Idiom: shake the dew off the lily (antedating 1951 probably)

[Garson O'Toole]

> paul johnson asked
> Was mine the only family that used "Take the water off the potatoes"?
> My father and his contemporaries all born around 1910

The following euphemism appears to be similar:

Cassell's Dictionary of Slang (2005) edited by Jonathon Green
strain the potatoes v. (also strain the spuds/taters) [1960s+] (Aus.)
to urinate (cf. BLEED ONE'S TURKEY v.)
http://books.google.com/books?id=5GpLcC4a5fAC&q=%22strain+the%22#v=snippet&

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