In Which Ms. Bean Answers Mr. Monk’s Question + The Names Of Measuring Spoons & Cups

/ Ally Bean

• • •

“How many pinches in a dollop?”

We’ve been watching the TV show MONK at night.  It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime.  The show is silliness wrapped around a mystery, so it’s light and entertaining.

Just what we like.

For anyone unfamiliar with the show, Mr. Monk is a detective who suffers from so many phobias & foibles that half the show is watching him freak out, while the other half of the show is observing how he solves a mystery, usually a murder.

In one episode, “Mr. Monk Goes To The Circus” [Season 2, Episode 4], while attempting to make a mug of cocoa Mr. Monk asks Sharona, his beleaguered assistant, the question shown at the top of this post.  It seems like it might be a rhetorical question, but in fact it is not.

There is an answer that I shall now tell you.

Ready? Here goes.

FIRST you need to know these two facts about measuring spoons:

a PINCH is 1/16th of a teaspoon

3 TEASPOONS is 1 tablespoon

PLUS you need to understand that:

a DOLLOP is 1 + 1/4th tablespoons

THEN you need to do the math:

Knowing that 16 pinches are 1 teaspoon and that 3 teaspoons make 1 tablespoon, I determined that 1 tablespoon is 48 pinches [16 x 3].

But what about the 1/4th of a tablespoon, you might be asking yourself?  Well that’s where it gets more complicated but I figured it out.

Remembering that 1 tablespoon equals 48 pinches, I was able to determine that one fourth of a tablespoon equals 12 pinches [48 ÷ 4].

Thus I added 12 to 48 and arrived at the answer:

60 pinches make a dollop

• • •

• • •

 The Names Of Measuring Spoons & Cups

a DROP or a NIP is 1/64th of a teaspoon

a SMIDGEN or a SHAKE is 1/32nd of a teaspoon

a PINCH is 1/16th of a teaspoon

a DASH is 1/8th of a teaspoon

a TAD is 1/4th of a teaspoon

a HALF is 1/2th of a teaspoon

a DESSERTSPOON is 2 teaspoons

a TABLESPOON is 3 teaspoons

a DOLLOP is 1 + 1/4th tablespoons

a WALNUT-SIZE is roughly 2 tablespoons

a SPLASH is less than a drizzle

a DRIZZLE is about 2 tablespoons

a GLUG is more than a drizzle

a HEN’S EGG is 3 to 4 tablespoons

a FISTFUL or a WINEGLASS is 1/4th of a cup

a HANDFUL or a TEACUP or a GILL is 1/2th of a cup

• • •

Sources:

What’s the Difference Between a Pinch, a Dash and a Shake? via Taste of Home

How big is a dollop? via AnswersToAll

A Walnut-Size of Butter via Bygone Food and Recipes

197 thoughts on “In Which Ms. Bean Answers Mr. Monk’s Question + The Names Of Measuring Spoons & Cups”

  2. This brought back a memory to me. My Mom was showing me how to make her Mother’s sauce for pasta. She said to cup my hand and fill that small bowl in the center of my palm with the oregano and that would be the correct amount. Thanks for the memory!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nicole, I was fascinated when I discovered all these names for measurement. Many terms I’d read in old recipes but I had no idea they were something quantifiable.

      Like

  6. Love this one. I bet that the “Bygone Food and Recipes” site is interesting, Always thought our “Smidge – Dash – Pinch” measuring spoons were a spoof, but clearly they are not.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Zen-Den, I know. I thought those spoons were a goof, too. As for this post, this is what I thought I’d be doing when I started this blog– sharing information just for the heck of it. Over the years I’ve strayed from my original idea, though.

      Like

  7. Oh, how fun! And now you’ve got me wanting to make hot cocoa with a double dollop it up with whipped cream, pinched with cinnamon. It would be truly spectacular if I had my grandmother’s recipe for donuts to accompany the chocolate. I have the best memories of her letting me “help” when I was a kid. I got to cut the donut dough with a drinking glass and a shot glass for the hole. Trust me, I took my duties very seriously.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deborah, I thought this list of terms was delightful. The more I researched my initial question the more I learned about old time-y measurements. I have no doubt you took your donut making responsibilities seriously, as well you should have. I remember using a thimble for the hole in donuts, now that I think on it.

