I went to lunch with my neighbor last week and he insisted on picking up the check, because he could claim it as a business expense. He asked the waiter to split the check and include the drinks on a separate check. He said he had to keep the bean counters happy. Well, of course that got me to thinking about bean counters — I’ve heard the term all my life and it usually makes me think of some grumpy, briefcase-toting accountant. But why did these guys come to be called bean counters?
I guess beans have never been held in high regard by most people. I’ve heard the phrase “he doesn’t know beans” used to describe someone that’s clueless about something. And I remember my dad always used the phrase “it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans” when he thought something was meaningless or worthless. I guess if your job was to count beans, you’d be stuck in a pretty boring, joyless job — maybe that’s why the label is associated with accountants….
Anyhow, I figured the subject was worth some extensive research. One theory I found suggested that the derogatory nickname originated in the 1920s, when the marketing and sales-analysis firm the Nielsen Company (now known for the television ratings system) was just a fledgling operation. Supposedly the founder, A.C. Nielsen, was so diligent in his analysis that his employees counted the beans one by one at grocery stores they were auditing. That seems like a reasonable explanation, but it’s probably not true. The argument against it is that the preferred unit of a crop economy is the bushel — not individual grains, seed, ears, etc.
From what I could determine, the term “bean counter” first appeared in a Forbes article, in reference to a particularly careful account. It expanded to mean any accountant and then took on a negative implication, suggesting that accountants overlook value for numbers.
Today, the term is used to describe any soulless individual that cares more about the bottom line than quality. Actually, this subject doesn’t amount to a hill of beans….
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