Niggardly

Niggardly is a word synonymous with stingy and a niggard (noun) is a miser. The word may incorrectly be associated with "nigger", a racial slur against Blacks. Although the words sound similar, there is no etymological connection between the two: "niggard" and "niggle" came from the Old Norse verb nigla, meaning "to fuss about small matters", while "nigger" derives from niger, the Latin for "black".

In 1999 David Howard, a white aide to Washington DC mayor Anthony A. Williams, was forced to resign after using the word. He was subsequently rehired.

• Washington Post article on the David Howard incident