      Liked by 1 person

      • A thimble – that’s crazy wonderful! Of course, I’ve seen collections of thimbles that contain many different sizes. I feel properly equipped now, with your cheat sheet of measurements, to carefully measure the capacity of any thimble I come across. Fine work Ms. Bean!

        Liked by 1 person

    • Frank, thank you. Once I heard Monk ask the question I had to know the answer. Then I found all the measurement term information and was smitten with the topic. Who knew, huh?

      Like

  12. As someone else said, that’s why the metric system is used. I have my mother’s old cook book (she was from England) and there are references to some of these mysterious measurements. Very nostalgic and thanks for explaining all these!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Katie, thank you. I think your comment is perfectly witty and I’m glad you enjoyed this information. Once I got into the topic, I kept going. Who knew these terms existed?

      Like

  14. I’m going to make a copy of this and keep it in my Saved Gems folder. I love the kitchen math and I love how watching Monk sent you down this path. I make and bake things all the time, and this will keep me on track to perfection. Thank you for this.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Robin, I’m pleased that you like this information. Once I got researching I was down the rabbit hole, then decided I needed to share what I learned here. So many cool terms, long lost, but oodles of fun to know.

      Like

  15. Those must be HUGE walnuts if one is a tbsp. I had to read that a few times – so, ergo sum, ginormous walnuts? Or, small tablespoons? I have yet to use measuring instruments – not entirely true, I have a jug that shows 250 ml, 500 ml, 1 litre – that sort of thing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Susan, maybe walnuts were larger back in the day? I can’t explain the reasoning behind the term, but I like knowing it. You’re on the metric system obviously, so these terms must seem totally bizarre to you.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Now I need to go find some old-timey recipes and get me some of those spoons you show! Our neighbors have a dog named Smidge. She’s quite a bit bigger than 1/32 of a teaspoon, but I’ll let her doggy parents in on the secret.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Eilene, I like your idea to find some old-timey recipes then try them using the information about what each term means. I also love the idea of a dog named Smidge. That’s adorable. By all means let your neighbors know the rest of the story about that term.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Well, that’s good to know. It will make it easier for me to follow my husband’s grandmother’s black walnut cake recipe when I bake one for his birthday soon. It’s been guesswork for many years. Now I have official measurements. Thank you. 🙂 However. You left out “heaping.” Most of Grandma Kraus’s recipe has a lot of heaping going on.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Robin, while doing this research I occasionally saw the direction for “heaping” but it was after a specific term, not used as a term. More of a description rather than a measurement, but I could be wrong about that.

      The last link I shared has more info about translating old time cooking and baking terms into today’s measurement. It might help you when you bake the black walnut cake. 🤷‍♀️

      Liked by 1 person

  18. I consider myself a baker, but I had no idea this kind of measurement system existed. I’m a follow the rules kind of baker, never wandering from the exact amounts. I feel better knowing I can add a tad and it won’t necessarily impact the recipe.

    The ‘hen’s egg’ reminds me of a thing my grandma used to say – not AT ALL related to baking, but funny. If she saw a woman not wearing a fitted undergarment, say a girdle?, . . . . IT’S LIKE TWO EGGS IN A HANKY. Well, I cannot unhear this, so every time I see someone dressing for comfort, let’s say, I think of what my grandma would say.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ernie, when it comes to baking I’m like you in that I tend to follow the directions religiously. It’s all about the exact proportions, unlike when tossing together something in the slow cooker.

      As for your grandma’s saying, THAT’S HILARIOUS. Oh my goodness, I laughed out loud and will continue to remember this forever. Thanks for sharing it here. 🤣

      Like

  19. As a person who rarely measures anything AND changes every recipe I find, I’d say that was all quite academic.🤓 I ignore every addition of salt and cut sugar in recipes by half. Everything turns out fine and my family never notices.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bijoux, I take your point about this being academic BUT if you feel the need to make an old time recipe and wonder what the heck the terms mean, this is the post for you. I usually follow baking directions precisely, although I cut back on sugar– and never miss it.

      Like

  21. Oh my! This is an entire research project! You must have a lot of free time on your hands Ally Bean?
    I really like this post, and appreciate the hard work involved. I feel it might be appropriate to copy and post this somewhere in my kitchen-

    Liked by 1 person

    • Arlene, yes, more cayenne [always]. Our little measuring spoons in the photo were my first clue that there might be standard sizes for them, but until I went down the rabbit hole on this topic I didn’t know the rest of it.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, that’s wonderful. I love how back in the day that made perfect sense to someone. Of course it still is accurate, just not the kind of instructions you see on recipes– nor are most of the terms I found.

