[Lexicog] Coinage of 'in a pinch'

[bolstar1]

Does anyone have a phrasal etymology book that can find the origin 
of 'in a pinch'? (Mine don't help me.)I heard that bartenders during 
the gold rush in Cali. would ask for a small pinch of gold dust from a 
prospector's bag of gold dust if they didn't have cash handy. That 
is, 'in a pinch,' a prospector would give up a little gold for a little 
golden brew. (Please don't refer me to 'pinch' per se. The word goes 
back a loooong way.) 
Scott N.









 
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