What the hell is “seed corn”? Not everybody is a hayseed.
I always thought that the kernels were the seed for corn.
Yes, the kernels are the seed for corn.
But, it’s nearly universally referred to as “seed corn”; that’s just the say it is.
And the smartest guy in the world, from a state which is a significant producer of corn, didn’t know that.
“Eating the seed corn” is such a great metaphor. It’s a crime to see him misuse it. It means eating up the seed for next year’s crop instead of saving it for planting. Even a city girl knows that. So in truth, it’s spending that is eating the seed corn, not refraining from spending.