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By which I mean, people who strategically position themselves so as to acquire money/service/free stuff at the expense of another? I don't mean extortion (that's too strong a word for what I need). Basically, someone who is a sucker for free/paid for things and capitalises on the opportunity. Is there a word for it?

tchrist
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janexlane
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  • I remember seeing "Freebee" used to describe users of a freebie site. I'm not sure if it has any broader usage though. – SF. Dec 21 '12 at 11:45
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    Related: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/94724/what-would-you-call-someone-who-imposes-on-other-peoples-generosity – coleopterist Dec 21 '12 at 12:59
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    Looks like not just the OP but even seasoned answerers failed to check the existing post. I'd say this is a clear 'duplicate' of 94724 not 'related'. – Kris Dec 21 '12 at 15:06
  • OP may check out the cited post and clarify if it serves the purpose, and if not, why. – Kris Dec 21 '12 at 15:07
  • Yes, it's a definite duplicate- for some reason I didn't realise the existence of that thread. Apologies to everyone for the inconvenience – janexlane Dec 21 '12 at 17:59
  • @janexlane: If you're happy to accept it's a duplicate I shouldn't really argue with you, so I've also closevoted this one. But I think the other one is more about people who seek to profit from the generosity of other individuals. Your question title (but not the text) implies you're asking for a word for people who specialise in taking advantage of corporate** "freebies". Many would say these are totally different concepts - one is selfish/unfair, the other is simply an extreme form of thrift (generally seen as a virtue). – FumbleFingers Dec 21 '12 at 21:43

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Q: By which I mean, people strategically position themselves so as to acquire money/service/free stuff at the expense of another?

Scrooge would be a good term for this, after the protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, who was initially only interested in acquiring money at the expense of all those around him.

Q: I don't mean extortion (that's too strong a word for what I need). Basically, someone who is a sucker for free/paid for things and capitalises on the opportunity. Is there a word for it?

You could call this kind of person a freeloader or free rider, which is someone who will happily take free things without perhaps paying their fair share. The Yiddish word schnorrer can also be used for a sponger.

All these terms carry somewhat negative overtones.

Hugo
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  • I understand Scrooge as a miser, but not a moocher. (The message of the story would be weaker if he were a parasite.) His sin is valuing money too much and other things too little. – Anton Sherwood Aug 23 '19 at 08:54