nollekens
LowFormal / Literary / Historical
Definition
Meaning
A person who is extremely parsimonious or stingy, particularly a wealthy person who lives in a miserly fashion.
A person with a reputation for being a miser, especially a famous one whose name has become synonymous with stinginess. It can be used generically, but is typically used with historical or literary reference to the specific figure, Joseph Nollekens.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is an eponym derived from the 18th-century sculptor Joseph Nollekens, who was famously miserly despite his wealth and success. It functions as a common noun ('a nollekens') or a proper noun in apposition ('a Nollekens of our time'). It connotes both wealth and an extreme, almost pathological, reluctance to spend it.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is more likely to be encountered in British historical or literary contexts due to its origin. It is virtually unknown in general American English.
Connotations
In British usage, it carries a slightly archaic, educated tone, often used for rhetorical or humorous effect to describe a contemporary miser by comparing them to a historical archetype. In American usage, it would be highly obscure and likely require explanation.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both varieties, but marginally more attested in UK historical texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] is a real nollekens.He lived like a nollekens.They compared the miser to a nollekens.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Rich as a nollekens (and just as tight)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically in commentary to criticise a company or executive for excessive cost-cutting at the expense of quality or morale.
Academic
Found in historical biographies, studies of 18th-century art, or texts on the history of economic behaviour.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Would be considered a highly educated or obscure reference.
Technical
Not applicable.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- His nollekens-like attitude to hospitality was legendary.
- She inherited a nollekens streak from her grandfather.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Despite his fortune, he lived like a nollekens, never buying new clothes or going on holiday.
- The biography revealed the famous artist to have been a bit of a nollekens.
- The chancellor's latest budget, with its nollekens-like cuts to cultural funding, was met with derision in the arts community.
- He was the Nollekens of his generation, amassing a vast portfolio while inhabiting a sparsely furnished flat.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'NO £ (pounds) he lends' -> Nollekens. He won't lend or spend any money.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PERSON IS A HISTORICAL ARCHETYPE (of miserliness).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation. The closest equivalent is "скряга" (skryaga) or "скупец" (skupets), but these lack the specific historical connotation. It is not a generic word for 'greedy' (жадный).
Common Mistakes
- Using it as an adjective (*He is very nollekens). It is primarily a noun. Confusing it with similar-sounding but unrelated words like 'knick-knacks'.
Practice
Quiz
The term 'nollekens' is most closely associated with which concept?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. When used as a direct reference to the historical person, Joseph Nollekens, it is capitalised. When used as a generic term for a miser ('he's a proper nollekens'), it is often lowercased, though capitalisation is also seen to retain the etymological link.
No, it is not standard. It functions almost exclusively as a noun (and occasionally as an adjective in compound forms like 'nollekens-like').
Both are eponyms for misers. 'Scrooge' comes from Charles Dickens's *A Christmas Carol* and is far more common in modern English, often with a connotation of redemption. 'Nollekens' refers to a real historical figure, is much rarer, and lacks the festive/redemptive associations.
For active vocabulary, no. It is a highly specialised, low-frequency word. For passive/receptive vocabulary, it is useful for advanced learners interested in historical or literary texts where such colourful archaic terms appear.