at a pinch
- idiom
- UK
:
en caso de apuro
- The field could have held two, at a pinch; it was that small.
Examples
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- She'll take eight at a pinch.
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At a pinch, they could borrow small amounts of grain for bread from the strivers—for example, for funerals, for which one could not ask the estate for help.
Academic text (1995) -
In an emergency, we could fit five people in the car at a pinch.
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You can make a sandwich with just bread and cheese at a pinch, if there's nothing else.
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I could lend you some money until payday at a pinch.
Synonyms
5
2.7
If something dangerous or urgent happens, follow these instructions
How Necessary
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although the literal words 'at' + 'a' + 'pinch' suggest a physical squeezing, the phrase uses 'pinch' metaphorically to mean a tight spot or difficulty. This metaphorical extension is partially inferable (so learners may guess 'in an emergency/if necessary') but is not fully predictable from the basic senses of the words, and usage varies (e.g. 'in a pinch' is more common), so it is only semi-transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
At a pinch comes from the picture of a pinch as a tight squeeze — like forcing one more person into a car or squashing extra sandwiches into a box. So when people say at a pinch, they mean 'if necessary' or 'only in a tight situation'.