Judge, 1924-09-20 · page 24 of 37
Judge — September 20, 1924 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects vintage humor from Judge magazine spanning 1885-1909, showcasing period comedy that relied on wordplay and social attitudes now dated or offensive. **"Medical Item"** (1885): Two brief doctor jokes. The first puns on "economy" (doctors made money from illness). The second jokes that dyspepsia's Greek origin sounds impressive—mocking how doctors used Latin/Greek terminology to seem learned while describing simple indigestion. **"Brain Fever" cartoon** (A.B. Frost, 1885): A working-class woman is proud her husband has "brain fever"—suggesting illness connotes intelligence or importance. The satire targets class assumptions and vanity. **"A Flowery Hint"** (Zimmerman, 1909): Features caricatured Black dialect ("Berlinda," "yo' lubs"). Jefferson's response "two-lips" is a pun on "tulips." This relies on racist minstrelsy conventions common to the era. The page demonstrates how Judge's humor often depended on ethnic/racial caricature, medical ignorance, and class mockery—content reflecting 1880s-1900s attitudes rather than timeless comedy.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ASK DAD— HE KNOWS What They Laughed at in the Good Old Days Medical Item “Doctor,” said De Fidgett, “do you have much practice nowadays?” “Oh, yes, I have all the practice I can attend to.” “In what particular line is the most of your practice?” “Th the line of economy.” —Judge, 1885 sae Doctor—It is nothing but an attack of dyspepsia. Wife—And what does that come from, doctor? “That comes from the Greek, madam.” —dJudge, 1885 A. B. Frost in Judge, 1885. “Brain faver, is it? Oh! Docthur, I’m a proud man this day!” “NAUGHTY | NAU‘Ty "1" Eugene Zimmerman in Judge, 1909. A FLOWERY HINT BerLinpa—What Icind ob flowers yo’ lubs best, Mr. Jefferson? JerreRson—T-t-t-t-t-t-two-lips! 22 comicbooks.com