a pinch

• “The mayor of Philadelphia and the EPA administrator received hundreds of envelopes from individual Haitians, each containing a pinch of the ash and marked “WARNING: contains toxic ash mislabeled as fertilizer, RETURN TO SENDER.””

  Simon & Schuster: THE STORY OF STUFF

• “[Takes a pinch of snuff and offers the box to RAKITIN.]”

  A Month in the Country

• “Mog-ur reached into a small pouch and withdrew a pinch of dried club-moss spores.”

  The Clan of the Cave Bear

• “When the supply grew low, Ruth would toss in more chopped-up turnips and a pinch of salt, and let them pickle for a few days.”

  The Bonesetter's Daughter

• “He added a pinch of spice, stirred and skimmed it again, and finally poured the tar-like coffee into four tiny porcelain cups without handles that nested in the palm of his hand.”

  O Jerusalem

• “Spider liked nonfilters, Luckies or Camels or in a pinch Pall Malls, so he didn't have much competition.”

  1968

• “Waltham is strong town; Radcliffe is red cliff; and so on: -- a sincerity and use in naming very striking to an American, whose country is whitewashed all over by unmeaning names, the cast-off clothes of the country from which its emigrants came; or, named at a pinch from a psalm-tune.”

  English Traits (1856)

• “Goodness gracious, if the Bank of England gets in a pinch advise C.L., at Thirty-four Southampton Buildings, third floor, second turning to the left but one.”

  Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great

• “Every week, without fail, the girl heated a black metal brazier over a flame, tossed a pinch of wild rue seeds in it, and wafted the espandi smoke in her baby's direction to ward off evil.”

  A Thousand Splendid Suns

• “And if right-hander Goose Gossage came in to relieve Guidry, then Zimmer could always use Brohamer as a pinch hitter.”

  Simon & Schuster: The Greatest Game

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