
  • skimp
References in periodicals archive
Like other foreign anthropologists working in Southeast Asia at the time--Melford Spiro, Stanley Tambiah, Marjorie Muecke, Steven Piker, among others--Terwiel felt the need to create broad categories to describe the inconsistency of purported belief and actual practice.
Monks and Magic: Revisiting a Classic Study of Religious Ceremonies in Thailand
Before exploring Piker's views on the origins of federal systems, it is important to understand how he defined federalism.
Origin, operation, and significance: the federalism of William H. Riker
As it turns out, of course, Willie Sutton was a piker, and my father, unwittingly, was the prophet.
Rethinking my career
In his Conclusion, Kahn quotes William Piker to the effect that "an initial difficulty in any discussion of federalism is that the meaning of the word has been thoroughly confused by dramatic changes in the institutions to which it refers" (p.
Federalism, Democratization and the Rule of Law in Russia
One of those Eisenhower-era plays, however, actually ended up making Cats look like a piker: Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones's The Fantasticks--a "celebration and send-up of young love," according to lyricist and book writer Jones--ran for an era-elapsing 42 years.
The Fantasticks. (Trends & Events)
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute--The university met a variety of strategic goals relating to technology and innovation, notes David Piker, executive director of external affairs.
Quality time: Three-time and more winners of the Indiana Quality Improvement Awards share advice, success. (Manufacturing)
(She appropriately reminds us that a term often given as the etymological root of picaro has to do with "piker," a soldier carrying a pike/pica).
Discursos de pobreza: roeforma social y la novela picarezca en a prinicipios de la Espana moderna
The Parliament followed rapporteur Hubert Piker (EPP/ED, Austria) in amending the Eurodac Regulation raising the minimum age from 14 to 18 years.
JUSTICE & HOME AFFAIRS COUNCIL: PACKED AGENDA FOR MINISTERIAL SESSION ON DECEMBER 2
Colorful, crowded canvases filled with all manner of contemporary English types, these comedies satirize hypocrisy and greed, exploiters and gulls, rogues and fools; as Jonson points out in the title of the last piece, the devil himself is a mere piker compared to humankind and its capacity for mischief.
Jonson, Ben
In the end, Boris Piker battled past Mohamad Mansi 25-16 in the final.
2nd singles title spices Cook's wallball slam
If you fancy hunting one, first you must obtain permission and if you have never fished for pike before, please ask an experienced piker to take you out.
On your pike
While at Middleton One Row, local piker Mick Fox reported chub are increasingly picking up and often dropping small deadbaits that result in unhooked runs.
Permit rule change for fishery owners
Sophomore Nick Piker, HC's projected starting left guard, will also miss the Albany game due to a partially torn medial collateral ligament (MCL).
Cruaders get good return on Raymond
According to Kim Piker of LiceDoctors, every year with the end of camp and the beginning of school, there are significant outbreaks of head lice.
Schools in San Francisco Open to Students and Head Lice
Obama really has shown what a piker Bush was when it comes to throwing away taxpayers' dollars, including "green" subsidies to companies like Solyndra, a no-effect stimulus, buyouts and Queen Michelle's vacations and parties.
LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG