n. a small amount of a powdered substance, such as salt, snuff, a spice, etc. (Not slang.) : He put a pinch under his lips and walked up to home plate.
tv. to arrest someone. : The police captain pinched her for passing bad checks.
n. the arrest of someone. : They made the pinch in front of her house.
tv. to steal something. (See also cop.) : The kid pinched a candy bar right off the counter.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
pinch pennies
Be thrifty or miserly, as in There's no need to pinch pennies now that you're working full-time. This term was first recorded in 1942.
