Tight - usage

Question

In KatRJ's post 'Please do not be so tight with votes.' she uses tight to mean mean, stingy, reluctant to dole out etc.

How common is this usage in the English-speaking world? i.e. my lovely Spanishdicters, where are you from and do you use tight in this manner?

También, ¿como se traduce en español? No se si apretado sea correcto. ¿Se diría tacaño en este contexto? ¿'Cuáles con las otras jergas que se usan?

I'm not an Native English speaker, so don't use me as an example. Hahaha. ;) - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Nah, it's good usage, I'm just wondering how common it is. Where did you pick it up? (I trust that that one vote that I have is from you :-D) - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Well, I'm from Germany, but I just picked it up from the people I've met around where I am now. Haha, and actually, that wasn't from me. ;) - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Where are you now? This is a serious linguistic investigation that I'm undertaking here... :-) - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Oh dear... um.... around. :D Who's asking and why? Haha. Just kidding. - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Right, you are definitely excluded from any further language surveys that I do! - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

I didn't know you did them. :D - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

:-p - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Never mind then.... - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Well, tell me where, i.e. what region, you picked up ´tight´and I´ll consider lifting the ban... - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Okay, well in the USA. :P And up West? - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Right, you´re back in! - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Haha, yay!!!! - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 1

Another context for tight is ;

Franco and Jose are tight! They're always together.

In this context it means to be close friends.

Don Joseé, over here they may be called gay.. - annierats, Mar 30, 2012

As in happy and maybe brightly coloured? - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

As in bisexual, I thought.... - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

You hope! - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Me?? No, I don't hope that! :O - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

I think you mean, as in homosexual. - rac1, Mar 30, 2012

Yes, thanks, Rac. haha.. my english.... I try to explain and it comes out wrong. jaja - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 2

Tight is very common here. He is tight with the money. He is stingy. I am wondering about the Spanish translation also.

Answer 3

Hi afowen, I'm from South Wales and that usage of tight is familiar to me.

Thanks afowen. - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

You're too funny! - francobollo, Mar 30, 2012

Trying to cheer myself up, broke the door to my local anoche y me parece que va a costarme como $1.500.000 pesos... - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

afowen, you had better expalin 'local' to the non british..Dedonde eres? Cardiff? - annierats, Mar 30, 2012

Estudiaba en Aberystwyth desde hace muchos años. - annierats, Mar 30, 2012

De hecho eso es local en español, no inglés. También es mi ´local´ version inglés (local pub/bar), casi vivo aquí - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Soy de Cwmbrân, cerca de Newport pero no paso mucho tiempo allá ahora. - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Te entiendo bien, los 'locals' son muy imporatnes para los jovenes. - annierats, Mar 30, 2012

Pues, paso tanto tiempo aquí debido a que soy el dueño :-) - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 4

In the U.S. "tight" is slang for "good/great/awesome", and it is used very commonly. For example: "That car is tight!" - "That car is awesome!"

In England that means it is rather small and uncomfortable, amini or alittle vw... - annierats, Mar 30, 2012

Hey, Annie, we have that same meaning in the US as well. It's a very flexible word ;o) - Goldie_Miel, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 5

Apretado con el dinero = Tight with money (idiom)

Answer 6

It is very familiar. I am from New Orleans. We use this all the time.

En Inglaterra también. - annierats, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 7

I also use tight or stingy (or even cheap)... En español puedes decir tacaño o amarrete (Argentina), codo (Panamá), pichirre (Venezuela). Una acepción que aplicaría a todos y que todos podrían entender es "poco generoso".

¿Y usan tacaño por to'o la'o o solo por algunos? - afowen, Mar 30, 2012

I have heard tacaño and codo in Mexico as well. And using tight in this manner in the US is very common. - gringojrf, Mar 30, 2012

Tacaño o avaro son muy comunes. - francobollo, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 8

We use the term " he is a tight ****###** " or a" tight wad " to mean someone

who is super stngy . We also say he is as " tight as a tick " for someone who is always

hanging on to his money, if you have ever had a tick on you , then that will ring true .

" As tight as a drum " " as tight as a fishes backside , and that is water tight".

I could go on all day , the word tight can have a myriad of usages

Answer 9

Inglaterra: My husband is tight enough, those nasty neighbours are ****** mean!

Very normal usage meaning mean, stingy, unwilling to pay for anything..

Haha.... - 00cdfbd9, Mar 30, 2012

Answer 10

I'm from the US (east coast) and I'm familiar with "tight" being used in that manner; although, I personally don't use it too often. In regards to spending, I prefer "cheap" - plain and simple, lol.

Answer 11

I am from Texas, and this is very common usage for the word "tight."

It's funny, because I have heard many English speakers complain that Spanish has too many uses for the same word, but English is the same way. I think that usually the difference in English is that alternate uses of a word are normally slang.

Answer 12

Dear Afowen, The word "tight" is familiar with me, stingy, frugal, sparing, all meaning the same thing and used fairly often. I came from the midwest and now I live in the Southeast. Thanks, Pam

I just thought of a slang word for "tight" it means drunk!. pam - pmikan-pam, Mar 30, 2012