Knauser

Knauser is a colloquial German noun describing a person who is extremely stingy or miserly with money. The term carries a pejorative connotation and is typically used in informal speech to criticize someone who refuses to spend money on everyday needs or reasonable expenses, even when doing so would be prudent.

The origin of knauser is not firmly established. It is commonly used in German-speaking regions such as Germany and Austria, and is understood across the language. Its likely roots lie in older dialect forms related to squeezing, pinching, or being tight with resources, though precise etymology varies by source.

In use, knauser describes a person rather than a general attitude, and can be employed humorously among friends or as a sharper rebuke in argument. Related terms include Geizhals (more formal), Sparfuchs (savvy saver, sometimes affectionate), and Knauserigkeit (the quality or habit of stinginess).

Knauser is part of a broader set of cultural references to thrift and miserliness in German-speaking humor and everyday speech, and is generally not used in formal writing.