Green’s Dictionary of Slang

describing a person who acts as if he can pay for anything.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Squirish, foolish; also one that pretends to Pay all Reckonings, and is not strong enough in the Pocket.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].