Last of the Big Spenders

Meaning of Idiom ‘Last of the Big Spenders’

Last of the big spenders is an ironic expression used to describe a thrifty or frugal person, i.e., a tightwad; it is also used when someone is being especially careful with their money or making a very small and frugal purchase and is often used deprecatingly of oneself.

Usage Notes

A big spender is a person who spends a lot of money or uses money extravagantly on luxury goods, often to impress other people and perhaps in wasteful ways. This idiom is used to express the opposite and is meant to be humorous and ironic. It can be used to actually describe a big spender but it is not usually used in this way.

Examples

“A side salad and plain water? Last of the big spenders, are we?”

“I just bought a pack of new socks I’ve needed for a year—last of the big spenders.”

“I can’t pay 20 bucks for a shirt! You know me…last of the big spenders.”

Origin

This idiomatic term originated in the United States during the 1920s. It originally referred to those who spent extravagantly during the economic boom that preceded the Great Depression, a boom that was soon to end so that, before long, not many people were willing to spend in such foolish ways. In those days, a person could be referred to as ‘one of the last of the big spenders’ or ‘the last of the big spenders.’

During the Great Depression, the term began to be used ironically and self-deprecatingly as it still is today. 1Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.