Judge, 1923-12-15 · page 23 of 36
Judge — December 15, 1923 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects brief humorous anecdotes from international publications, illustrating early 20th-century domestic and social comedy. **Key jokes:** - **Mrs. Gadsby**: A wife prioritizes visiting her husband over leisure travel—humor from gender role expectations. - **Dress cost**: A woman's tears ("sobs") are the "price" of her dress, mocking frivolous spending and emotional female stereotypes. - **The Last Straw**: A father exhausted from managing children's holiday energy; the irony is the mother criticizes him for *not* tiring them out—satirizing parental expectations and energy demands. - **Beach Inspector**: A man teaches his wife to swim in a ladies' bathing pool, claiming innocence; the "fishing" metaphor suggests improper behavior. - **An Error**: A neighbor misidentifies saw-sharpening as violin lessons—absurdist humor about domestic noise complaints. These reflect period attitudes about marriage dynamics, class, parenting, and gender separation in public spaces. The international sourcing emphasizes humor transcends borders.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
DIGEST OF THE Ship’s Officer—Are you going out to the Cape for pleasure, Mrs. Gadsby? Mrs. Gadsby—Oh, no! I’m going out to my husband!—London Opinion. “Did your new dress cost you much?” “No. Only a few sobs!""—Sondags Nisse (Stock- holm). Q@ THE LAST STRAW Fond Mother (to father, after his strenuous efforts to keep pace with his offsprings’ holiday energy)—Oh, John! You have been away a long time! I do hope you haven't tired the children out! —London Opinion. WORLD'S HUMOR Beach Inspector—'Scuse me, sir, fishin’ ain't allowed in the ladies’ bathing pool. The Accused—Hang you! I'm not fishing; I’m teaching my wife to swim.—Passing Show (Lon- don). AN ERROR “Mrs. Hobelspan, all my lodgers protest against your husband sharpening his saw at-home when he might as well do it in his workshop.” “You have madea mistake. That is my boy hav- ing his violin lessons.”"—Der Brummer (Berlin).