IdiomAnimalsFrench

Ne pas attacher son chien avec des saucisses

Meaning: To be extremely tight-fisted.

Literally: Not to tie one's dog up with sausages

Example: “Son patron n'attache pas son chien avec des saucisses : pas de prime cette année.” — His boss is a real penny-pincher: no bonus this year.

English equivalent: To pinch pennies

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: The measure of stinginess is refusing an extravagance so absurd that nobody would attempt it anyway — a leash made of food the dog would simply eat. The joke is that the miser is being judged against an impossible standard and still failing it.

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