Judge — January 13, 1917 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a social humor cartoon satirizing dating customs and courtship expectations of the early 20th century. Two women, Evelyn and Ethel, discuss why their friend Maude is upset with a man named Charlie. The joke centers on a misunderstanding: when Maude mentions being "engaged since she was twenty," Charlie interprets "engaged" as formally betrothed to be married, and questions why the engagement lasted so long. However, Maude likely meant she'd been socially active or "engaged" in dating/courtship activities generally—a common usage of the era. The satire mocks male obliviousness and the strict courtship conventions of the time, where long engagements before marriage were notable and potentially scandalous. The cartoon appeared in *Judge*, a satirical magazine, to amuse readers with this clash between different understandings of social propriety.