# Slang terms for a very small unit of measurement **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239 "2016-07-06T17:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/21 "2016-07-06T23:36:10Z")
> [@Nefario](#): > > “Scant”; which IS correct usage as in “just a scant amount of sugar”. I would say the correct, nonslang usage is as a modifier to a fixed measure, meaning short/shy of. A “scant cup” of sugar is less than 1 level cup, but more than the nearest common measure below that, 3/4 cup. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/22 "2016-07-06T23:51:41Z")
I’m a little surprised that nobody has said “pinch” yet, but that isn’t really slang, it is used in cooking. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/23 "2016-07-07T00:36:20Z")
When surveying, “Think left.” ← “No that was too much.” BCH Itty Bitty Touch, as in just a touch. ← Also needs the, “No, that was too much.” Pretty much what everyone else has said. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/24 "2016-07-07T00:47:58Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > ‘Titch’…probably an alteration of ‘touch’ …'. Actually from the clown [Little Tich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Tich). His stage name was ironic. Before him, Tich was a nickname for big men. It’s like calling himself the Tiny Giant. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/25 "2016-07-07T01:15:21Z")
A gnat’s eyelash. Small unit of time: two shakes of a lamb’s tail. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/26 "2016-07-07T01:17:14Z")
A New York minute ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/27 "2016-07-07T03:33:47Z")
Ooh ooh, I got this. My SO often refers to a “hepskin” (hep skin?) of something. Like, “this soup just needs a hepskin of salt”. No clue what it is, or even what phrase is being bastardized here. I even challenged him to look it up and there is no record of this term on the interwebs. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/28 "2016-07-07T05:41:04Z")
Skerrick, although it’s usually used in the negative - “it was bone dry; not a skerrick of water left”. Skerrick means the smallest possible amount. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/29 "2016-07-07T06:28:08Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > A gnat’s eyelash. Our gnats didn’t have eyelashes. So, we said smaller than a gnat’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/30 "2016-07-07T06:39:06Z")
A thrip’s tit. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/31 "2016-07-07T07:15:44Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Actually from the clown [Little Tich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Tich). Now, that is interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/32 "2016-07-07T07:47:42Z")
Bee’s Dick Gnat’s Whisker Smidgen ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/33 "2016-07-07T07:59:31Z")
Tad Bee’s knob ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/34 "2016-07-07T08:19:39Z")
I’ll go with ‘smidgeon’ too, unless you’re referring to the length of a bloke’s dick, in which case it’s a ‘weiner’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/35 "2016-07-07T13:57:05Z")
I always saw it spelled “smidgin.” ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/36 "2016-07-07T15:14:25Z")
When working on something like a carpentry project I say “Give it a pthht.” A really short raspberry sound. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/37 "2016-07-07T15:21:30Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > An **“RCH”** …“Red C\*nt Hair” > > As a kid? Shucks, I _still_ say it. Old joke: A kid tells his dad he spent the day watching the workers at a construction site. Dad says “Great, you can help me build the dog a new house.” They go outside and start. Dad: “Tell me if this board is straight.” Kid: “Move it left a cunt hair.” Dad: “WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” Kid: “Ah fuck it, nail it.” ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/38 "2016-07-07T19:59:33Z")
My dad once miscut a piece of lumber. When he went to install it, he noticed it was _way_ too short, to which he remarked, “that doesn’t even come to within a row of assholes of being close.” I suppose in that context “a row of assholes” represents an unacceptably _large_ measurement. So maybe I should have saved it for a thread titled “slang terms for a very large unit of measurement.” **Elendil’s Heir,** whenever you’re ready… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/39 "2016-07-07T20:14:03Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > If you say so, DiGriz. Huh. I thought I’d coined the term. Aside from this thread, I only got one relevant return from googling ‘digriz’ and ‘kilobuck’. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239/40 "2016-07-07T22:39:16Z")
Square root of fuck all. It’s an accounting term, apparently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-a-very-small-unit-of-measurement/759239.md?page=3)