pinch pennies

アメリカのトイザラスが業績不振でリストラを計画中というニュースです。


Toys "R" Us got nicked in a nasty Christmas fight with Amazon — and now the bleeding has begun.

The cash-strapped toy chain is poised to lay off as many as 200 employees at its headquarters in Wayne, NJ, as it looks to conserve cash, sources told The Post.

The layoffs, which are expected to affect workers throughout the corporate offices, will reduce those ranks by upwards of 10 percent, insiders said.

The company will begin handing out pink slips to workers this week, a source said. The layoffs are expected to spread to the company's units overseas as well, according to a source briefed on the company's plans.

Toys "R" Us has lately hired consultants including AlixPartners and Booz Allen to find more ways to pinch pennies, according to people close to the situation.
(Ailing Toys 'R' Us to lay off nearly 200 employees. New York Post. March 2, 104.)


今日の表現は、"pinch pennies"という成句です。

文字通り、"pennies"（１セント硬貨）を"pinch"（切り詰める）ということで、倹約する、支出を切り詰める、という意味の成句です。

この成句から、"penny-pincher"なる単語も生じたのですが、こちらはネガティヴな響きのある表現で、ケチ、しみったれ、という意味があります。

ややこしいのですが、"pinchpenny"という名詞も同様に“ケチ”を意味する単語としてあるらしく、とにかく"pinch"と"penny"の取り合わせは倹約、もしくはケチにつながる表現と覚えておいて間違いなさそうです。