on the excretory practices of American eagles

[Laurence Horn]

Today, my wife reports, a rather obnoxious hard-sell woman in charge
of the showroom at a kitchen installation place here in Hamden, CT
tried to assure her that (despite all the high-end options they were
pushing) their operation really *is* concerned about keeping costs
within reason.  "We know how to give you the most bang for your
buck", she promised. "We're gonna squeeze the eagle until it poops."
This was a new one on my wife (who wasn't particularly taken with the
metaphor) and a new one one me too, although I'm familiar with the
couplet from "Nobody knows you when you're down and out", the classic
Depression era song (by Yip Harburg?) recorded by everyone from
Bessie Smith to Eric Clapton--

"If I ever get my hands on a dollar again,
I'm gonna squeeze it till the eagle grins".

But is the pooping version extant outside this particular kitchen
store?  And do those E Pluribus eagles engage in other activities
when squeezed in other parts of the country?

LH

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org