The other night, me and my friend had started talking about goatees, because I've grown a pathetic one, a very pathetic one. Anyhow, I was telling him that in Montreal, at least at the time and at the High School I went to, we referred to a goatee as a "pinch". It became our topic of interest seeing as I went to a French High School and "pinch" was clearly an English word.

Maybe a "pinch" is a triangular version of the goatee? (as in Satan's pinch?) ...or maybe the pinch is a linear, vertical version of the goatee? (as in Fred Durst?) ...or maybe it is a soul patch²?

Just for those who were wondering the gender of "pinch" in French:

    Patrice: Heille Luc, c'est quoi cette p'tite barbiche que t'as là?
    Hey Luc, what's that goatee you have there?

    Luc: C'est pas une barbiche! C'est un Pinch!
    It's not a goatee! It's a Pinch!

² Kudos to humanure for soul patch definition.

If you have the answer, /msg me and I'll append your info (with credit of course) to this writeup or write your own and I'll nuke this one.

A unit of measure. A pinch is 1/16 of a teaspoon.

In rock climbing a pinch is a hold which requires you to squeeze the fingers and the thumb to generate friction to hold on. If you can't picture this imagine a 2x4 nailed to your ceiling. Place your fingers on one side you thumb on the other, now "pinch" them together and attempt to hang. When someone is holding on this way he is pinching, and when a hold requires a pinch it may be referred to as a pincher.

The strength to do this is not usually developed in day-to-day activities or even in normal weight lifting. You have to specifically target the muscles by either rock climbing or performing an exercise designed to improve pinch strength.


If you want to improve your pinch strength here is my handy dandy pinch machine you can make for a few dollars or less.

Take a piece of 2x4 about 6 inches long, sand it well.
Drill a hole in it in the middle.
Tie a piece of rope in the hole.
Tie the other end of the rope to a weight or a bucket of water or anything heavy.

The idea is to pinch the piece of wood and pull the weight off the ground and then hold it for as long as possible. You should put enough weight on it so that you can't possibly hold it longer then 10-15 seconds. If you can hold it longer then this add more weight. Make sure you start light even 10 pounds can be hard to support in this way. To give you an idea of how strong you are it is considered elite if you can pick up 45 pounds this way.

Also no cheating! If your fingers curl around the bottom of the block, or the block is not smooth, but bumpy with a lot of friction, you aren't pinching anymore and you won't gain any pinch strength.

Pinch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pinched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pinching.] [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

1.

To press hard or squeeze between the ends of the fingers, between teeth or claws, or between the jaws of an instrument; to squeeze or compress, as between any two hard bodies.

2.

o seize; to grip; to bite; -- said of animals. [Obs.]

He [the hound] pinched and pulled her down.
Chapman.

3.

To plait. [Obs.]

Full seemly her wimple ipinched was.
Chaucer.

4.

Figuratively: To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve; to distress; as, to be pinched for money.

Want of room . . . pinching a whole nation.
Sir W. Raleigh.

5.

To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch. See Pinch, n., 4.

 

© Webster 1913


Pinch, v. i.

1.

To act with pressing force; to compress; to squeeze; as, the shoe pinches.

2. (Hunt.)

To take hold; to grip, as a dog does. [Obs.]

3.

To spare; to be niggardly; to be covetous. Gower.

The wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and spare.
Franklin.

To pinch at, to find fault with; to take exception to. [Obs.] Chaucer.

 

© Webster 1913


Pinch, n.

1.

A close compression, as with the ends of the fingers, or with an instrument; a nip.

2.

As much as may be taken between the finger and thumb; any very small quantity; as, a pinch of snuff.

3.

Pian; pang. "Necessary's sharp pinch." Shak.

4.

A lever having a projection at one end, acting as a fulcrum, -- used chiefly to roll heavy wheels, etc. Called also pinch bar.

At a pinch, On a pinch, in an emergency; as, he could on a pinch read a little Latin.

 

© Webster 1913


Pinch, v. t.

To seize by way of theft; to steal; also, to catch; to arrest. [Slang] Robert Barr.

 

© Webster 1913

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