pinch at

present singular third person pinches at · participle present pinching at · participle past pinched at · past pinched at

1. obsoleteTo find fault with; to take exception to.

   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?

   1599, Edward Topsell, “18th sermon”, in Times lamentation: or An exposition on the prophet Ioel, in sundry sermons or meditations, page 229

   2 more examples

   […]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?

   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

   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.

   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