clam:
(plural: ‘clams‘; pronunciation: the letter ‘cla’ rhyme with the letters ‘cla’ in “clap”)
a clam, keeping his mouth shut
a person who does not move or talk freely with others;
a secretive person; a person who is tight-lipped and so does not give away any secrets;
a person who is very very careful in spending money; a stingy person
a clam, very careful with his money
Danny is a clam; you cannot make him talk unless in simple words, like ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but not a conversation.
Anne complains that her husband is a clam when it comes to spending money, not even on a box of chocolates for the children.
More and more people all round the world are becoming real clams — not able to speak openly for fear of losing their jobs and not able to spend money freely as the world economy is in a mess.
Note: In informal usage, ‘clam’ is also used to refer to a dollar note/bill.
