pinch off

pinch off

1. To sever or detach something (from something else) by pinching it with one's finger tips. (In each usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "pinch" and "off.") Be sure to pinch off the shoots that begin growing between the main branches and the stems so that more of the plant's energy is directed to its fruit.
2. To close a space in front of someone so as not to allow them to pass, as during a race. The lead car pinched off the other driver just as they headed around the turn. I wanted to get ahead of the other cyclists, but they kept pinching me off in traffic.
3. To force someone to be separated or disengaged from something, especially a personal or emotional aspect. I feel like all of the daily pressures and responsibilities of life have been pinching me off from my true ambitions, like painting and writing. Modern technology pinches people off from their spiritual awareness.
4. slang To steal something from someone or something. I pinched a bottle of gin off my parents for the party. He used the money he pinched off his old employer to get on a flight to Spain.
5. vulgar slang To defecate, especially quickly. I'll be right back. I need to go pinch off a loaf. A: "Where's Jim?" B: "He's in the toilet pinching one off."
See also: off, pinch
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pinch something off (of) something

 and pinch something off
to sever something from something by pinching. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) Pinch the buds off the lower branches so the one at the top will bloom. Pinch off the lower buds.
See also: off, pinch
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • point at
  • little pinkie
  • pinkie
  • pinkie (finger)
  • pinky
  • split off
  • pinky (finger)
  • little pinky
  • hold (one's) nose
  • hold nose
References in periodicals archive
* It's a good idea to deadhead (manually pinch off spent flowers) of rhododendrons and azaleas after they finish flowering.
Use a soilless mix when filling large containers
To avoid it, water from below, pinch off dead material when it appears and ensure there is good air circulation around the plant.
ASK DAVID; OUR EXPERT DAVID DOMONEY ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
| STOP THEM PINCH off any remaining flowers and tiny fruits so plant energy is focused on the larger ones.
Ripen your tomatoes before it's too late
Pinch off runners from young plants (less than 3 years old) and apply a fresh layer of mulch around them.
Your CHECKLIST
Pinch off non-flowering shoots from the current year's growth.
Q & A; Gardening
(3) As the plants begin to grow, pinch off the flower buds, which otherwise would develop into fruit.
Grow backyard strawberries: varieties for every region: these simple-to-grow berries give gardeners a big return for a small investment
For bottom fishing, one good rigging technique is to pinch off the tail of the shrimp and rig it like a Texas-rigged bass worm: Thread the hookpoint through the tail, out the belly of the bait, and then turn the hook to bury the point in the "chest." This hides the hook from wary reef fish, and minimizes twisting in current.
Shrimp in the blue: lessons on little live baits for big fish offshore
I pinch off one or two segments (leaving three or four segments intact) and slide the first segment of the string onto a tiny bare jig hook, so the other segments ride free beyond the hook.
Euro larvae & bloodworms
9 Pinch off faded rose flowers to encourage more flowers later.
What To Do This Week.
The first is to pinch off the top half-inch of stem at this time of year for fall blooming plants.
Your gardening answers; Straighten up and grow right
Pinch off the ends of the cloves and add them to the pan, throw away the stalks.
LIGHT CHICKEN KORMA
When the first beans start to form, pinch off the top 10cm (4in) of stem to reap an earlier harvest.
GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT - BROAD BEANS
This sacrifice, in which bacteria pinch off minuscule spheres called vesicles, may influence climate change by affecting how much carbon dioxide the oceans can absorb.
Marine microbes shed packets of DNA, nutrients: bacterial vesicles may offer genetic exchange opportunities, affect carbon cycle
? Harvest cucumbers and continue to pinch off the tips of side-shoots two leaves beyond a female flower.
Things to do this week