      Liked by 1 person

      • You know where else this applies? At my work. Varnish has to be thinned. I use one thinner for cool or humid days, and another for warm and windy days. If the day happens to be cool and windy, I use a little of both. People will ask, “How much do you put in?” I always say, “Well, just enough to make the varnish flow right and set up nicely.” At which point, the inexperienced will say, “But how MUCH?” Maybe I should start using ‘dollop’ and ‘glug.’

        Liked by 1 person

        • I like how you explain to the inquisitive about how you mix your varnishes. If you can throw in a term like ‘dollop’ or ‘glug’ so much the better. Whether that would clarify or further confuse, I’m not sure– but it would entertain you. 😉

          Liked by 1 person

  24. All that math made my head hurt (and caused me to start skimming, tbh–but that’s about me, not you) and is the reason I MUST know where you got those measuring spoons. Not that I really need them, but they’re like the poetry of measuring spoons, and my heart wants them. I’m so glad this post wasn’t really about Mr. Monk, which is the name of one of the worst teachers my children ever had and I will forever think of him when I see that name.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rita, I understand about the math. I majored in English so skimming over numbers makes sense to me. However I felt the need to show/explain my work here in case anyone cared.

      We got the little spoons years ago at [I think] Williams-Sonoma. They were a joke, or so we thought when we bought them. Since then I have learned more.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Oh, I appreciate you showing your work. 🙂 English major, here, too. Clearly.

        I just perused the W-S site, and I’m not finding the same kind of spoons. But I’m now pretty intrigued by how many kinds of measuring spoons there are. Who knew? (Not me.)

        Liked by 1 person

        • Sorry W-S no longer has these little ones. I know that the King Arthur Flour website sells a set of measuring spoons that are odd-sized measurements– like 2/3rd of a teaspoon or whatever. We don’t have them, but I’ve seen them for sale on the website.

          Like

  27. A wineglass is not 1/4 cup at my house; all potential guests should be relieved 😉.

    This is fascinating stuff, Ally. Thank you for digging deep on this one. I have occasionally wondered what some of these terms actually mean vs what I think they should mean 🤣.

    Great work!

    Deb

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, the wineglass measurement is baffling by today’s standards. Thanks for assuring us that you are up-to-date. 🍷

      I didn’t start out to learn these terms but once I started researching I found it interesting. This newfound info won’t change how I bake or cook, but it’s fun to know– and was destined to be a blog post.

      Liked by 2 people

  28. This is a heckofalotofinformation, Ally! I have a magnet attached to the side of my fridge that gives me measurements although I seldom look at it. I’d rather go with my guessing game of smidge, dollop, and glug. Very funny! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marian, I had no idea about most of these terms let alone that they actually meant something. A fun research project, but I don’t imagine I’ll be changing my current recipes to reflect these terms. 😉

      Like

  30. 😄 😁😄 😁😄 😁😄 😁 That is hilarious and practical! Thank you so much!
    Years ago, my sister-in-law and I used to watch Monk. It was her favorite show. (She’s a therapist.) I think I might still have the last season on DVD somewhere–a Christmas present from her.

    Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, I’m glad you like this post. I went down a rabbit hole when I decided to answer Mr. Monk’s question. I had no idea these terms were quantifiable measurements that you could use. I’d seen some of the terms in old recipes, but didn’t realize they meant something. A fun research project, totally spontaneous.

      Like

    • Janis, the wineglass measurement is one that baffles. We bought the little measuring spoons thinking they were a joke, but lo and behold they mean something standard. I use our spoons so maybe the joke’s on me.

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Monk was a fun show, but goodness having all of those worries/phobias/ailments must be exhausting.
    Almost as exhausting as me trying to remember all the different measuring spoon and cup names. ☺️

    Liked by 1 person

    • Suz, Monk makes us laugh over and over again as we watch him overcome his own self-imposed limits to do good for others. I think that’s why I like him.

      As for remembering the names of these measurements, rest assured there’ll be no quiz later on this material. I can’t remember half of them and I wrote this post.

      Liked by 2 people

    • philmouse, I know we saw some of the episodes when Monk aired but most we’ve seen so far are new to us. As for the spoon & cup terms and what they’re supposed to measure, I couldn’t help but laugh. Talk about making history fun.

