noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
pencil sharpened at both ends; sharpening a pencil at both ends
Refers to the wasteful practice of sharpening both ends of a pencil, often associated with poverty or stinginess. The term is a play on 貧乏削り (びんぼうけずり), which has a similar meaning.
See also: 貧乏削り (びんぼうけずり)
子供の頃、泥棒削りをしてよく親に叱られた。
When I was a child, I often got scolded by my parents for sharpening my pencil at both ends.
貧乏削りとも言うが、泥棒削りという言い方もある。
It's also called 貧乏削り, but there's also the expression 泥棒削り.