the.com/pinch
the universe's tiniest pliers, deployed by grandmas, salt, and people checking if they're awake.
means To squeeze something tightly between thumb and finger (or two surfaces), or the small amount or sharp little sensation produced by such a squeeze.
from From Middle English pinchen, likely from an Old North French form pinchier, a regional cousin of Old French pincier, 'to pinch' — the same family that gives us 'pincers.' The deeper roots are murky and probably imitative, the kind of short, sharp word that sounds like the quick nip it names.
- dream test
- Folklore says pinching proves you're not dreaming.
- cooking unit
- A pinch is roughly 1/16 of a teaspoon.
- crab hardware
- Crab claws can pinch with crushing force.
- luck ritual
- Pinch and a punch starts each new month.
- in a pinch
- The phrase means a tight, desperate spot.
great pinch — edgar allan poe's 1849 story about a man who experiences an unusual physical sensation
pinch hitter — baseball position, most famously gio gonzalez who pinch-hit for the nationals in 2019
salt pinch — cooking measurement, approximately 1/16 teaspoon, standard in culinary recipes