Squeezes a Nickel Till the Buffalo Hollers
In Southern and Appalachian speech, squeezes a nickel till the buffalo hollers means extremely stingy or tight with money. It comes from the buffalo nickel, joking that someone’s so cheap they make the buffalo cry out from being squeezed too hard.
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Somebody 'squeezes a nickel till the buffalo hollers' is another one I've only read. I'd say it's more old timers than anything nowadays. Somebody 'squeezes a nickel till the buffalo hollers' is another one I've only read. I'd say it's more old timers than anything nowadays. Pronunciation
/ˈskwiːzɪz ə ˈnɪkəl tɪl ðə ˈbʌfəloʊ ˈhɑlərz/
Meaning & Usage
- Extremely stingy or careful with money (idiom)
He squeezes a nickel till the buffalo hollers - won’t buy coffee unless it’s half-price.He’s tighter than bark on a tree, that’s for sure.Origin and Etymology
The saying came from the buffalo nickel, minted from 1913 to 1938. During hard times, Southerners used the image as comic shorthand for thrift and stinginess. The expression spread across the South and Appalachia, where folks took pride in makin’ a dollar stretch and laughin’ about it, too.
Usage Notes
Still heard in jokes and storytelling, especially among older Southerners. "Squeezes a nickel till the buffalo hollers" may sound like an insult, but it’s often affectionate - acknowledging a person’s thrift as much as their stubbornness.