While we're on the subject of Steely Dan lyrical trivia, I always took Pearl of the Quarter to be about a prostitute (or at least a, ahem, loose woman) traipsing the docks to pick up sailors on shore leave, wooing them with her broken French. Fun contrast to the romantic music, as is often the case with this band. ;) You're right that Palmer would've been a better singer for that one, it really calls for the great spineless patsy character he puts forth on Dirty Work (wonder wether that impression was intentional but it works really well).