So Tight the Eagle Screams
In Southern and Appalachian speech, so tight the eagle screams means extremely stingy or frugal. The "eagle" refers to the bird stamped on U.S. coins, said to scream when someone squeezes a dollar too hard.
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I've only read that somebody 'was so tight the eagle screamed', I didn't hear it growin' up. So it may be a little more regional. I've only read that somebody 'was so tight the eagle screamed', I didn't hear it growin' up. So it may be a little more regional. Pronunciation
/soʊ taɪt ðə ˈiːɡəl skriːmz/
Meaning & Usage
- Extremely stingy or careful with money (idiom)
That man’s so tight the eagle screams when he tips the waitress.Ain’t nothin’ wrong with savin’ - long as he ain’t squeakin’ when he walks.Origin and Etymology
The phrase draws from early-20th-century U.S. coinage, which featured an eagle design. Southerners and rural speakers used the image to joke about frugality, saying a person squeezed their coins so tightly the eagle screamed. It reflects the humor and thrift of Depression-era life in the South and Appalachia.
Usage Notes
Still heard in rural or humorous contexts, "so tight the eagle screams" usually carries a teasing tone - not mean-spirited, just describing someone careful with money. It’s a cousin to other Southern sayings about thrift and stinginess.