E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Skin a Flint.
To be very exacting in making a bargain. The French say, “Tondre sur un œuf.” The Latin, lana capri’na (goat’s wool), means something as worthless as the skin of a flint or fleece of an eggshell. (See SKINFLINT.)
