Judge — January 10, 1925 — page 14: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon mocks the crossword puzzle craze of the 1920s-30s by imagining an absurdly overwrought future where crosswords dominate culture. The humor targets: **The obsession itself**: People of all ages, classes, and backgrounds are consumed by crossword-solving, treating it as life's central activity. **Pretentious cluing**: The cartoon ridicules absurdly erudite, multilingual clues (Pehlevi, Sanskrit, "bellis perennis," French, Spanish). Real crosswords were becoming notoriously difficult, requiring obscure knowledge. **Social commentary**: Characters reference competing interests (et MONIER, "Fanny"), suggesting crosswords displace romance, family time, and education—children mention going to college almost as an afterthought. **Language games**: The focus on foreign words and linguistic trivia reflects actual 1920s-30s crossword trends toward increasingly sophisticated wordplay. The cartoon warns that what was meant as entertainment could become an all-consuming, intellectually elitist obsession that trivializes genuine life priorities.