on the excretory practices of American eagles

[Jerome Foster]

When the eagle shits was payday in the army in ww2...jfoster
----- Original Message -----
From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 5:24 PM
Subject: on the excretory practices of American eagles


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      on the excretory practices of American eagles
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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