/skrɪmp/
动词,意为"节省、省吃俭用",指为了省钱而在花费上极度节制,常带有不得已或过分节俭的意味。
She had to scrimp to pay for her son's education.
她不得不省吃俭用来供儿子上学。
After years of scrimping and saving, they finally had enough money to buy a small house in the countryside.
经过多年的节衣缩食,他们终于攒够了钱,在乡下买了一栋小房子。
scrimp 最早出现于18世纪,源自斯堪的纳维亚语系,与瑞典语 skrympa(意为"收缩、缩小")有关。最初有"使缩短、使不足"的意思,后来逐渐演变为"节俭度日、紧缩开支"的含义。常见搭配 scrimp and save 是一个固定短语,强调极度节俭地攒钱。