two birds—one stone

TWO BIRDS—ONE STONE / When a motorist buys a storage battery for his new radio set there is no reason why his automobile should not still be in the back of his head. The battery folk put up a little neater outfit for radio use, but a storage battery is unsightly in any event, so why not buy a regular automobile bettery^([sic]) and hide it behind the furniture? Get a battery that will do for your car.

1926 April 10, The Daily Ontario, Belleville, Ont., Motor News section, page [7], column 1

Margery batted an eye and took thought. She had to explain that unguarded “Oo-oo-h!” and she wanted to get the corporal out of the way for a few minutes. Two birds—one stone—

1927 September, William Byron Mowery, “Tamarack Pass: A Story of Flashing Blades That Were Not Swords amid the Snowy Wastes of the Muskeg Country”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume XCI, number 4, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], section II, page 719, column 2

TWO BIRDS—ONE STONE. Now that my boy’s vacation is over he won’t go back to school, having had a glorious time working in a garage learning the business. What do you suggest? DISAPPOINTED DAD. Answer—Ask the superintendent of schools whether he has a part-time system. If so your boy can work in the garage for part time and go to school part time. This will be killing two birds with one stone—the first bird being a normal and natural desire which boys have at that age to get out into the workaday world, and the second bird being, satisfying the need for education which too late he will realize he had missed.

1927 October 10, Arthur Dean, “Your Boy and Your Girl”, in The Washington Post, number 18,743, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Co., page 9, column 4

TWO BIRDS—ONE STONE / The Minneapolis, Minnesota, club, as one of its major wartime activities, is supplying postcards for servicemen. The cards show scenes in Minneapolis and carry the Kiwanis emblem on the front. Costs were shaved to a minimum with the cooperation of members in the printing business.

1944 January, “Victory Parade”, in O. E. Peterson, editor, The Kiwanis Magazine, volume 29, number 1, Chicago, Ill.: Kiwanis International, page 32, column 2

Two Birds—One Stone: All counselors realize the urgent need for orientation of new pupils. New teachers in a school—especially if they are inexperienced teachers—have just as urgent a need for orientation.

1954, Douglass Brown, “Here Is How We Do It: Programs and Practices around the Country”, in Bess Day, editor, The School Counselor, volume 1, number 2, Washington, D.C.: American School Counselor Association, page [2], column 2