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Origin and history of skimp

skimp(v.)

"cut short; make with insufficient quantity," 1805, originally of clothing made with inadequate amounts of fabric. Probably a back-formation of skimpy, or a variant or alternative form of scrimp.

A proposed etymology of the 1860s derives it from skip and skim, claiming the word means "to slur over or half do a thing" but this may be folk etymology. Related: Skimped; skimping.

also from 1805

Entries linking to skimp

scrimp(v.)

1680s, "to make too small, insufficient," originally of money, earlier as an adjective, "scant, meager" (1670s), first attested in Scots dialect; possibly from a Scandinavian source (compare Swedish skrumpna "to shrink, shrivel up," Danish skrumpen "shrunken, shriveled," Norwegian dialectal skramp "thin man"), or from a continental Germanic source akin to Middle High German schrimpfen, German schrumpfen "to shrivel" (from Proto-Germanic *skrimp-, from PIE root *(s)kerb- "to turn, bend").

The meaning "economize" is by 1848. Related: Scrimped; scrimping.

skim(v.)

early 15c. skimmen, "lift the scum from by a sliding motion, clear (a liquid) from matter floating on the surface" (the agent noun skimmer, for the utensil used, is attested from late 14c.), from Old French escumer "remove scum," from escume (Modern French écume) "scum," from a Germanic source (compare Old High German scum "scum," German Schaum; see scum).

The meaning "throw (a stone) so as to skip across the surface of (water)" is from 1610s. The meaning "move lightly and rapidly over the surface of" is from 1650s, from the motion involved in skimming liquid; that of "glance over carelessly, pass over lightly in perusal" (in reference to printed matter) is recorded by 1799. Related: Skimmed; skimming.

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Trends of skimp

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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scant

mid-14c., "short or insufficient in quantity, rather less than is wanted for the purpose," from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr "short, brief," from Proto-Germanic *skamma- (source also of Old English scamm "short," Old High German skemmen "to shor

provide

early 15c., providen, "make provision for the future; arrange, plan; take care, relieve of needs, supply the needs of," from Latin providere "look ahead, prepare, supply, act with foresight," from pro "ahead" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward") + videre "to see" (from PIE root *w

render

late 14c., rendren, rendre, "repeat, say again, recite; translate," from Old French rendre "give back, present, yield" (10c.) and Medieval Latin rendere, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, a variant of Latin reddere "give back, return, restore," from red- "back" (see re-) + combining fo

supply

late 14c., supplien, "fill (something) up, complete; make up for, compensate for," from Old French soupplier "fill up, make full" (Modern French suppléer) and directly from Latin supplere "fill up, make full, complete," from assimilated form of sub "up from below" (see sub-) + pl

work

Old English weorc, worc "something done, discrete act performed by someone, action (whether voluntary or required), proceeding, business; that which is made or manufactured, products of labor," also "physical labor, toil; skilled trade, craft, or occupation; opportunity of expend

save

c. 1200, saven, "to deliver from some danger; rescue from peril, bring to safety," also "prevent the death of;" also "to deliver from sin or its consequences; admit to eternal life; gain salvation," from Old French sauver "keep (safe), protect, redeem," from Late Latin salvare "m

furnish

mid-15c., "fit out, equip, to provision" (a castle, ship, person); "provide (soldiers)," from Old French furniss-/forniss-, present participle stem of furnir/fornir "accomplish, carry out; equip, fit out; provide" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fornire, alteration of *fromire, from W

sedulous

"diligent in application or pursuit of an object," 1530s, from Latin sedulus "attentive, painstaking, diligent, busy, zealous," probably from sedulo (adv.) "sincerely, diligently," from sedolo "without deception or guile," from se- "without, apart" (see se-) + dolo, ablative of d

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