bean counter

bean counter
   an accountant
   Hardly a euphemism but more a term of disparagement of those in a profession which, like the law, is regarded by others with a mixture of fear, envy, and derision:
    Our firm had an account with the restaurant... and somewhere along the way our bean counters in the basement would find a way to bill the client for the cost of the food as well. (Grisham, 1998)

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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  • bean counter — ˈbean ˌcounter noun [countable] informal disapproving ACCOUNTING someone whose job is to study financial figures and work out the cost of doing something, and who is only concerned with making a profit: • the bean counters who can so easily… …   Financial and business terms

  • bean counter — bean counters also bean counter N COUNT (disapproval) You can describe people such as accountants and business managers as bean counters if you disapprove of them because you think they are only interested in money. He believes the reason for… …   English dictionary

  • bean counter — A bean counter is an accountant …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • bean counter — bean .counter n informal someone whose job is to examine the cost of doing something, and who is concerned only with making a profit used to show disapproval ▪ Since the bean counters took over the radio station, it s become a boring place to… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • bean counter — ☆ bean counter n. Informal a person, esp. an accountant, who is regarded as concentrating on quantitative details to the exclusion of other factors * * * …   Universalium

  • bean counter — bean ,counter noun count INFORMAL a business manager or ACCOUNTANT who cares only about financial numbers and profits …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • bean counter — [n] number cruncher accountant, actuary, analyst, auditor, bookkeeper, certified public accountant, comptroller, CPA, financial executive, statistician, treasurer; concepts 348,353 …   New thesaurus

  • bean counter — ☆ bean counter n. Informal a person, esp. an accountant, who is regarded as concentrating on quantitative details to the exclusion of other factors …   English World dictionary

  • bean counter — noun an accountant or bureaucrat who is believed to place undue emphasis on the control of expenditures • Hypernyms: ↑accountant, ↑comptroller, ↑controller, ↑bureaucrat, ↑administrative official * * * noun, pl ⋯ ters [count] informal +… …   Useful english dictionary

  • bean counter — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms bean counter : singular bean counter plural bean counters informal, showing disapproval a business manager or accountant who cares only about financial numbers and profits …   English dictionary

  • bean counter — noun A person employed in bookkeeping or accounting; a firm which provides such services. As any good bean counter will tell you, it costs money to treat people at a hospital …   Wiktionary

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