pinch at
English
[edit]Verb
[edit]pinch at (third-person singular simple present pinches at, present participle pinching at, simple past and past participle pinched at)
- (obsolete) To find fault with; to take exception to.
- 1592, Matthew Sutcliffe1, “CERTAINE QVESTIONS PROPOVNDED to the Putcase and his adherents”, in An Answer to a certaine libel supplicatorie, […] and also to certaine calumnious articles […] to the slaunder of the Ecclesiasticall state, […] put forth under the name of a petition directed to Her Maiestie [relating to the alleged wrongful condemnation of J. Udall on an indictment for libel], page 185:
- […] and lastly in what case the Putcase, and his fellowes are, that in broade speeches openly, and in printed bookes directly oppugne them; and by calumnious questions pinch at them?
- 1599, Edward Topsell, “18th sermon”, in Times lamentation: or An exposition on the prophet Ioel, in sundry sermons or meditations, page 229:
- If the enimie come home to vs it is not ten subsidies that wil satisfie him: & why are men so wret∣ched as to pinch at one or two?
- 1663, John Humfrey, A Defence of the Proposition: Or, Some Reasons Rendred why the Nonconformist-minister who Comes to His Parish-church and Common-prayer Cannot Yet Yeeld to Other Things that are Enjoyned, Without Some Moderation. Being a Full Reply to the Book [by Thomas Tomkins] which is a Pretended Answer Thereunto, pages 58–59:
- The one is, I would have them be at the pains (though they took time enough to do it) to have a Common-Prayer framed throughout altogether in Scripture-expression, that no mortal wight should ever pinch at it.
References
[edit]- “pinch at”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.