[Lexicog] Re: Coinage of 'in a pinch'

[David K. Barnhart]

I just looked in OED.

The original form appears to be _at_ (or _on_) _a pinch_ [n. def. 4].
 The supplement has "Also _in a pinch_."  The e.q. (earliest date) for
_in a pinch_ appears to be 1903.  However, I'll do some search about
and post antedatings.

Regards,
David K. Barnhart, Editor/Publisher
The Barnhart DICTIONARY COMPANION

--- In lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com, "bolstar1" <bolstar1 at ...> wrote:
>
> 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.
>










 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lexicographylist/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    lexicographylist-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/