Judge — May 26, 1923 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Bee's Knees" - Judge Magazine, May 26, 1923 This cartoon illustrates the popular 1920s slang phrase "the bee's knees" (meaning something excellent or fashionable). The image shows a flapper—a young woman embodying 1920s modernity with bobbed hair, pearl necklaces, and a short skirt—being attacked by bees swarming around her knees. The joke plays on the literal phrase: the bees are literally targeting her knees. It's a pun-based visual gag typical of Judge's humor. The flapper represents the era's cultural shift toward youth rebellion, looser social codes, and new fashion standards that scandalized conservative Americans. The cartoon gently mocks both the trendy slang and the fashion-forward young women who embodied the "modern" 1920s.