Judge, 1920-08-28 · page 23 of 36
Judge — August 28, 1920 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page showcases "Bad Breaks"—comedic newspaper printing errors submitted by readers to Judge magazine. The cartoon at top illustrates the concept: a car labeled "BAD BREAKS" crashes into various people, literally breaking things apart. The column collects genuine typographical or grammatical errors from newspapers, extracting unintentional absurdity. Examples include: - A death notice mentioning "bullet wounds fired from a revolver" with unclear causation - A description of a bride and groom descending stairs to strains played by a cow ("betrothal cows were spoken") - A newspaper claiming someone put "both automobiles in my pockets" - A movement to address housing shortages by sending coal to a coal-mining town The humor relies on how literal misreadings create ridiculous meanings. Judge paid $1 for each accepted submission, rewarding readers who spotted these unintentional comedic gems in contemporary publications. This reflects early 20th-century editorial standards and the amusement value of typographical humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Drawn by Hexen Parscon JUDGE pays $1 each for accepted BaD Breaks clipped from newspapers, magazines or books dicated must be furnished to show the bona fide nature of the Bap Breax. No rejected BAD BREAK will 6: The editor cansot enter into correspondence with contributors to this department, inclosed. Bap Break accepted each week. The New Terror—“On July Ethel Clayton Meyer died in the M home as a result of bullet wouNDs FIRED FROM A REVOLVER.” —Winterset (Lowa) Madisonian. (Russell Thompson.) The Color of Words—* Charles Haines, Third, left Lucile, 1s ALL HER BLUE AND WHITE Lisr, sitting on the veranda and went back to the hotel.” —Red Book. (Miss R L ence.) The Turtle’s Strange Anatomy: ““Guess it'll soon be all night with you’ he chortled, as he seized the big black TURTLE by the HEN’s sqUAWks.” (John V. O'Neil.) Angeles Examiner. Under the Bovine—" The home was decorated in pink and green. An im provised altar was banked with palms and a trellis was covered with climbing pink roses and green vines. Here the be trothal cows were spoken.”—Bristol (Tenn.) Courier. (Ellis W. Shuber.) Poor but Potted—“The bride and groom slowly descended the staircase to the strains of Lohengrin’s wedding march played *by Miss Emma Matthews and were married before an IMPOVERISHED ALTAR of orange blossoms and palms.” New Castle (Pa.) Herald. (Edith Ingham Blair.) A Doubtful Welcome—“ Mrs. Parker, Miss Sathe and Mrs. Ashley sang QuARTETTE ‘Welcome. Pretty Primrose.’ —Minneapolis Journal. (Esther Leinan.) Too Tough for One Killing—*Ger- man Sentenced to Die Six Times.” Heading, N. Y. Lomax.) Tribune. (J. Acton Post-Mortem —_ Revelation — “ Mr Sullivan's peaTH consisted mostly of STOCKS of various corporations, the in- ventory showed.” —Lewiston (Me.) ning Journal. (W. Scott Hill) Requiescat in Pace—“He Could S the Old Man Bitter, Disappointed, I ING THE FLook, HUDDLED BY THE Fire —Saturday Ezening Post. (Russell His Generous Pockets—‘So Mon- y night T went home and had supper, PUT BOTH AUTOMOBILES IN MY POCKETS, and took Ruth to the Pershing Theatre.” Boston Herald. (Marilla Williams.) The Result of Cold Feet?—“ Fanny took a chair facing the two men, and crossed her trim BLUE SERGE KNEES and folded her hands in her lap.”’—Kansas ity Times. (Mrs. M. D. Maggis.) Never S fied—‘“ For the seccnD TiME within twenty-four hours a prisoner in the nbs prison yesterday committed suicide.”"—New York American. (Geo. F. Grant.) This Week's Prize “ Break” Contributed by Ouw P. Mitter Atlanta, Ga. Coals to Newcastle—Then Some “A movement has been begun at Anniston by the Anniston Chamber of Commerce to supply a scarcity of residences.” — Co- lumbus (Ga.) Industrial Index. Original clippings with source in returned unless postage is A prize of $5 will be paid for the best A Pollyanna Party—‘Editor Voo- hees accompanied by Mrs. Voohees and her sister Miss Dora Hartkopf of Irving. ton, N. J., spent THREE WEEKS at Oax Island last SUNDAY AFTERNOON.”—South Side Signal, Babylon, L.1. Y. (E.G. Thorpe.) Probably Took Hluminating Gas— “Tommy Wilkins smiled. His large white teeth LIT up THE PLACE.” —Metro- politan Magazine. (Mrs. James Doremus.) No Wonder the Furore—* The Count- ess Folchi Vici, of Brussels, has created a furore by appearing in Belgian society with a pet goat, and has led nm through many of the most exclusive ballrooms in the Belgian capital. Ir yreLps EXCEL LENT MILK in exchange for the kindness lavished on it by its mistress.”"—Washing- ton Post. (Howard Hosmer.) Leap Year Enterprise—* Miss Annic Hill, colored, was arraigned today charged with arracuine the Rev. Benjs min Swain, pastor of the A. M. E. Zion Church.""—Boston Traveler. (M.A. Peters.) The Marital Middle Ground—“W. H. McDonald and Mrs. Harict Welch, both between 75 and 8 years of age, were married here. It was the third time both.”"—Litchfield (Ill) Union. (Di R. Smith.) Satan Begins Early—“ Which goes to prove that this parish is in the ranks of the up-to-the-minute communities who are striving to lessen the appalling figures of infant Mor Atrry in the United States.” —Greenwood (Miss.) Commonwealth. (A. N. Williamson.) COMMEDOO KSFECOM