Judge, 1915-09-25 · page 18 of 28
Judge — September 25, 1915 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects war-related humor from international satirical publications during World War I. The jokes reflect home-front anxieties and battlefield realities: **Key themes:** - **"The Hat Trick"**: Domestic comedy about a servant's mistake—placing flowers in the employer's hat instead of a vase. Typical lower-class humor. - **Aviation references**: Multiple jokes about aviators at the front receiving "a hundred balls a day" (artillery shells), treating combat danger humorously. - **Gender anxiety**: "Embarrassing Attentions" jokes about female shop attendants replacing male employees (who've enlisted), creating awkward social situations for returning soldiers. - **Body humor**: The "chin" joke mocks overweight soldiers. - **International camaraderie**: "Help Yourself" shows Allied soldiers (Jonathan/American, Hans/German) sharing water during combat—humanizing the enemy. The page demonstrates how WWI humor often masked serious subjects—injury, death, social displacement—through wordplay and gentle satire, collected from *Punch*, *Le Rire*, and other publications to entertain American readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The new maid—If you please, Mum, these flowers come for you w'en you was out, an’ I put ’em in water. The mistress—Good heavens, girl! What have you done? Why, that’s my new hat! Sketch (London) Fortune-tellar—Vour friend is at present in a high position and receives more than a hundred balls a day. Grisette—That is very true. He is an aviator at the front.—Le Rire (Paris). Taking No Risks She—How deep is it? He—Only 'bout up to my chin. She—But which chin?—Syduey Bulletin. Embarrassing Attentions Awkward predicament of young officer, just back from the front, on arrival at famous store where lady attendants have been lately installed. —London Opinion. Near-sighted old lady (a keen recruiter) — Now look at that young fellow. A couple of months in the Army would make a new man of him!—Punch (London). a The Cavalry Are in the Trenches Portrait of a British Charger somewhere near the front. —Bystander (London). Help Yourself Hans—Call off that dog; my Franz wants a drink. Jonathan—Taint MY dog. The water's for all of ’em (as can get it).—Cape Times (South Africa). comichooks.conp nets epenu sete Rmenacagsarneansar san ramen renases