      Liked by 1 person

  36. I have that set of measuring spoons for a pinch, a smidge and a dash! I belonged to a cooking club that was supposed to send me cool cooking tools and that’s the only thing I ever got from them. I thought they were cute so they’re on my regular measuring spoon ring.

    I did not know, however, all your information about how many dashes in that or smidges in the other! Amazing that we used to actually cook that way. How did anyone pass recipes on when a “cup” often meant a particular tea cup favored by the cook? Lots of fun info here!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Zazzy, we bought our little measuring spoons as a joke. We thought they were fun, not knowing they were actual measurements. I’m pleased to know you have a set, too.

      Once I figured out the answer to Monk’s question I continued learning about the old-fashioned names for measurements. I wonder the same thing as you about the accuracy of a cup when tea cups weren’t then, nor are now, standardized. 🤷‍♀️

      Liked by 1 person

  37. What a fun post. I have a cookbook from the 1800s with no standard measurements and the goose and chicken egg and walnut sized slump of something was standard. It also has a full chapter for making things like lipstick and hand cream.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jean, your cookbook sounds fascinating. I know that I’ve seen some of these terms in older cookbooks, like from the early 1900s. You can make lipstick? I mean, of course you can, but it blows my mind to think about that.

      Like

  38. Interesting that Monk would approve of any measurement that isn’t a multiple of 10 😀 Thank you for the new (to me!) information, I didn’t realize most of these were actual measures, I thought they were synonyms for “a little bit”… I feel much better informed! I am familiar with weird length measures: did you know that there are 88 nails in a rod? :O

    Liked by 1 person

  40. I love Tony Shalhoub (sp?) so I should be watching this. Fascinating measurements! I didn’t realize that those expressions had actual equivalents. Some I’ve never even heard of!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, we’ve taken to watching one episode of Monk each night. It’s escapist TV at its best. You might enjoy it. I didn’t know the terms for some of these measurements either, nor did I know there were so many of them.

      Like

  41. My dashs have been too small all these years. Will do bigger dashes now! Like others I thought this was funny and informative. For sure not into the metric equivalents and I live in a metric country! Bernie

    Liked by 1 person

  42. Love Monk. I haven’t watched in years. Might be time to revisit them. I’m not a real baker so the basic set of measuring spoons is sufficient for me. I will save this post though, just in case!

    Like

    • Janet, we haven’t watched Monk in years either. It’s a silly show, but also perfectly entertaining in its own way. As for the names of the measuring spoons and cups, I fell down the rabbit hole when I went to research Monk’s question. Then I had to talk about it here. Had to 🤓

      Liked by 1 person

  45. Ha. This is SO full of information that I never knew I needed to know!! (This is Betsy’s husband, btw. Having lured Betsy away with some pish posh about “helping the kids” I quickly jumped in to read this amazing post.) I shall from now on be using these measurements in loo of the out-of-date measurements like “teaspoon” and “1/2 tablespoon” and other such nonsense. Thank you for enlightening me.
    Sincerely,
    Betsy’s husband

    Liked by 2 people

  46. Ally, I would have commented earlier, but I can’t do math in the morning! I have that set of tiny spoons in the picture, that a friend gave me, but I can’t say that I’ve used it! If you try to get a recipe out of my other, she uses those old-fashioned terms….

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni, I understand about the math. I did it in the afternoon then had Z-D doublecheck my work. Years ago we bought the little spoons on a lark, thinking they were a joke. I’ve used them, but not knowing they were precise measurements. I bet talking with your mother about recipes is a hoot.

      Liked by 1 person

  47. Hi Ally – what a fantastic post – thanks for putting this together- bakers and chefs will love this and non-kitchen people too !
    –
    I left a comment to Joey because a few years ago she told me that amazon had Monk and I had already seen most episodes – (even though I only watched the show after it was canceled – my son was watching ‘Mr Monk and the three Julies” and that was significant because I loved the Terminator movie back int he 1980s – and they have some nice humor connecting to that movie – so that looped me in or I might not have checked it out.
    My favorite episode might be “mr Monk is Best Man”
    and season 7 might be our family favorite season (with episodes like Mr Monk takes a punch – sMr Monk falls in love (another fav), Other Brother, and Chess genius –
    and then from Sharona days I like the Mr Monk takes Manhattan (have you seen that one – “she has now gone meatless” – ha)
    —
    anyhow, now e know what a dollop – 60 pinches –

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yvette, it wasn’t my intention to learn about all of these terms, but once I went down the rabbit hole of research, I was amazed. Then I knew I’d have to share the terms here on this blog because that’s the way I roll.

