There is an infrequently used word that describes someone who is stingy or miserly. You logophiles out there probably know the word I am talking about. For the rest of you, here it is:
niggard
If this word is new to you, it has no racial connotations. After the definition, the New Oxford American Dictionary offers this helpful note (which I have edited)*:
“USAGE: This word, along with its adverbial form niggardly, should be used with caution. Owing to the sound similarity to the highly inflammatory racial epithet …, these words can cause unnecessary confusion and unintentional offense.”
The caution comes with good reason. In 1999, Washington D.C. mayor’s aide David Howard got into a lot of trouble for using the word, owing both to its homophonic qualities and the ignorance of his audience.
So what’s my take? Personally, I wouldn’t use it. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with it, but there are multiple word, both formal and colloquial, that express the same thought just as concisely.
* I edited the NOAD’s note to avoid having the post / blog flagged as offensive by overly sensitive web filtering software, besides the fact there are a lot of words I don’t print on this site.
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