Pips squeak

Posted by David FG on September 23, 2004

In Reply to: Pips squeak posted by Bruce Kahl on September 22, 2004

: : : : CRANK ON THE CIDER PRESS - Kentucky teachers and school employees are protesting higher costs and eroded benefits of the new health insurance plans negotiated by the governor. The governor has called a special session of the legislature to address the issue. State Representative Charlie Hoffman commented on actions of the group: "You all have twisted the crank on the cider press a couple of times and maybe some juice will come out." From "Scott school employees go to lawmakers' homes" by Greg Kocher, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 22, 2004.

: : : Puts me in mind of another quotation;
: : : We will get everything out of her that you can squeeze out of a lemon and a bit more.... I will squeeze her until you can hear the pips squeak. My only doubt is not whether we can squeeze hard enough, but whether there is enough juice.
: : : Said of German war reparations following World War I by Sir Eric Geddes (1875-1937), British Conservative politician, in December 1918 at the Guildhall, Cambridge, England.

: : : It was re-used by Denis Healey, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on presenting budget to Parliament in May 1978;
: : : [It will] squeeze the rich until the pips squeak.

: : How did a "pip squeak" come to mean a small person? Perhaps the squeak sounded like it came from a small animal?

: Maybe from the sound a chick makes as it comes out of the shell?

: Main Entry: 2pip
: Function: verb
: Inflected Form(s): pipped; pip·ping
: Etymology: imitative
: intransitive senses
: 1 : 1PEEP 1
: 2 : to break through the shell of the egg
: transitive senses : to break open (the shell of an egg) in hatching

Call me a big old softie if you like, but I really like that.

DFG