      We are in Season 2 of Monk right now. I know I’ve seen a few episodes back when it originally aired but most are new to me. I’ll keep my eyes out for the episodes you mention, so thanks. I do remember the last episode, but by then his assistant was Natalie.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Well please keep me posted on some of your favorite takeaways. My mother and I watched this show together when she would visit – maybe after running around in the morning we would have lunch and watch two episodes. And you know how you can skip the intro? She would never let me skip the theme song – she always sang with it – and it was cute – hahaha
        —
        and one more tidbit – subtle theme through the show’s excellent writing is this humanity theme of challenge, trials, and of not being perfect – obviously with Monk and his pathology – and how it takes a village/team to connect and succeed – but also that of not always taking home the top trophy (Mr Monk and Big Game) and maybe even being not so brave and a coward (Mr Monk and the election)
        – okay – enough from me. Bu this is one of my very favorite shows (and two more top episodes are mr Monk and the Miracle (where Monk dresses up like a monk…) and Mr Monk Gets Drunk (“Cappie”)
        happy watching and also hope your week is going well

        Liked by 1 person

    • Christie, we’d watched Monk occasionally years ago when it was first on, but most of it is new to me now. It’s delightfully light and wacky. As for learning about these measurement terms, who knew? Not me 🤷‍♀️

      Like

  50. Twenty years ago I probably would have memorized these extensive instructions. Now my mind refuses to even work this way. A pinch is a pinch in my kitchen and a dollop is a dollop…I just let the Universe decide how much salt the hand pours into the recipe. (And sometimes the Universe makes it too salty and sometimes not enough, lol!)

    Liked by 1 person

  52. This is mind-blowing and useful in equal measures (unintentional pun!!!). I knew the pinch = 1/16 of a tsp, but NOT A SINGLE ONE of the others. The only one I’ve ever encountered in a recipe I care about is a glug, which I had NO IDEA was an actual measurement. Life changing, this post.

    I also adore Monk. That right there is my kind of comfort television.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Suzanne, I never meant to learn this, but once I got into the topic I was mesmerized. I knew many of these terms, but not that they had actual quantifiable measurements associated with them. I just thought they were estimations. I’m glad you enjoyed this post.

      I agree about Monk. It’s delightfully light, but still has a little challenge to it. We get a kick out of it.

      Liked by 1 person

  53. Hmmmm…. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not a cook, because my pinches would be much more than 1/16 of a teaspoon. Whatever the maximum capacity is of any substance that can be pressed between the tips of my finger and thumb would be what wound up in the bowl….

    Liked by 1 person

    • Evil, I think you speak for many people. I know that until I researched this, I was unaware of most of it and have managed to cook and bake just fine. I’m sure your pinches are perfect. [And isn’t that sentence?]

      Like

  54. Great word – “dollop”. Makes me think of scooping out whipped cream from the tub and dropping it onto a dessert with a satisfying, silent plop. By your calculations however, I now know my whipped cream portioning is actually many, many dollops 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Dave, these measurements make you rethink the ways in which measure things. I’m sure that you need many dollops. While my dollops are proper-sized, I admit to over-drizzling. Oh the shame I feel… 🙄

      Like

  57. Thank you for the info! I can’t promise to remember it . . . . I used to watch Monk. Wasn’t it on about 20 years ago?! Have you ever watched Professor T? Not the horrible British version, but the Belgian version? He is a character similar to Monk, but it’s not a comedy, more of a regular police show except for an extraordinary cast of characters and amazing acting and the actor who portrays Professor T in particular.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Luanne, yes Monk first aired 20 years ago. I saw some episodes back then, but not all. I’ve never heard of Professor T. I’ll look for it, the Belgian version you suggest. I like shows that have smart quirky characters. Thanks for the suggestion.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Pam, these terms are amazingly precise. I didn’t know that, but once I started researching I had to go deep. As for a quiz, I don’t think I’d do well either. Just fun info to know about, not memorize.

      Liked by 1 person

  63. When I was younger, my mom never let me cook or bake. She said “if you can read a book, you can follow a cookbook.” Hmm. Not true. I’m a lousy cook and don’t bake. So now reading these definitions of measurements I am truly baffled, bemused, bewildered and befuddled. Guess I’d better stick to throwing everything in a crockpot. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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