Judge, 1923-12-29 · page 22 of 37
Judge — December 29, 1923 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects brief jokes from various international publications, showcasing early 20th-century humor across different cultures. The jokes reflect period concerns: a hotel guest complains about poor fish quality; a daughter excuses her suitor's late visit by noting he has a stutter (implying his proposal took time); parents debate allowing a young man to court their daughter. Most notably, one French joke references the franc's devaluation—a mother supposedly returns from Paris with two babies instead of one because "the franc has sunk to half its value," a dark economic joke playing on currency collapse. The tightwad money joke suggests post-war economic hardship affected common people's ability to distinguish real from counterfeit currency. The page's final large illustration depicts a tightrope walker, with observers expressing concern for the performer's safety—appears unrelated to the text jokes above it, possibly a caption mix-up or separate item.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
DIGEST OF THE WORLD'S HUMOR pa Mother—Mary, you let Reggie stay too late last night. It was one o'clock when he went! Guest—I wish I had come here a week ago. Daughter—But you told me I must Hotel Proprietress—Ah! You are flattering to my establish- give him time to propose.’ ment! “Yes, but five hours . . .!” “What I mean is that I should have preferred to eat this fish “Well, mother, you know he stut- then instead of now.”—London Opinion. ters!"—Passing Show (London). “7 “You were an idiot to allow this bad ten-shilling note to be palmed off on you!” “Well, you don’t let me see enough real money to enable me to tell the difference.”—London Mail. “You told me mother was going to Paris to get a little baby, didn’t you?” “Yes,” “Then why did she bring two back?” . “Because the franc has sunk to half She—Providence must hold a protecting hand over her! its value.”—Le Rire (Paris). He—Under her, my dear!—Kasper (Stockholm). 20 comicbooks.com