costivity n [ costive adj + –ity]
Expense.
1856 Lafayette Daily Jrl. (IN) 22 Aug 1/1, The local of the paper referred to, sums up the costivity of the matter as follows. 1877 Owensboro Examiner (KY) 29 June 1/5, Of the several churches in the place, the Episcopal, when completed, will excel in dimensions, beauty and costivity. 1880 Daily Post (Pittsburgh PA) 3 Dec [4]/7, When an epicurian talks of “quail on toast,” the average man has big visions of “costivity.” 1910 Daily Gaz.–Times (Corvallis OR) [31 May 3]/3, He got a picture of that court house that cost $50,000, and the costivity seems sublimely ridiculous. 1922 Ocala Eve. Star (FL) 21 Aug 1/2, Ocala specialized in errors and the “costivity” of some of them resulted in the loss of the game. (“Costivity” is Laurie’s own word.—Editor). 1928 in 1952 Mathes Tall Tales 53 sAppalachians, A lot of folks would ’a’ saved the state the costivity of tryin’ that feller, an’ then feedin’ an’ clothin’ him. 1955 Wilmington News–Jrl. (OH) 23 May 4/2, I counted in one barn yard 131 late-model automobiles, many of which are in the upper-bracket of costivity.